Overview: According to a report by Fortune Business Insights on September 28, the global airport runway foreign object debris (FOD) detection system market is projected to grow from US$190 million in 2026 to US$345.7 million in 2034. From academic papers to vendor solutions, AI-powered visual recognition is becoming a key technology in this market, leading to increased automation in runway inspections.
According to a report on the Fortune Business Insights website, the global airport runway FOD (Foreign Object Debris) detection system market will be valued at US$190 million in 2026 and is projected to reach US$345.7 million by 2034. Persistence Market Research analysis indicates that the continued growth of commercial aviation and the modernization of existing airports are driving factors, leading to increased emphasis on runway safety and automated inspection technologies. AI-based solutions, which offer continuous monitoring and faster foreign object detection, are gaining more attention.
While the market size itself isn't large, the economic benefits of FOD detection extend beyond the equipment itself. Once a runway is closed for inspection due to suspected foreign object debris, the losses for a high-traffic hub airport can quickly exceed the initial investment in the detection system. This also explains why the report considers the adoption of AI solutions as a key variable: faster and more accurate detection means shorter runway closures.
From a technical perspective, AI-powered vision has become one of the leading approaches. According to a paper included in the IEEE database and scheduled for publication in 2026, researchers propose using Faster R-CNN combined with a ResNet-50 feature pyramid network (FPN) for runway foreign object debris (FOD) detection. According to the Roboflow technical blog, developers can use the RF-DETR model to locate debris and surface potholes, and then use a large model to classify the detected objects and automatically generate inspection summaries, creating a streamlined "detection-interpretation-reporting" process.
In terms of product development, publicly available information from various manufacturers indicates that these systems generally emphasize 24/7 continuous monitoring, rapid identification of potential hazards, and real-time alerts. Some manufacturers, such as iFactory, offer turnkey solutions with delivery times of 6 to 12 weeks, and support pilot testing on a main track to verify detection effectiveness before expanding to the entire area. The technical challenge lies not in whether the system can "detect" something, but in minimizing false alarms in scenarios such as rainy days with reflections, while maintaining reliable performance around the clock. Most solutions emphasize a "pilot-then-expand" approach, which is more about prudent risk management for track operations than simply being technologically conservative.
In terms of regional highlights, according to Persistence Market Research, India is expected to account for approximately 22% of the regional market by 2026, driven by the expansion of airport infrastructure and the acceleration of apron modernization. In March 2026, Skylark Labs announced the deployment of fixed AI FOD (Foreign Object Debris) detection systems at major commercial airports, which is a concrete example of this trend.
Regarding deployed cases, VnExpress, citing reports from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao and other sources, stated that Changi Airport, in collaboration with technology company NCS, has upgraded its iFerret system. This system can identify foreign objects as small as 4 centimeters with an accuracy rate of approximately 95%, and the development of the third-generation system is underway to further enhance its performance. The "continuous iteration of deployed systems" at leading hubs, along with incremental procurement in new markets, together form the two main growth drivers in this sector. The former provides a technological benchmark, while the latter contributes to growth potential.
FOD (Foreign Object Debris) detection is a relatively small market, but it addresses a fundamental safety concern in civil aviation. The projected eight-year growth, from $190 million to $345.7 million, essentially represents a shift from "manual, periodic inspections" to a "machine-based, 24/7 monitoring" system. For airports, the real challenge isn't just purchasing the equipment, but rather managing false alarms and ensuring that personnel trust the system's judgments.