Airport Research Strategic Roadmap 

Prepared by: 

Dr. Michel Hovan, Mgr., Airport Technology Research Branch 

Murphy Flynn, Acting Mgr. Airport Safety Research Section 

Jeff Gagnon, Mgr., Airport Pavement Research Section 

Jim Patterson, Mgr., Airport Safety Research Section 

and UAS Airports Research Program Manager 

And FAA’s Office of Airports, 

John Dermody, Director, Airport Safety and Standards 

October 20, 2021 
 

Path for R&D Roadmaps 

Multiyear FAA R&D Strategy 

Schema 

Today Vs Tomorrow 

Evolution Roadmap 

PHASE 1 

Research Roadmap 

PHASE 2 

Info-Centric NAS and Digital 

Systems/Technologies Roadmap(s) 

Human & Aeromedical 

Factors Roadmap(s) 

Environment & Weather 

Impact Mitigation Roadmap(s) 
 

 

FAA’s Stakeholders-Driven Research 

• FAA Vision/Goals 

• Improvement/Innovation in Materials 

• New Entrants Requirements 

• Airside Innovations 

• Advisory Circulars 

• Software Programs 

• Papers 

• Fact Sheets 

• 2030 R&D Plans 

• Opportunities (discretionary) 

• Gaps (shortcoming) 

Inform 

Optimize 

Analyze 

Guide 

Tech Transfer 

Airports 

Stakeholders 

New 

Technologies/ 

Entrants Landscape

(Drivers/Challenges) 

Stakeholders and Partners 

• FAA HQ 

• REDAC 

• Airport Authorities 

• Airport Consultants 

• DOT 

• DOD 

FAA’s 

Strategies 

Research & 

Development 

Portfolio 

Implementation 

• ICAO Success Criteria • Academia 

• Current Needs of Airports met Emerging Technology/Entrants

• Aircraft Manufacturers •Innovation supported, for U.S. based industry • Emerging Entrants •Implementable Technologies – Safe, Reliable and Cost- • Pavement Industry 

• Material Producers effective 

3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Airports Tomorrow’s Airports (2030+) 

Research Category Research Area FAA’s Current Focus 

Airport Pavement Structural Developing pavement performance 

models, extending pavement life 

Improving pavement life calculations 

to include material characteristics 

Airport pavement will be designed to extend their pavement life from the 

current 20 years to 40 years or beyond thus decrease the cost of the pavement 

pre years and reducing the use of quickly declining natural resources 

Longevity Determining remaining life of 

pavements, developing Life-Cycle 

Assessment (LCA)tools, use of 

pavement Maintenace materials. 

Airport pavements will be economically design from cradle-grave using the LCA 

method and the true cost for greenhouse gases will be determined helping the 

airport become net-zero emissions 

Environmentally Friendly Development of new performance 

specifications, use of 

nanotechnologies and new additives, 

use of recycled products 

within pavement materials and design. 

Use of emerging composite materials include Self Healing Materials and Carbon 

Nano Tubes will allow airports to use recycled products such as glass, concrete 

and asphalt in their pavements thus reducing land fill costs and material costs 

and reducing the carbo foot prints 

Airport of the Future Airport Safety (ARFF, Wildlife, Visual 

guidance, EMAS, etc.) 

Ensuring the highest level of safety for 

ARFF, Wildlife management, visual 

guidance. 

Continuous improvements integrating new technologies and procedures, using 

data and operational feedbacks. 

Data and Technology Integration for 

improved safety and operations 

Acquiring and analyzing large amount 

of operational data to improve airport 

safety and operations 

Airports transitioning to a data driven fully integrated intelligent safety 

information and management system, and an integral part of the Info-NAS 

centric system. 

Resilience, Sustainability Understanding current trends and 

developing a framework for airport 

adaptation. 

Airports resilient to severe weathers events and long effects of climate change, 

while ensuring airport sustainability. 

Emerging Entrants Advanced Air Mobility Enabling operations with existing 

infrastructure, while planning for 

future installations 

Types of new vehicles/services include highly automated AAM 

services transporting people, cargo in congested and high altitude areas 

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Safe integration into the airport 

environment 

Types of new vehicles/services include UAS delivering packages, and performing 

a range of automated function at and near airports. 
performance standards, safely support integration 

of these technologies at airports, Supports the $3.35 Billion 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Airport Evolution Roadmap 

Smart Airports making use of new safety 

technologies and inspection data in an 

integrated environment , sharing of data 

2022-

2023* 

2024-

2029* 

2030+* 

Near Term 

Mid Term 

Long Term 

Industry Led Research- Why? Quick to innovation, Access to 

Capital markets, involved with airport industries of all types, 

Cooperative Research Development Agreements, Airport 

Cooperative Research Program 

FAA Led Research- Why? Develop standards/guidelines to 

develop 

Annual FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP). 

Autonomous Airport Support Function 

Implementation of various xBOTS and 

autonomous airfield safety devices 

Energy grids at airport to support future users, in a 

sustainable way 

Airport Safety testing and evaluating latest technologies 

Pavement Structures, evolving design and materials 

Use of ML/AI to analyze large amounts of airports 

related data (pavements, and safety) 

UAS integration at airports testing 

and evaluation, and detection 

Making use of ML/AI and autonomous systems for 

airport safety applications 

New Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles and other 

UAS operations 

Novel and environmentally friendly Materials for 

Pavements 

Electric and physical Infrastructure to 

support emerging entrants 

New Inspection Techniques (UAS/ML/AI) 

Highly Automated AAM Services and UAS 

applications Energy Needs Systems for emerging entrants 

(electric, fuel cells) 
 

 

 

Artificial Intelligence Integration, Analysis, Design and Overlay Design Improvements 

Construction of testing pavements/ data collection and analysis 

Develop Performance Models Remaining Life Predictions 

Deploy FAARFIELD 3.0 

Integrate into Pavement design 

Airport Pavement Research Roadmap 

Improved Design model 

New Airfield Pavement Materials 

Develop Remaining Life Calculations and software 

Recycling of traditional products – 

glass/rubber 

Develop better material Specifications 

Alternative Materials 

(Slag/Ash) 

Full Scale Testing 

Advisory Circular 

Developing Life-Cycle Analysis Framework Software tool and integration 

Advanced additives asphalt and concrete materials- nano’s and self-healing and others 

Recycling of nontraditional products – 

plastics/soybean husks 

New materials 

specification 

Carbon Capturing materials Standards/Guidelines 

Toolsets 

Flight Testing 

Training 
 

 

 

 

Evaluate New Systems for FOD/Wildlife Detection 

Smart Lighting & Signage 

Airport of the Future Research Roadmap 

Testing of FFF products 

Standards for Fluorine Free Foams (FFF) aircraft 

firefighting agents 

Wildlife Strike Database 

Airport Safety Databases (RIM, runway 

safety) 

FOD Database 

Wildlife Strike Management Tools 

Improvements to Aircraft Arrestor Systems 

Airport Surveillance Sensors (Wrong Surface, Radars, etc.) 

All things Autonomous 

5 G, faster intelligent networks 

Innovative products 

Implementation of automated FOD/Wildlife Systems 

LED based airport lighting 

Intelligent Visual Guidance systems 

Runway Safety Technologies 

Cybersecurity with Airport Systems 

All things “Data Integrated” 

Innovative Airport Safety products 

Standards/Guidelines 

Toolsets 

Flight Testing 

Training 
Airport of the Future Research Roadmap 

Sustainable Resilient Airports 
 

 

 

 

Emerging Entrants Research Roadmap 

Conduct Field Testing of UAS 

Technologies and Develop Guidance 

Material (pvt. Inspection) 

Evaluate UAS Detection and Mitigation 

Technologies in the Airport Environment 

Investigate New Applications for UAS and 

Refine Guidance Material 

Integration of UAS Platforms 

and Future Sensor Technologies 

into the Airport Environment 

Integrate Detection & Mitigation 

Technologies into the NAS 

Develop Standards for Technologies, 

and Guidance for Use 

Evaluate Heliport Standards Vertiport Design Standards 

for use by VTOL 

Infrastructure design requirements for Advanced Air Mobility vehicles 

Electric and Hybrid Fueling Infrastructure Research 

Pilot Systems Study - Tech Center Integration of New Entrant Aircraft 

Piloted and Semi Piloted 

Integration of Unmanned VTOL 

STOL Integration 

Drone and Vertiports 

TBD 

Standards/Guidelines 

Toolsets 

Flight Testing 

Training