Decades after the introduction of traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS) to commercial aircraft cockpits, similar technology is becoming available to airport vehicle operators.
Avionics manufacturer uAvionix has launched Surface Ops, an application designed to increase situational awareness of airport vehicle drivers and alert them to potential conflicts while operating on runways and taxiways. Surface Ops is a web and iOS-based system that provides the same type of monitoring air traffic controllers use in towers for the FAA’s Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) and Airborne Position Reference Tool (APRT).