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The ICAO 2024 Safety Report highlights both progress and ongoing risks in global aviation, with runway incursions remaining one of the most pressing challenges. Compared to 2023, the overall number of accidents increased modestly in 2024, and runway-related incidents continue to account for a high percentage of global accidents. Together with other high-risk categories, runway incursions make up nearly 40% of fatal accidents worldwide. This underscores why pavement maintenance and proactive surface management remain essential to safe operations.
Looking at 2023 vs. 2024, ICAO data shows stagnation in the success of safety efforts around the world. Accident rates trended up from 1.87 accidents per million flights to 2.56, but these numbers are still an improvement from pre-pandemic statistics.
Runway incursions stood out once again as a high-risk occurrence. These events often involve human factors, but unsafe runway surfaces are a contributing risk that airports can directly control. When a jet is approaching an active runway, every moment counts. Impeccable pavement conditions can ensure a pilot is able to brake in time to prevent disaster.
Runway Incursions and Global Runway Safety Action Plans
To address these risks, ICAO has rolled out Global Runway Safety Action Plans aimed at reducing both excursions and incursions. The plans emphasize:
- Expanded training for pilots and ground staff
- Better surface condition reporting and monitoring
- Standardization of runway safety practices across regions
- Improvements in signage, lighting, and guidance systems
A common theme in these plans is the importance of runway condition. Without proper friction levels, even the best training and technology cannot prevent all excursions and incursions.
How Pavement Maintenance Reduces Runway Incursions
Effective pavement maintenance directly lowers the likelihood of runway incursions and overruns by ensuring pilots can maintain control in all conditions. Rubber buildup from aircraft landings is a leading cause of reduced friction, particularly in wet weather. Over time, this buildup turns safe pavement into a slippery surface that increases the chance of veer-offs and excursions.
Keeping runways clean and within FAA and ICAO friction standards is one of the most cost-effective steps airports can take to mitigate risk.
Avion50: The Proven Solution for Safer Runways
This is where Avion50 makes the difference. Avion50 is the most effective detergent for runway rubber removal, helping airports restore pavement friction without investing in costly water blasting trucks or outsourced services. By using existing equipment—spray rigs, water trucks, and snow brooms—airports of all sizes can integrate rubber removal into their own schedules.
With Avion50, operators can:
- Restore safe friction levels in wet weather
- Reduce the chance of runway incursions and overruns
- Align with ICAO’s Global Runway Safety Action Plans
- Control costs while meeting international safety standards
The ICAO 2024 Safety Report makes it clear: reducing high-risk accident categories requires global action. For airports, incorporating Avion50 into a proactive maintenance program is a direct way to improve runway safety and reduce the risk of incursions.