Slippery or Safe Runways? Evaluating the New ICAO Runway Surface Condition Reporting Methodology

Runway surface conditions, particularly in cold and icy environments, pose a significant challenge to aircraft operations. To enhance safety and standardisation, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted the Global Reporting Format (GRF) in 2016 and made it applicable from 4 November 2021, replacing previous assessment methods, including SNOWTAM reports and braking action conditions. This study evaluates how the implementation of the GRF has been perceived and experienced by two key aviation stakeholder groups, airport operators and flight crews; it does not measure the technical accuracy or the safety performance of the GRF directly. It also includes a comprehensive literature review on the evolution of runway condition reporting since 1956. The research combines a questionnaire survey of 112 pilots, recruited mainly through Central and Northern European airlines and pilot associations, with written open-ended questionnaires completed by nine airport operators in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. While pilots largely appreciate the improved clarity and structure of the updated SNOWTAM format, concerns remain over the removal of braking action assessments, which previously aided aircraft performance calculations and improved the situational awareness. Additionally, the study highlights inconsistencies across different airports, particularly in the measurement of runway contaminants. Airport operators have expressed concerns about the subjectivity of visual assessments, the absence of standardised measurement techniques, and the limitations of the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM), which does not account for different runway surfaces. In the perception of the respondents, the GRF has improved the standardisation and clarity of runway condition reporting, whereas its effects on airport workload and operational safety are viewed with considerably more reservation. Given the regional scope of the samples and the absence of objective braking-performance or safety-outcome data, these results represent stakeholder-based evidence and identify potential concerns that require further validation. The respondents’ feedback suggests that further refinements may be needed to enhance consistency and reliability. The study proposes measures to address current limitations, including improved contaminant measurement techniques and a reassessment of the methodology to incorporate variations in runway surface properties. These insights contribute to the ongoing discourse on aviation safety and provide recommendations for optimising runway surface condition reporting, particularly in cold weather environments.