Earns 2007 Airport Safety Award

DFW International Airport was honored Thursday with the 2007 Airport Safety Award given by the Flight Safety Foundation, for leadership and achievements benefiting aviation safety, both at the Airport and in the wider aviation community.

The award -- given in Seoul, Korea during the Flight Safety Foundation’s 60th annual International Air Safety Seminar -- honored DFW for adopting a leadership role in developing innovative safety initiatives, specifically perimeter taxiways, area navigation and a surface movement guidance system.

"We are extremely honored to be recognized internationally for our safety achievements because safety is engrained in our culture and in everything we do," said Jeff Fegan, CEO of DFW International Airport. "We are very proud of our safety record and the innovative programs we have put in place that are modeled around the world. Every airport works extremely hard to maintain a safe environment and we are proud to represent the global aviation community in this manner."

In partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DFW has developed and implemented area navigation procedures for improving in-flight safety. The Area Navigation (RNAV) program is a global satellite navigation system that guides pilots along more direct departure routes, increasing efficiency and reducing communication congestion.

DFW also partnered with NASA to develop its perimeter taxiway system, which allows arriving aircraft to taxi to the terminals without crossing active runways, lessening the workload for air traffic controllers while reducing potential runway incursions. DFW’s implementation has been adopted as a national standard.

And DFW has upgraded airport surface detection equipment that provides radar surveillance of aircraft and airport service vehicles, helping controllers prevent runway incursions and determine the spacing between aircraft for improved airfield safety.

"We’re grateful to our federal partners in allowing us to help develop initiatives that serve to create an overall atmosphere of safety awareness," said Jim Crites, executive vice president of operations at DFW. "We want to be at the forefront of developing these technologies because it’s conceivable that every flying passenger in the world will eventually benefit from these efforts."

DFW staff members have worked diligently with regulatory and industry groups to generate support for promising safety-related research and development projects.

"Our staff does an incredible amount of work to make these projects come to life," said Allen Parra, vice president for operations at DFW. "The commitment made by our employees to all kinds of safety enhancements really does make DFW a world leader in aviation safety, and our employees are to be commended for that."

More than 1,140 individuals and organizations in 142 countries are members of the Flight Safety Foundation, which is dedicated to improving aviation safety through research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing.

Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world's third busiest, offering nearly 1,900 flights per day and serving 60 million passengers a year.

FMI: www.dfwairport.com