NATCA Bookshelf

NIW Today | 49 ISSUE In terms of air traffic control (ATC) technology, the FAA is lagging behind in efforts to modernize outdated technology and its rapidly aging physical infrastructure. The FAA has frequently been criticized for its management of NextGen, but many have not seen the full picture. NATCA takes great pride in our role as a partner in developing and implementing important modernization projects in recent years. The FAA, NATCA, and other aviation stakeholders have enjoyed a positive, productive, and collaborative relationship for nearly a decade. Since 2009, we have focused on working together to modernize the system as we maintain the safety and efficiency of the world's safest, busiest, and most complex airspace. Until recently, the FAA's development and deployment of NextGen programs has improved over time. However, the recent 35-day government shutdown halted all FAA modernization work and new user integration. The lasting effects of the shutdown will continue to cause significant delays to these projects, wasting critical resources and federal taxpayer dollars. In order for NextGen to be successfully completed in a timely fashion and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers, the FAA needs a stable, predictable funding stream. Without a stable and predictable funding stream, NextGen modernization programs will continue to be threatened by delays and funding shortages that will jeopardize their success. MESSAGE The recent 35-day government shutdown halted all FAA modernization work and new user integration, which will continue to cause significant delays to these projects, wasting critical resources and federal taxpayer money. The FAA, NATCA, and our industry partners must continue to work together in order to overcome the delays caused by the shutdown, in order to achieve similar successes to those already realized on NextGen projects including ERAM, DataComm, and Metroplex. A stable and predictable funding stream is essential in order to prevent the FAA from lagging behind in its modernization efforts. BACKGROUND Negative Effects of the Shutdown On Jan. 25, the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history ended after 35 days. However, no one should be under the illusion that it was business as usual for aviation during the shutdown. Although it is the safest and most efficient system in the world, during the shutdown, many activities and processes that proactively reduce risk and increase safety were suspended. This is unacceptable, considering that every day, over 70,000 flights and over 2 million passengers move through the National Airspace System (NAS). Even though the NAS is safer now than it was during the shutdown, it is less safe today than it was before the shutdown began. For instance, safety enhancements that prevent wrong surface landings were suspended because of the shutdown. Each year, there are more than 200 events in which an aircraft lands or attempts to land on the wrong runway, on a taxiway, or at the wrong airport entirely. The aviation industry, NATCA, and the FAA are working on the implementation and additional development of new technologies that would provide air traffic controllers with an early warning system designed to mitigate the risk of aircraft landing on the incorrect surface (i.e. runway, a taxiway, or at the wrong airport). Development was significantly delayed because of the shutdown. Just after the shutdown ended, a flight into Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) was cleared to land on Runway 35, but aligned itself on Taxiway E, parallel to the intended runway. A runway safety enhancement in the Airport Surface Detection System – Model X (ASDE-X) called ASDE-X Taxiway Arrival Prediction (ATAP) Alerting System – alerted the local controller who immediately instructed the pilot to execute a go-around. The pilot overflew two commercial airplanes on the taxiway by 600 and 700 feet respectively on the go-around. FULL BACKGROUND continued on next page

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