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FAA to Outfit All Its Airport Vehicles With Transponders

Upgrade follows fatal ground collision at LaGuardia involving an unequipped firefighting truck.

Zach Vasile
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Edited By: Travis Tingle
An FAA rescue and firefighting truck [Credit: FAA]
An FAA rescue and firefighting truck [Credit: FAA]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The FAA is investing $16.5 million to install transponders (VMATs) on all its airport vehicles to enhance air traffic controller visibility and tracking on runways and taxiways.
  • This safety measure follows a recent fatal collision at LaGuardia Airport between an Air Canada aircraft and a firefighting truck that lacked a transponder.
  • The FAA is also encouraging other airports to use federal grant money to equip their own vehicles with similar transponder technology, with over 50 airports expressing interest.
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The FAA said Wednesday it will use $16.5 million from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to install transponders on all of its airport vehicles.

The move is expected to help air traffic controllers (ATCs) identify and track agency vehicles on runways and taxiways.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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