Southwest Airlines is rolling out a cutting-edge cockpit safety system across its entire fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft in a significant move to boost aviation safety and prevent runway-related incidents. The newly installed technology, known as SmartRunway and SmartLanding, is designed to improve pilot situational awareness during critical phases of flight—taxiing, takeoff, and landing.

The system, developed as part of the Honeywell Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), is now operational on more than 700 Southwest aircraft. By providing timely aural and visual alerts, it warns pilots if they are traveling too fast, descending too high, or accidentally veering toward the wrong runway. These alerts serve as vital safeguards, helping flight crews avoid common causes of runway incursions and other landing mishaps.

According to airline officials, the system functions similarly to modern car safety features like collision warnings, delivering real-time information to correct pilot actions before a dangerous situation unfolds.

“This is a really powerful tool that adds another barrier to potentially bad outcomes,” said Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines. His remarks come as the aviation industry continues to grapple with a series of near-misses and safety scares at airports nationwide.

One notable incident occurred in March when a Southwest flight in Florida was canceled after mistakenly attempting to take off from a taxiway at Orlando International Airport a mistake that systems like SmartRunway aim to prevent.

The introduction of the new alert technology underscores Southwest’s commitment to safety amid growing concerns about operational risks in the post-pandemic travel surge. The technology’s integration reflects a broader industry trend of leveraging automation and intelligent systems to reduce human error in aviation.