Runway Safety Concerns Rise Amid Near Misses at Major Airports

Two passenger aircraft nearly collided at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This incident has intensified scrutiny on runway safety at major U.S. airports and raised new questions about ground aviation incidents. The July 27 event is the latest in a series of notable airport close calls and collisions, highlighting issues such as runway incursions and taxiway mishaps.

Frequent Incidents at Major Hubs

Newsweek’s analysis of FAA data revealed hundreds of runway incursions at major airports since 2001. The data includes over 35,000 incidents across 530 U.S. airports. In 2025, runway incursions decreased by 8%, the lowest since 2020, due to outreach and new safety technology.

Runway incursions involve aircraft, vehicles, or people entering a protected runway area in error. These range from minor mistakes to severe near-collisions. Major airports such as Chicago O’Hare, LAX, Boston Logan, and Atlanta are among those with the highest totals in the dataset.

Recent Collisions and Close Calls

The July 27 incident at Atlanta involved two Delta aircraft, which came too close after one flight aborted its landing. The FAA is investigating this near miss, which is part of a pattern of airport-surface events in recent years.

One of the most serious cases occurred at LaGuardia in March 2026, when an Air Canada Express crashed with a fire truck, killing both pilots and injuring many others. Another significant incident happened at Atlanta in August 2024, involving a collision between a Delta A330 and a Virgin Atlantic A350 during taxiing. These incidents emphasize errors in wingtip clearance assessments.

Boston Logan has also seen several incidents, such as the February 2024 collision of two JetBlue A321 aircraft and the June 2026 near miss of a Delta crew aborting a landing. Chicago Midway had a high-profile near miss in February 2025, adding to the runway-incursion investigations.

Prevalence of Runway Incursions

The NTSB tracks aviation accidents and incidents from as far back as 1962, while the FAA focuses on runway incursions and operational safety. Although fatal crashes with large passenger airlines remain rare, runway incursions and close calls are more common. The FAA recorded 35,308 runway incursions between 2001 and mid-2026.

Airports with heavy traffic, like LaGuardia, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago, frequently appear in runway-incursion investigations, given their volume of operations. These airports accumulate higher numbers of incidents but may not be the most dangerous on a per-flight basis.

Understanding Runway Incursions

The FAA categorizes incursions by severity, from low-risk mistakes to imminent collision threats. The NTSB focuses on serious Category A and B events. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized the need for more safety measures to prevent collisions. High-traffic airports naturally record more incidents, but this does not equate to higher danger.

Despite more than 35,000 incursions since 2001, only a fraction resulted in collisions or injuries. Recent incidents have intensified examination of airport-surface safety, probing whether they signify a growing trend or increased focus on aviation safety. Airport-surface safety incidents continue to be a critical issue for regulators and the NTSB, as on-ground mistakes can have grave consequences.