ABOVE ALL ELSE, SAFETY

The need to maintain airport safety in the face of progress

Experts in runway safety systems for airports, Runway Safe Group, believes that the near future will see direct routes becoming more popular, sacrificing the hub-n-spoke systems, while passengers become more discerning about safety.

The company, looking to make greater headway into the APAC region, has had its fair share of resistance in getting decision makers to face hard truths about safety measures in the face of breakneck growths and ravenous profits for stakeholders.

Joakim Frisk, Director Asia Pacific for Runway Safe Group AB, cited the pedantic evolution of Singapore’s Changi Airport. “Changi Airport is the safest airport in the world,” Joakim remarked. “Many airports don’t come up to the level of safety like Changi.

“People talk a lot about safety, but not many people actually invest and implement it. These hard talks are hard to conduct with a new person without trust and rapport and over a virtual one-way manner,” continued Joakim, highlighting the current difficulties of relaying necessary exchanges via the impersonal nature of online relationship building.

A crucial case in point Joakim underlined is the need to maintain safety as progress is achieved.

“For example, the world of aircrafts is getting bigger, and they fly longer, thus making more money for the airlines. These new aircrafts, where medium-sized ones get bigger or bigger-sized ones get even bigger, puts new demands on airports to recalibrate their runway, along with infrastructures of airports in general, thus calling for changes in current regulations for aviation.”

Joakim Frisk
Director Asia Pacific
Runway Safe Group AB

Keeping the negative effects of COVID at bay, Runway Safe Group continues installations in Brazil and maintenance work in San Diego, USA. “We only need containers and ships to transport the materials. The actual work is done by local teams where available, like in Europe and the Americas.

“Supervisors from Runway Safe Group’s HQ will keep the engines going from start to finish, working with some imported materials, and installations done by outsourcing to local partners for delivery,” Joakim explained, noting that there have been no delays, as every good airport has suppliers to offer with license to work in the required areas.

The company is currently offering EMAS-technology (Engineered Material Arresting Systems). This increases the Runway End safety on existing/available land. Joakim emphasized that many airports have deficiencies in their RESA (Runway End Safety Area).

“Airports need to know and acknowledge their shortfall,” said Joakim, divulging that unfortunately, people will not usually want to admit they have a safety shortfall.

“We need to educate them on how having these safety features not only is for safety, but will also increase efficiency and even save money, as it avoids accidents and damages,” concluded Joakim.