NATCA Bookshelf

42 I s s u e s N A T C A I N W A S H I N G T O N 2 0 2 4 N i W To d a y B u d g e t a r y S h o r t fa l l s P l a g u e M o d e r n i z a t i o n A n d I n f ra s t r u c t u re E f fo r t s Issue n Tier 4 Funding Priority – D e c i s i o n S u p p o r t To o l s a n d C o m m e r c i a l S p a c e O p e r a t i o n s n Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) must be maintained until a replacement system can be implemented. TFMS is a strategic planning tool for identifying and managing air traffic flow constraints in the NAS related to congestion in certain geographical areas. TFMS processes all available data sources such as flight plan messages, flight plan amendment messages, and departure and arrival messages. TFMS identifies constraints such as a weather event or major sporting event and helps the FAA plan for and execute that plan to minimize its negative effects on the NAS. TFMS will need to be replaced by a new system in the near future. Maintaining and upgrading TFMS also affects Commercial Space operations. By providing the FAA with these critical decision support tools, the agency can minimize the disruption to the NAS during the launch and scheduled re-entry of Commercial Space vehicles, rather than segregating 1,000 square miles of airspace with temporary flight restrictions each time. n Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) will provide improvements to flight data coordination and management for air traffic users, as well as enhanced surface traffic flow management capabilities. Among other things, TFDM will replace air traffic control tower paper flight strips with electronic flight strips, provide automation for electronic flight and airport data management, and interface with other NAS systems to share electronic flight data. Due to funding constraints and budgetary cuts to TFDM, the 89-site implementation waterfall was slashed to just 49 sites. This drastic reduction will not only limit TFDM's ability to improve efficiency, but it also will limit system enhancement opportunities as air traffic grows throughout the NAS. FA A P r o g r a m s F a c e S i g n i f i c a n t C o n s t r a i n t s F r o m F l a t F& E F u n d i n g Prior to FY 2022, the FAA generally distributed F&E funding evenly among all F&E programs. However, this approach was unsustainable because an evenly spread flat budget that did not keep up with inflation over the past 15 years was always going to result in chronically underfunded programs. Most programs were instructed to and learned how to operate with less money than requested by revising a program's scope, functionality, deployment timelines, and overall positive effects on the NAS. For example, both ERAM and STARS are foundational platforms that affect the safety and efficiency of the NAS. However, as a result of lower-than needed budget requests by the FAA, both programs have been forced to defer much- needed controller enhancements and strictly focus on sustainment efforts. Another example is TFDM, which not only provides controllers with electronic flight strips, but also promotes efficiency gains throughout the NAS through modern updated software. TFDM was originally planned to deploy to 89 air traffic facilities, but insufficient funding forced the FAA to divert funding from TFDM to other programs slashing the TFDM deployment schedule to 49 sites. If a flat F&E budget continues into FY 2025, these programs are at risk of further cuts. A flat F&E budget forces the FAA to play program whack-a-mole with taxpayer money by spending close to the bare minimum to sustain existing programs while diverting the remainder of the money to wherever it is needed the most. Time-sensitive issues in FY 2023 exacerbated this problem by further straining a flat F&E budget when telecommunications companies began to mandate that FAA facilities replace their existing copper wire infrastructure with fiber optics. This issue required the FAA to reprioritize certain programs over others and postpone work on an offshore automation program, for example, making it impossible to spread F&E funds evenly among all F&E programs. Currently, the FAA's own analysis shows that the F&E budget is underfunded by approximately $2 billion, however it is difficult to ascertain an accurate financial picture in the midst of continuing resolutions, threatened government shutdowns,

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