Project Earned $8.5 Million in FAA Funding Last Year

After more than a year, Philadelphia International Airport’s Runway 8-26 has reopened with a new feature to protect runaway aircraft. The Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) is proven technology, with 24 real-world overrun saves already under its belt.

The project was made possible through $8.5 million in FAA funding, part of a broader push to modernize airport safety infrastructure across the United States. The outcome is much like a runaway truck ramp; it is a bed of crushable material designed to block an aircraft that cannot stop within the runway length. When a jet or turboprop enters the EMAS, the aircraft’s landing gear compresses the blocks, slowing the aircraft quickly and safely.

A single overrun can cost millions in damage or worse. Korean Air Flight 631’s accident in Cebu in 2022, where an Airbus A330 experienced a hydraulic system failure and overran the runway by more than 700 feet, is a prime example. That airport lacked EMAS or a dedicated runway safety area, leaving 20 injured and the airframe unsalvageable.

The Philadelphia installation was built by Runway Safe, the only FAA-approved manufacturer of EMAS in the United States. Their EMASMAX system uses specialized cellular concrete blocks that collapse under the plane’s weight, sacrificing themselves to save both aircraft and passengers.

"To date we've had 24 real-world arrestments anywhere from 747s to business jets and they've all been 100% successful,” said Trip Thomas of Runway Safe.

With 117 systems already installed at more than 60 airports nationwide, Philadelphia’s addition is part of a growing network. Runway 8-26 is the first at the airport to receive the new system, though other runways are set to follow. According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, the installation allows the 5,000-foot runway to safely accommodate business jets and small commercial aircraft while meeting agency standards.

"This is just an absolute win win win," Bedford said. "If there is a rejected takeoff we now have the confidence that the arrestor system will ensure passenger and crew safety."

FMI: www.phl.org