A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1116985
NIW Today | 50 MODERNIZATION & INFRASTRUCTURE The ATAP system is currently enabled at five airports in addition to PHL: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Bradley International Airport (BDL), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Prior to the shutdown, the FAA scheduled ATAP to be enabled in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Q1, at up to 13 additional major airports. However, due to the shutdown, implementation at five of those airports has been delayed until FY19 Q2, as they are awaiting a variety of work to be completed in order to enable ATAP. Those five airports are Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Orlando International Airport (MCO), and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). ATAP implementation also has pushed to FY19 Q3 at the eight remaining airports, including Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Honolulu Control Facility (HCF), McCarran International Airport (LAS), Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). NextGen Modernization Programs NextGen describes the primary, comprehensive modernization project that is shifting the FAA from its current ground- based radar system to a smarter, satellite-based aircraft tracking system and digital technologies, along with new procedures that will enable the FAA to guide and track aircraft more precisely on more direct routes. NextGen is producing efficiencies that enhance safety, reduce delays, save fuel, and reduce aircraft exhaust emissions. NextGen is also vital to preserving the United States' position as the world's leader in aviation. This investment is important due to the significant contribution that aviation makes to our economy. However, as a result of the shutdown, all FAA modernization work and new user integration was stopped. The shutdown will continue to cause significant delays to these projects, wasting critical resources and federal taxpayer money. Even now, delays to the timelines for projects will have a cascading effect on each project as the FAA scrambles to restart work and deconflict waterfall timelines. For instance, we know that the shutdown will cost taxpayers up to $8 million in order to repeat training for controllers related to the implementation and deployment of Enroute Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), most often referred to as DataComm. This system is the next generation of communication between pilots and controllers. Although the FAA has been criticized for its management of NextGen, NATCA takes great pride in our role as a partner on the leading edge of these important modernization projects. In fact, the FAA and NATCA have developed a strong collaborative relationship and are experiencing meaningful progress within many of the key NextGen programs. In collaboration with NATCA and industry stakeholders, the FAA has delivered $2.7 billion in benefits to date, completing 103 commitments of NextGen and the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) Prioritization Plan. Collaboration between the FAA and NATCA allows the Agency to deliver cost savings on NextGen projects that would not otherwise be possible. If NATCA representatives were not involved, many NextGen programs would need to go through extensive, costly, and time-consuming revisions following testing and/or implementation. Through collaboration, the FAA is on or ahead of schedule with some of its most critical modernization programs. Despite this progress, further staffing reductions — such as a hiring freeze or furloughs — would have a detrimental effect on system capacity and NextGen. In 2013, sequestration and the resulting April 2013 furloughs, as well as the October 2013 government shutdown, created needless delays in the development, design, and implementation of NextGen. And these delays increased costs in these key modernization programs for our aviation system. The shuttering and reactivation of NextGen programs not only delayed their progress, but also increased costs. CONTINUED