F.A.A. brings cutting-edge runway tech to A.B.I.A. to boost safety - KEYE TV CBS Austin

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By the end of the weekend, new technology at Austin Bergstrom International Airport will go online to help the F.A.A. Control Tower monitors what's happening on runways.

The airport is one of the first in the country to gain access to the technology.

"Nothing's a silver bullet, but it's a tool in the toolkit that will help," Federal Aviation Administration program manager Michael Emmanuel said.

Due to its recent explosion in air traffic, Emmanuel says Austin Bergstrom International Airport is one of four airports across the country being equipped with a new airfield surveillance system called the Surface Awareness Initiative.

"It's unprecedented," Emmanuel said. "We awarded the contract to our vendor on April 1, and we are ready to go operational in 90 days."

It's similar to a GPS system for the tarmac, with antennas that communicate with aircraft and vehicles to let the air traffic control tower know exactly where they are. It only costs thousands of dollars, compared to some equipment that can cost millions.

"You now have - think of an additional set of eyes, right? Or a super high-powered pair of binoculars," Emmanuel said.

It's one of several improvements Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett has been pushing for after three near misses at Austin's airport last year. He wasn't available for an interview Friday, but in a social media post last week, applauded the initiative, before adding in part...

"Now the FAA needs to correct our severe controller understaffing, which is jeopardizing safety."

Emmanuel says these issues aren't directly related, but while the S.A.I. will certainly help the controllers, it's not a replacement for trained staff.

"At the end of the day, you need skilled operators on the flight deck, and skilled operators in the tower can," Emmanuel said.

The S.A.I. goes online on Sunday.

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