Work has been completed on a new runway safety feature at Philadelphia International Airport.
The city’s first Engineered Material Arresting System, now located at the end of Runway 8-26, is designed to stop overrunning aircraft traveling at up to 80 miles per hour.
The feature looks like an extension of the runway, but it contains special crushable materials that collapse under the weight of an aircraft. The materials drag down the landing gear and safely decelerate the airplane.
Engineered Material Arresting Systems are used on runways without a large surrounding safety area to ensure that runaway airplanes do not slide onto the ground, crash through a fence, or collide with objects within or beyond the airport’s boundaries.
Runway 8-26 is a 5,000-foot-by-150-foot commuter runway for general aviation. It is located on the east side of the airport.
The project to install the EMAS began in September 2024 and received about $8.5 million in funding from a FAA infrastructure grant. The work involved grading the project site, putting in utilities, building stormwater management systems, and installing the EMAS bed.
“To date, EMAS has safely stopped more than 20 overrunning aircraft carrying over 430 crew and passengers,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “It is one more tool that helps us keep travelers, crews, and aircraft safe – and we’re glad to see it in place here.”
There are currently 117 material arresting systems installed at over 60 airports in the U.S.
