The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has installed its 100th Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) system as part of efforts to expand surface surveillance capabilities at airports across the country.
The milestone was announced by US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy on 2 September. The programme is intended to provide controllers with real-time information on aircraft and vehicles operating on airport surfaces. SAI is now operational at 100 air traffic control towers.
The FAA plans to deploy SAI at 220 airports that previously did not have surface surveillance capabilities. A further 44 airports are expected to receive the technology by the end of 2026, bringing the programme to approximately two-thirds of its planned sites.
SAI uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data from aircraft and vehicles to provide controllers with a view of surface traffic. The system can assist controllers when visibility is reduced by poor weather or when aircraft and vehicles are outside the tower’s direct line of sight.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said:SAI is vital for controllers. It gives them the big picture of the airport’s surface right at their fingertips. For our controllers to work at their best, they need the technology to match their expertise.
Recent installations include Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, Billings-Logan International Airport, Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Corpus Christi International Airport.
The agency has also increased the deployment rate of its Approach Runway Verification technology, which is now operational at more than 260 air traffic facilities. The Runway Incursion Device, another tool designed to support surface safety, is operational at more than 56 air traffic control towers.
The SAI rollout is taking place alongside broader efforts by the US Department of Transportation and FAA to modernise the country’s air traffic control infrastructure and provide controllers with additional digital tools for managing aircraft movements.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said:We are moving at the Speed of Trump to bring air traffic controllers the surface safety technology they need to continue improving our airspace,” said. “We have doubled our deployment speed thanks to Republicans in Congress who delivered funding through the Working Families Tax Cut Act. We’re going to continue fast-tracking our deployment so that all 220 FAA towers that did not have surface surveillance capabilities can now have a new tool at their disposal for controllers.
