The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday issued a safety alerts to airlines, pilots and others about the "need for continued vigilance and attention to mitigation of safety risks" after a series of high-profile near misses.

"While the overall numbers do not reflect an increase in incidents and occurrences, the potential severity of these events is concerning," the FAA said.

Six serious runway incursions have occurred since January that prompted the agency to convene a safety summit last week. "While the overall numbers do not reflect an increase in incidents and occurrences, the potential severity of these events is concerning."

(Reporting by David Shepardson)