A major workshop on foreign object debris (FOD) at airports, which can cause damage worth billions of dollars to airlines, airports, and airport tenants every year, was recently organized by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), in collaboration with MOOG Navigation and Surveillance Systems (NaSS), a company specializing in ground-based navigation systems.
“The main purpose of the workshop was to create awareness about FOD and its serious impact on the aviation industry,” said Suleiman Albassam, GACA vice president. He said the workshop underlined the need for Saudi airports to implement a FOD detection system and apply a FOD management program to ensure safety for passengers, aircraft and airports.
The workshop participants were enlightened about Tarsier, an automatic FOD detection system, before its implementation at major Saudi airports, Albassam said.
The event in Riyadh was attended by industry leaders including Talal Masrahi, GACA’s operations and safety director; and Abdulmohsen Alhobayeb, chief executive of Saudi Information Technology (SIT).
Tarsier FOD Detection System has been installed in world-first class international airports such as London Heathrow and Vancouver for more than 11 years. Tarsier is a military grade radar and camera system.