IATA (International Air Transport Association) is the renowned association for the world’s airlines. Each year they host an Aircraft Recovery Task Force (ARTF) conference to review and evaluate incidents where aircrafts have become disabled during take-off or landing. Incidents typically result in aircrafts being stranded on runways, taxiways, or in off-runway areas such as grass, sand, snow or ice. At their 2019 Conference it was revealed that 130 incidents occurred at airports around the world during 2018, resulting in an average closure time for runways of 15 hours. The figures released by IATA do not include military airbase incidents.

Airports and military air forces face increasing pressure to keep runways operating smoothly, both in practical and commercial terms. The ability to recover disabled aircrafts quickly, effectively, and safely is vital to retain passenger confidence, protect the reputation of the airports concerned, ensure freight services are not compromised, maintain revenue streams, and protect national security.

Most recoveries are conducted by fire & rescue/operational staff who have been specially trained in this field. Recoveries also require specialist equipment to reduce the potential for costly secondary damage to aircraft during recovery exercises.

This is a specialised industry where Structurus has been playing a vital role over the past years.