WorldThe agency in charge of aviation safety in the U.S. says all of its airport vehicles will be equipped with technology to help air-traffic controllers track their movements, a move expedited by the deadly crash in March involving an Air Canada jet at New York's LaGuardia Airport.Federal Aviation Administration said March collision 'accelerated' plan to install techRhianna Schmunk · CBC News · Posted: May 13, 2026 4:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 13Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.National Transportation Safety Board personnel inspect the wreckage of an Air Canada Express jet on March 23, after it collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport the night before. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)The agency in charge of aviation safety in the United States said Wednesday all of its airport vehicles will be equipped with technology to help air-traffic controllers track their movements, a move expedited by the deadly crash in March involving an Air Canada jet at New York's LaGuardia Airport.A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the agency will spend $16.5 million US ($22.6 million) to add transponders, called Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters (VMATs), to its vehicles at airports nationwide."VMATs help prevent dangerous runway incidents and by accelerating the deployment of this technology, we’re closing critical visibility gaps on our nation’s runways and taxiways," wrote FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.WATCH | Communication failures noted in preliminary report on LaGuardia crash:LaGuardia driver didn't know 'stop, stop, stop' warning was for them: NTSBApril 23|Duration 1:58U.S. investigators say the fire truck driver in last month's deadly collision with an Air Canada plane at LaGuardia airport didn't realize the 'stop, stop, stop' radio message was for them, and that a lack of transponders in the truck also played a role.The statement said the FAA had been planning the change for months, but sped up the initiative after an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck upon landing at LaGuardia Airport on March 22. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the crash, which killed both pilots, noted the truck had not been outfitted with a transponder.The Port ​Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees ​LaGuardia and other area airports, said last month it would add transponders to its vehicles that operate around runways. The airport's surface surveillance system, known as ASDE-X, tracks every plane and vehicle in real time on a display for air traffic controllers to help prevent runway collisions.Transponders the NTSB says might have helped in Air Canada crash to be installed at New York area airportsFirefighters heard 'stop, stop, stop' before deadly LaGuardia crash but didn't know warning was for them: NTSBThe system provides a visual and audible alert when it detects a potential collision, giving controllers the time to intervene, but neither alarm went off at LaGuardia the night of the crash.The FAA's move to install transponders at airports nationwide comes one year and one day after the agency recommended airports with ASDE-X systems voluntarily outfit their emergency vehicles with transponders to improve airfield safety.The statement said transponders will be installed on roughly 1,900 vehicles at 44 airports with ASDE-X and Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) systems in place. The same will be done at another 220 airports that "have or will be getting" Surface Awareness Initiative surveillance systems, which is another program to improve visibility and awareness for air traffic controllers. The statement Wednesday recommended airports and airlines do the same for their vehicles.ABOUT THE AUTHORRhianna Schmunk is a senior writer covering domestic and international affairs at CBC News. Her work over the past decade has taken her across North America, from the Canadian Rockies to Washington, D.C. She routinely covers the Canadian courts, with a focus on precedent-setting civil cases. You can send story tips to rhianna.schmunk@cbc.ca.Send confidential story tips with SecureDrop