FAA to install runway traffic lights

CHICAGO, July 15 (UPI) -- Pilots at Chicago's O'Hare International and 19 other major airports nationwide will soon see runway stoplights, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

At a cost of nearly $20 million an airport, the hope is to cut the risk of runway collisions and to help test piloting instruments on taxiways and runways, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.

The stoplight system, tested successfully at airports in Dallas and San Diego is based on an array of radar sensors providing the real-time location of aircraft and vehicles moving on the airfield.

When constructed over the next three years, it can also can predict whether the routes taken by planes match directions issued by air-traffic controllers or represent an immediate danger.

"The runway status lights are a huge step forward for safety, especially in poor visibility," Kay said. "They will alert pilots to problems before a controller has a chance to open his mouth." said Rory Kay, a United Airlines captain and executive air safety chairman at the Air Line Pilots Association.