AIRPORT ADDRESSES SPATE OF RUNWAY INCURSIONS - INTRODUCING NEW MEASURES

Thursday May 08, 2025

Since November 2024, Gloucestershire Airport has experienced 5 runway incursions at Holding Point A2. 

A runway incursion, according to the European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (EAPPRI), is defined as:

“Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft.”

In simple terms, it means any unauthorised or incorrect presence on an active runway or its protected areas, which creates a safety risk for aircraft taking off, landing, or taxiing.

Holding point A2 was already identified in the AIP as one of the "hotspots" for this type of incident. 

Due to this recent increase, measures have been put in place to reduce these occurrences by means of additional markings, clearly identifying taxiway's as well as refreshing existing taxiway markings to better assist pilots when navigating their way around the airfield. Further reviews into the current designation of holding points are underway to see if renaming them to reduce potential confusion will alleviate these issues. 

Campaigns are in place, driven by Safety and Compliance Officers to reach out to visiting pilots to ensure they are fully aware of the ground taxi procedures and routes around the aerodrome to further reduce the risks posed by ongoing runway incursions.