Being the person responsible for maintaining an airway can come with a lot of responsibility. Not only must you make sure that the airway is clean and organized, a failure to take certain steps can also lead to potentially dangerous consequences. This means it is important for you to go above and beyond when inspecting, repairing, and maintaining the various components of the strip. Of course, it can always be useful to gain a little bit of guidance along the way. There’s a lot to remember, and some input will help you develop an in-depth understanding of certain processes.

Whether you’re in charge of a small strip or you assist with a major airway with many planes arriving and departing at any given time, there are a few general points to keep in mind. Consider these suggestions on how to create a safe and efficient airway and learn what you need to do to get started.

Assess the Current State of Things

Before you can make any important changes to the airway, you first need to take a step back and understand the current state of things. Depending on how long you have worked on maintaining the airway, you might need to spend a good chunk of your time assessing its status. Specifically, you want to take note of any areas that seem problematic or like an accident waiting to happen. This can range from the way that devices are stored on the strip to the way that employees go about various safety tasks.

Make note of any problems that you observe. As you begin to create a more efficient airway, you’ll want to start tackling each of these issues and find sustainable solutions. Try to prioritize the list in a way that makes the most sense for the needs of your airway. Any high-risk issues that could cause injury or loss of life should be handled as soon as possible. Failing to inspect or fix these problems could lead to far more complicated and expensive scenarios for you and the airway.

Inspect Signaling Solutions

A huge aspect of operating a successful airway is signaling. While modern communication techniques make it easy for a pilot to communicate with a tower, there are a lot of factors in play when it comes to making a safe landing. If a pilot is unable to see signals for one reason or another, he or she will not be able to land the plane in a way that is safe. This means you absolutely want to inspect your devices regularly to ensure efficiency and protect the lives of all involved.

Take time to look over all signaling devices like tower lights. If you notice that the units are performing in a reduced capacity or that the lights are not as bright as required to reach the cockpit of a nearby plane, you need to take action. Repair and replace whatever parts are no longer up to the job and invest in new ways of signaling. With technology advancing at impressive speeds these days, you can easily find a signaling solution that helps your airway operate in a more efficient manner than before.

Familiarize Yourself With Regulations

Any real estate involved with the arrivals and departures of aircraft needs to follow the rules and regulations set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration and Air Traffic Organization. The standards set by these organizations are meant to keep everyone on the ground and in the air safe at all times. If you don’t follow regulations in a strict way, your airway could face some serious fines and legal troubles. Avoid this by staying current with your practices and dedicating time to understanding what is expected in terms of safety.

Maintaining an airway is an involved and important job. In order to meet government standards and guarantee a safe experience for all involved, give yourself the chance to create a maintenance routine that checks all required boxes and provides you peace of mind.