THE AIRPORT FENCING SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS

The culture of passive safety in the airport environment: the key role of frangibility

In the aviation sector, safety is the result of a delicate balance between active prevention and passive protection. While navigation systems operate to prevent accidents, ground infrastructure installed in the most sensitive areas must be designed to mitigate their consequences should an unforeseen event occur. Recent technical analyses of critical incidents occurring in runway end areas have reignited the global debate on the importance of frangibility in airport structures. This is not merely a technical specification, but an essential ethical and design requirement.

What is frangibility? A technical overview

According to the definitions provided by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) in the Aerodrome Design Manual, an object is considered frangible only if it has structural characteristics that allow it to break, deform or fail when impacted by an aircraft, offering the minimum possible resistance. The objective is twofold:

• Preserving passenger safety: ensuring that fences or technological supports (such as those for ILS systems) do not become lethal barriers.
• Minimising energy transfer: preventing impacts with fixed obstacles from causing violent deceleration or catastrophic structural damage to the aircraft fuselage.
• Watch the video of the frangibility test developed by Fibre net spa

The limitations of traditional materials

For decades, concrete and steel have been the construction standards due to their durability. However, in the context of passive safety, their rigidity represents a critical risk factor. A rigid obstacle does not absorb impact energy, but instead transfers it entirely to the aircraft.

The shift towards advanced materials is therefore not an aesthetic choice, but an engineering necessity aimed at eliminating so-called “dangerous fixed obstacles” from operational areas.

The FibreFENCE approach: composite materials engineering

FibreFENCE developed its GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester) technology starting precisely from this paradigm. Our fencing and support solutions are designed to meet requirements that traditional materials cannot satisfy simultaneously:

• Controlled impact behaviour: unlike metals, which may bend while retaining dangerous residual strength, or concrete, which remains immobile, FibreFENCE composite materials are engineered to disintegrate in a controlled manner, absorbing impact energy without projecting heavy debris.
• Electromagnetic transparency: frangibility must coexist with functionality. Our supports for ILS systems do not interfere with radio navigation signals, ensuring distortion-free operation of precision instruments and thereby enhancing preventive safety.
• Certified compliance: every installation strictly follows the guidelines of ICAO Annex 14, ensuring that every metre of fencing installed actively contributes to the airport’s passive safety.

Regulatory framework: international standards

The adoption of frangible structures is not discretionary, but governed by stringent international regulations fully respected by FibreFENCE:

• ICAO Annex 14, Volume I: defines airport infrastructure requirements, stating that all objects located within the Runway End Safety Area (RESA) must be frangible.
• ICAO Aerodrome Design Manual, Part 6 (Frangibility): provides technical criteria and test procedures to verify correct structural failure under impact, minimising hazards to aircraft.
• EASA CS-ADR-DSN: transposes frangibility principles at European level, making them mandatory for airport certification.

Investing in resilience

Modern airport management requires a forward-looking vision, where upgrading infrastructure to the highest frangibility standards is considered an investment in the resilience of the entire system, reducing downtime and repair costs.

At FibreFENCE, we continue to work closely with airport authorities and designers to ensure that every airport is a protected environment, where technology is at the service of human life.