Exeter Airport is the latest UK airport to equip its vehicles with our Airside Incursion Mitigation (AIM) system. Following a successful trial, the AIM system is being installed in all airside vehicles. It will give airport management the ability to view all airfield vehicle activity on screen in real time. The vehicles are also fitted with visible and audible in-cab warnings, triggering when the vehicles approach incursion boundaries.
Exeter Airport is the latest UK airport to equip its vehicles with our Airside Incursion Mitigation (AIM) system. Following a successful trial, the AIM system is being installed in all airside vehicles. It will give airport management the ability to view all airfield vehicle activity on screen in real time. The vehicles are also fitted with visible and audible in-cab warnings, triggering when the vehicles approach incursion boundaries.
Using custom maps and high accuracy zoning created specifically for Exeter Airport, the management team can monitor all AIM-equipped vehicles on a screen and can receive alerts when vehicles are speeding, braking harshly or about to enter incursion boundaries.
A low visibility procedure (LVP) mode can be activated during adverse weather conditions at the click of a mouse, ensuring stricter safety operations can be performed and new wider incursion boundaries are used.
A runway incursion is defined as “any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft”. AIM is designed to reduce these instances and increase airfield safety.
Runway incursions can occur whenever there is a breakdown in communications or situational awareness at an airport. They can be caused by pilots, air traffic controllers, vehicle operators, or people working on an airfield, regardless of their level of training or experience.
The AIM system provides airports with a full suite of alerts, alarms and reports that highlights potentially dangerous activities. It also verifies compliance checks and provides the CAA inspectors with full visual playback along with a download of the airside fleet inspection and maintenance activity.
Our CEO Andrew Johnson said: “We’re delighted that Exeter Airport (who are part of the Regional & City Airports Group) have decided go ahead with a full installation of the AIM system following a successful trial. Runway incursions can lead to serious accidents so it’s great to see airports taking steps to reduce the likelihood of such incidents occurring.”
Exeter Airport started their trial in July 2018 and are planning to install the AIM system in across their airside vehicle fleet.
During the trial, we worked with the airport to customise the user interface for the airports particular requirements and the demonstration offered to the management team enabled them to amend their own airside geofence zones to suit their needs.
Exeter Airport has joined Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley as the latest UK airport to adopt the AIM system. It’s also currently in advanced trials at Cork and East Midlands airports.