How frequent are runway issues at KCI? Here’s what the latest safety data shows
Runway incursions at Kansas City International Airport are fairly rare but they do happen, and there has been a slight bump upwards in the past two years, according to an analysis of FAA data.
The FAA defines runway incursions as the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft.
Runway incursions captured national attention again most recently after a Southwest Airlines plane had a close call with a private jet that entered a runway at Chicago Midway Airport on Feb. 25, prompting the Southwest pilots to abort landing to avoid a potential crash.
“The crew of Southwest Airlines flight 2504 initiated a go-around when a business jet entered the runway without authorization at Chicago Midway Airport,” the FAA said on its website. The FAA is investigating the incident.
When asked about air and runway safety, the FAA referenced an television interview where U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS Evening News, “The simple answer is yes, it’s safe to fly. Of course.”
Sherae Honeycutt, city spokeswoman for Kansas City, referred questions about runway and air travel safety to the FAA.
The FAA categorizes runway incursions by severity, with Categories A and B considered the most serious. These are where an incursion led to or narrowly avoided a collision, or there was a significant potential for a crash. The other two categories, Categories C and D, are are the least serious. These are where there’s was enough time or distance to avoid a collision or there were no safety consequences.
While runway incursions at KCI are rare, occurring — on average — just slightly less than 1 1/2 times per year over the past 23 years, the numbers have nudged upwards in the past couple years, a review of FAA data shows.
Nationwide, however, the numbers of runway incursions have remained relatively flat in recent years.
How common are KCI runway incursions?
From 2002 through November of last year, there have been a total of 33 runway incursions at KCI, according to the latest FAA data available.
Overall, the data didn’t indicate any clear long-term trend in either direction, but rather periodic fluctuations in the number of incidents from year to year.
Between 2002 and 2007, there were very few incursions, with most years having none. There was a gradual increase the following three years, peaking at three incursions in 2010. From 2011 to 2017, the number of incursions fluctuated between one and three, with no clear trend.
Recently, however, there has been an increase, with four incursions in 2023 and three in 2024.
There have not been any of the most serious runway incursions over the years, according to the data. However, there have been 33 less serious incursions.
Vehicle or pedestrian deviations account for about half of the runway incursions at KCI, followed closely by pilot error.
Some of the more recent runway incursions include:
- On April 8, 2024, a pilot of an aircraft read back the clearance intended for another aircraft. Controllers didn’t address the incorrect read back and the aircraft entered the runway without authorization. The aircraft did not start to take off and controllers canceled the clearance.
- On April 4, 2024, a vehicle crossed a closed runway chasing birds and crossed another runway without authorization.
- On Oct. 9, 2023, controllers gave an aircraft permission to pull up and hold short of a tower. The pilot read back instructions correctly, but crossed the line to hold short of the runway but held short of the runway edge line. The pilot advised they had cross the hold short line.
- On July 17, 2023, controllers didn’t provide runway separation between two aircraft. One aircraft was cleared for takeoff while the other aircraft was on a 1.88 mile final approach. The landing aircraft cross the runway’s threshold as the other aircraft was still on its departure aircraft. The closest proximity was 4,380 feet lateral.
- On June 5, 2023, controllers didn’t provide runway separation between an aircraft and an airport vehicle. Controllers allowed an airport vehicle to proceed on a runway. Controllers then cleared the aircraft for takeoff. As the aircraft began its departure roll, the controllers told the vehicle to exit the runway. The closest proximity was 4,663 feet lateral.
- On April 27, 2023, controllers instructed an aircraft to line up on a runway and wait for permission to take off. When another aircraft was on a two-mile final approach, controllers cleared the departing aircraft for takeoff. The arriving aircraft crossed the runway threshold as the departing aircraft was on departure roll. The closest proximity was 5,046 feet lateral.
Nationwide, runway incursions relatively flat
Nationally, the number of runway incursions have remained relatively flat over the past five years, although there was a dip in 2020 and 2021, likely due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were 1,758 runway incursions nationwide in the agency’s fiscal year 2024, which began on Oct. 1, 2023 and ended Sept. 30, 2024, according to FAA data. That compares to 1,760 in FY2023, 1,730 in FY2022, 1,574 in FY2021, 1,261 in FY2020 and 1,753 in FY2019.
The vast majority, over 60%, of the incursions last year were attributed pilot errors, according to the FAA data. Errors made by air traffic controllers or other operational personnel accounted to nearly 18% of the incursions, and just over 17% were attributed to vehicle operators and pedestrians. The rest was classified as “other” deviations.
In 2024 calendar year, the rate of serious runway incursions, Category A and B, decreased by 69 percent from the 2023, from .4 per one million airport operations to .124 per one million operations, the FAA said. In 2023, there were a combined 22 Category A and B incursions, compared to 7 in 2024.
