200 US airports are upgrading their safety and security measures this year
200 US airports are about to undergo major safety overhauls, with the FAA announcing sweeping changes nationwide.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced major changes to its operational procedures in the wake of a fatal collision, while also calling on airports, airlines, and airfield operators to review and strengthen their own safety measures.
A fatal runway collision at LaGuardia Airport in March, which claimed the lives of two pilots after a landing aircraft struck a fire truck, has prompted major aviation safety reforms in the United States.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 23: An Air Canada Express plane sits on the tarmac after it collided with a fire truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. Two people are believed to have been killed in the late-night accident, with dozens injured. The plane had landed from a flight from Montreal. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Audio recorded during the incident reportedly captured an air traffic controller saying ‘I messed up’ moments before the Air Canada Express aircraft collided with the emergency vehicle on Runway 4.
In response, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered that all airport vehicles under its control be equipped with transponders capable of transmitting their location and speed to air traffic control systems.
Officials believe the crash may have been avoided if the fire truck involved had been fitted with the technology.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 23: Emergency workers gather at the scene after an Air Canada Express plane sits on the tarmac after it collided with a fire truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport on March 23, 2026, in New York City. Two people are believed to have been killed in the late-night accident, with dozens injured. The plane had landed from a flight from Montreal. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)The
The National Transportation Safety Board has long pushed for the widespread use of transponders on airport grounds, arguing the technology could help prevent serious runway accidents.
Now, the Federal Aviation Administration says it plans to fit around 1,900 airport vehicles with the devices across 44 airports, while also expanding the rollout to more than 220 airports equipped with, or preparing to install, advanced ground surveillance systems.
The changes come after two people died when an Air Canada Express regional jet they were travelling in crashed during landing last March.
72 passengers and four crew members were on board the plane, which travelled from Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport.
Emergency personnel respond to an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 after colliding with a Port Authority fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Pic: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
The flight was a Jazz Aviation flight, which had been operating on behalf of Air Canada, and collided with a fire engine on the runway at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Both the pilot and co-pilot died in the incident, while over a dozen passengers were injured.
The safety upgrade programme, which had already been under development before the LaGuardia Airport disaster, has now been fast-tracked in the aftermath of the deadly collision and is expected to cost around $16.5 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also encouraging airlines, airports, and airfield operators nationwide to adopt the same technology, noting that federal grant funding may be available to support the rollout.
