The Brief
- The Phoenix City Council approved over half a million dollars for Sky Harbor International Airport to purchase 85 additional vehicle movement area transponders.
- The technology will expand the airport’s tracking capabilities from five operational units to 90 to help prevent runway incursions and collisions.
- Air traffic at Sky Harbor is rising, following an all-time monthly passenger record in March with more than 5.1 million travelers.
PHOENIX – In an effort to improve air traffic safety, the city of Phoenix has approved the purchase of additional vehicle movement area transponders, or VMATs, for Sky Harbor.
The device allows air traffic controllers to track ground vehicles in real time on runways and taxiways to help prevent incursions and collisions.
Sky Harbor says they were one of the first airports in the United States to pilot VMAT technologies on their tarmacs. The airport currently has five units in operation, and that number will jump to 90 real soon.…