York University researchers are using advanced simulation to study how emergency response decisions shape airport safety and preparedness.
Emergency management at airports is uniquely demanding because of the complex, diverse and dynamic systems involved, says Ali Asgary, professor of disaster and emergency management in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
With dense traffic, multiple vehicles and operations often unfolding during changing or extreme weather, coordinating airside and landside activity remains a major challenge.
“Even a small emergency at an airport can have significant political consequences and cascading impacts,” Asgary says. “These are the dynamics that shape airport emergencies, runway incidents and large‑scale disruptions to air transportation.”
Asgary's research has gained renewed relevance amid the March 22 Air Canada collision between an aircraft and a fire truck on a runway at LaGuardia Airport. While investigations are ongoing, the fatal incident underscores how seconds matter during runway operations.
While it’s still too early to determine what led to the tragedy, Asgary says events often involve factors that emergency managers and aviation operators routinely study: real-time hazard assessment, workloads, communication and warning systems.
“Runway incidents often involve overlapping risks, including split‑second decision‑making, heavy controller workload and limited redundancy in warning systems,” he says. “When warning systems rely on a single communication channel, missed messages can quickly escalate into serious incidents.”
Ali Asgary leading an airport simulation in the ADERSIM lab
Simulation of Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash, Muan International Airport, South Korea
A depiction of the virtual reality simulator
Agent-based simulation of a crash at Haneda Airport, Tokyo
Ali Asgary at the ADERSIM lab at York University
A virtual reality exercise during a workshop in Atlanda
Asgary is executive director of ADERSIM – the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation lab at York University – where researchers and students simulate disasters and test response plans before they emerge in real‑world settings.
At ADERSIM, researchers use agent-based models to simulate aviation scenarios and examine how decisions by pilots, passengers, crew and ground emergency responders influence outcomes.
The lab incorporates virtual reality to help emergency managers visualize airport events and uses AI to analyze disruption patterns. It also explores how tools such as drones could support airside emergency response and risk assessment.
ADERSIM has also developed AeroHaz, a web-mapping application that identifies major hazards for airports worldwide to support hazard awareness and planning.
“Through a combination of computer modelling, human‑in‑the‑loop simulations, extended reality and AI, we can test how emergency response systems behave when multiple risks converge and conditions change rapidly,” says Asgary. “The work of ADERSIM contributes to York's leadership in disaster and emergency management.”
Major runway incidents can yield lessons for emergency preparedness – but only if they are researched, documented and incorporated into revised procedures. The incident also highlights the need for more research into the technological and human factors driving airport safety.
“Simulation-driven research allows emergency planners and responders to review how decisions are made, how workflows unfold in crisis situations and how to improve preparedness,” says Asgary.
In addition to leading ADERSIM, Asgary is also director of CIFAL York, a UNITAR centre that connects academia with leaders and organizations to tackle global challenges through specialized training in disaster management, sustainability, health and entrepreneurship.
Together with Maleknaz Nayebi, associate professor at the Lassonde School of Engineering and associate director of CIFAL, he is leading a project to develop AI solutions for airports to minimize risks and enhance response operations. Using AI can help predict weather conditions, coordinate workforces and more.
ADERSIM and CIFAL York also share this research through training and professional learning for airport and emergency management leaders, and through public events.
Those who are interested in learning more can attend a two-part webinar series titled Airport Operations, Passenger Management, and Technology in the Face of Geopolitical Crises. Presented by CIFAL York and ADERSIM, in collaboration with UNITAR, the event runs April 15 and 25.
CIFAL York and ADERSIM will also contribute to UNITAR’s Airports Global Training Programme, when Nayebi will host “Future-Ready Airports: Preparedness for Mega Events Through Safety, Sustainability, and Smart Innovation” on April 22 and 23 in Atlanta, Georgia.