Next Global Initiative: Taxiway Safety?

Last month I mentioned the widespread attention being paid to runway safety (runway incursions, excursions etc.) but over the last few months, and the last few weeks in particular, we've had quite a few high-profile taxiway accidents. So much so that maybe the next global safety initiative will be taxiway safety (excursions, clearances, traffic etc.). Recent Boo-boos

• Some great footage was recorded on 11 April 2011 when an Air France A380 clipped a Delta CRJ-700 on ground at JFK Airport, New York.

Air France A380 collides with a Delta Connection CRJ-700

• Probably the most spectacular of these incidents occurred on 19 June 2011 when another A380, this time Airbus' own display aircraft, kissed a building as it taxied for a practice display the day before the Paris Airshow - some good photos here.

The damaged right-hand wing-tip of Airbus A380, the world's largest jetliner with a wingspan of almost 80 meters, is seen on the tarmac on the eve of the opening of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, near Paris, June 19, 2011.

• A couple of weeks after this one on the 12 July 2011, a diverted Delta Airbus A330 nicked a light pole while taxiing at Atlanta's airport.
• This week saw another damaging ground collision between a Delta 767 and Delta CL600 at Boston's Logan Airport.

Update: http://abcn.ws/pujfnI A pair of commercial passenger planes clipped each other while taxiing at Boston's Logan International Airport. *http://bit.ly/abcWNNYouTube

So be on the lookout for the new global initiative, probably sponsored by Delta!

Actually, why not use these incidents as an excuse to carry out an internal audit of your taxiway system. Do your taxiways meet the prescribed standards? Are any location specific hazards left untreated? Is safety on your taxiway system assured? Why not do it know before it happens at your airport? It appears to be a question of when - not if.

Image credit: Marina Hinic