Introduction

Being available to the aviation industry for nearly two decades ICAO’s Manual on the Prevention of Runway Incursion still serves as a solid groundwork highlighting necessary steps to implement effective safety measures for the prevention of runway incursions.

This manual aims primarily to provide global guidance essential for the implementation of national or local runway safety programmes. However, while runway safety takes into account issues such as foreign object debris, animals straying onto the runway and other logistical deficiencies, this manual specifically addresses the subject of runway incursion prevention as it relates to the safe operation of aircraft, air traffic management, vehicle movement on the manoeuvring area and aerodrome management.

It is one of the first ICAO manuals guided by a systemic approach as an evolution in safety thinking has led to a change in focus: from that of the individual to that of the organization as a whole. This view addresses the contribution and responsibility of senior management regarding safety and it acknowledges that senior management decisions are influential in shaping the operational contexts within which operational personnel perform their duties and discharge their responsibilities. It is also accepted that, regardless of the extent to which operational personnel excel in their job performance, they can never ultimately compensate for systemic deficiencies and flaws in the system that binds them. 

Such evolution in safety thinking notwithstanding, it is a fact that properly selected, trained and motivated operational personnel remain the true custodians of safety. When a system breaks down due to unanticipated deficiencies in design, training, technology, procedures or regulations, human performance is the last line of defence against latent conditions that can penetrate the aviation system defences and potentially result in compromised safety. Operational personnel are the true “gatekeepers” of the aviation safety system.

From this broad perspective, it is imperative to avoid the pitfall of focussing safety efforts on organizational issues exclusively, to the detriment of the human contribution to the success and failure of the aviation system. Active failures by operational personnel are sometimes a consequence of flaws in the system, sometimes a result of well-known and documented human limitations, but usually are a combination of the two. A true systemic approach to safety must consider latent conditions in the system as well as active failures on the front lines of operations. 

This systemic approach underlying this manual was and is still exemplary and also served as the underlying principle in developing the latest succeeding initiatives such as ICAO’s Global Runway Safety Action Plan or the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI), which also acknowledge that the successful prevention of runway incursions still requires the collaboration of all related aviation stakeholders such as air traffic controllers, pilots, vehicle drivers and aerodrome management and others. 

The content of the manual is divided into a main part beginning with a high-level discussion of causal factors and exploration of the factors that can result in runway incursions. Initiatives are also identified that aircraft and aerodrome operators and air navigation service providers can adopt to remove hazards, mitigate residual risks and create a cooperative, effective and safe operational environment. Detailed guidance, best practices and further information or forms are provided in the appendices. (Note: the EUROCONTROL Runway Safety Toolkit referred to in Appendix K is no longer available). Educational material for pilots, controllers, vehicle drivers and aerodrome operators is described. Finally, guidance is offered on how individual States can implement or improve runway incursion prevention safety programmes. Core to these initiatives is the uniform application of ICAO provisions which will ensure consistency of safe operations on the manoeuvring area.

Note: In the meantime, some web-addresses used in the document are not served anymore. Nevertheless, most of the content that can help local runway safety teams or organizations to identify factors that contribute to runway incursions at a specific aerodrome can still be accessed via ICAO’s Runway Safety Programme Implementation Kit (IKit) website.

Appendices

ICAO Doc 9870 contains ten appendices as follows:

• ICAO Doc 9870 App A - Communications Best Practices
• ICAO Doc 9870 App B - Best Practices on the Flight Deck
• ICAO Doc 9870 App C - Air Traffic Control Best Practices
• ICAO Doc 9870 App D - Airside Vehicle Driving Best Practices
• ICAO Doc 9870 App E - Aerodrome Resource Management Training Course
• ICAO Doc 9870 App F - ICAO Model Runway Incursion Initial Report Form
• ICAO Doc 9870 App G - ICAO Model Runway Incursion Causal Factors Identification Form
• ICAO Doc 9870 App H - Runway Incursion Severity Classification (RISC) Calculator
• ICAO Doc 9870 App I - Aerodrome Runway Incursion Assessment (ARIA)
• ICAO Doc 9870 App J - ICAO Runway Safety Toolkit

Further Reading

• ICAO Doc 9870 Manual on the Prevention of Runway Incursions, First Edition, 2007
• ICAO Global Runway Safety Action Plan, Second Edition, 2024
• ICAO Runway Safety Team Handbook, Second Edition, June 2015.