RCR-Tool©

The RCR-Tool© is an operational software platform that automates runway condition assessment and reporting in full compliance with the ICAO Global Reporting Format (GRF). It replaces the traditional manual inspection cycle — where airside vehicles access the runway after each significant precipitation event — with a continuous, sensor-driven simulation that models water depth across the runway surface in real time.

The system relies on a small network of wireless rain sensors installed close to the runway. Sensor data feeds a hydrological model that simulates surface water accumulation and drainage behaviour, computing runway condition codes without requiring an inspector to set foot on the pavement. ICAO explicitly recognises water-depth modelling as the principal method for informing flight crews about standing water, making this approach both standards-aligned and operationally authoritative. Output is a GRF-compliant Runway Condition Report generated automatically whenever a significant change in conditions is detected, 24 hours a day.

For procurement decision-makers, the key differentiator is the installation and operational footprint. Wireless sensors mean no cabling and no civil works; deployment is measured in hours rather than weeks, and can be completed between aircraft movements without closing the runway. Ongoing operations require no vehicle movements for each assessment cycle, directly reducing both staff exposure and taxiway congestion during weather events.

Built on 75-plus years of NACO expertise in runway pavements, drainage, contaminants, and airport operations, the tool is suited to commercial international hubs, regional airports exposed to tropical rainfall, and any operator facing the operational burden of high-frequency GRF compliance cycles. GCC and wider Middle East airports dealing with flash-rain events and capacity pressure will find the removal of mandatory runway-closure inspections particularly valuable.