A new radar system designed to keep airplanes from colliding on the ground will be installed at 14 airports, starting in January in Seattle, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.
Called Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X, or ASDE-X, the system lets air traffic controllers view on a screen all aircraft and vehicles as they move around the airport.
FAA spokesman Greg Martin said ASDE-X is an improvement over another system that's been deployed at the largest U.S. airports.
"Our aviation safety priority is in the air and on the ground," Martin said.
The worst aviation accident in history happened on a runway in 1977 when two jumbo jets collided in the Canary Islands, killing 582 people.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association President John Carr said the FAA should install ASDE-X in more airports.
"We have a technology, we know that it works," Carr said. But, he said, the FAA's approach is to "give it to the big kids."
The airports scheduled to receive the new equipment are in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago (Midway and O'Hare), Detroit, Houston (George Bush Intercontinental), New York (LaGuardia), Newark, Washington (Reagan National and Dulles), Seattle and Minneapolis St.-Paul.
Some airports already have the system: in Providence, Milwaukee, Orlando and at Houston Hobby.
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On the Net:
Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov
National Air Traffic Controllers Association: http://www.natca.org
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