The National Runway Safety Group (NRSG) is a State Safety Programme hazard-specific working group that facilitates state-level visibility and continuous improvement in safety performance, specific to runway safety in Australia.
It uses feedback from these forums and other sources to develop and implement national strategies to improve runway safety.
Current membership
Membership of the NRSG enables broad industry participation in the identification, development, implementation and promotion of runway safety initiatives at national and local levels and within the members’ own organisation.
It's imperative that NRSG members are able to actively engage in NRSG activities and safety initiatives and be in a position to influence change in their own organisation.
NRSG members:
- CASA (chair and coordination staff)
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development
- Airservices
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)
- Defence
- Australian Airports Association (AAA)
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
- Australian Airline Pilots Association (AusALPA)
- Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA)
- Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus)
- Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)
- airport operators (incl. capital-city, Metro-D and regional airports)
- airlines
- major flying schools/training organisations.
Note: as the NRSG is deliberative rather than decision making by nature, there is no requirement to establish a quorum necessary to conduct meetings.
Terms of reference
Read the National Runway Safety Group’s terms of reference.
Global runway safety plans
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has published its:
- Global Aviation Safety Plan
- Global Runway Safety Action Plan.
In these publications, the ICAO urges states to reduce runway safety occurrences, such as runway incursions, excursions and confusion.
Through its Global Runway Safety Action Plan, the ICAO strongly promotes and recommends the establishment of local runway safety teams at aerodromes to reduce runway-related accidents and incidents.
Runway safety is a key element of Australia's State Safety Programme (SSP) and a common area of safety focus across the Australian aviation industry. The NRSG is an SSP hazard-specific working group.
Controls for runway safety risks require the coordinated effort of:
- aerodrome operators
- aircraft operators and pilots
- air navigation service providers
- regulatory authorities.
Local runway safety teams
Local runway safety teams (LSRTs) are critical to the success of the national runway safety program. Under the NRSG, LRSTs work collaboratively to:
- identify current and emerging issues relating to runway safety at a particular aerodrome
- implement initiatives in a targeted, tailored and timely manner to assure the safety of runway operations.
The outcomes of LSRTs:
- inform the NRSG
- enable national trends to be identified and develops strategic programs.
Any local runway safety matter should be directed to the local runway safety team at the respective aerodrome.
An aerodrome operator, on behalf of their LRST, should provide inputs regarding systemic issues, growing trends and industry best practices related to runway safety to the NRSG, which conducts nation-wide trend analysis.
AC 139.C-22 Runway Safety Teams provides guidance to aerodrome operators for implementing and continuous improvement of LRSTs.
Runway safety resources
The ICAO and Air Services Australia have developed resources to help local runway safety teams and industry improve runway safety:
21 Jul 2023