NATCA Bookshelf

REFERENCES National Air Traffic Controllers Association | www.natca.org NiW Today 47 are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). AIP is authorized as part of the FAA's authorizing legislation, and it is appropriated as grants-in-aid to airports. Aircraft Certification Safety and Accountability Act (ACSA) Bipartisan legislation included in the December 2020 omnibus spending bill that made several critical improvements to the FAA's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program and ensured that the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) had the same type of voluntary safety reporting system that NATCA and the FAA have developed and implemented successfully within the ATO. NATCA strongly supported this legislation and worked closely with congressional leadership to ensure our input was included in the final bill that was signed into law. Appropriations Bill Legislation that allows the government and its administrative agencies to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending. Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Operations In August 2025, the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled "Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations," which outlined performance- based regulations intended to enable and support the safe and routine use UAS operating BVLOS at low altitudes. The NPRM was also intended to provide a clear and scalable framework for integrating various types of UAS operations into the NAS for activities such as package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, and recreation, among others. NATCA has been consistently collaborating on UAS matters with the FAA and the aviation industry for years, including our participation on the BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee. NATCA supports the stated goals of the BVLOS NPRM and stands ready to partner with the FAA, Congress, and the aviation industry on the safe integration of BVLOS operations in the NAS. Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) In 2025, Congress provided a historic $12.5 billion downpayment to the FAA to develop a Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS). BNATCS aims to ensure that the U.S. continues to be the gold standard for global aviation by replacing outdated equipment and technology such as radar, software, hardware, and telecommunications networks. FAA will need an additional $20 billion in dedicated funding complete the entire BNATCS program. NATCA strongly supports BNATCS and stands ready to partner with Congress, the Administration, and industry stakeholders to achieve these goals. Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG) In December 2022, Acting Administrator of the FAA Billy Nolen directed the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) to restart the CRWG and partner with NATCA to collaboratively determine the number of Certified Professional Controllers (CPCs) needed to meet operational, statutory, and contractual requirements, including resources to develop, evaluate, and implement processes and initiatives affecting the NAS. The FAA and NATCA worked with the MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development to develop CPC operational staffing targets at each of FAA's 313 air traffic control facilities. The CRWG completed its work by the end of January 2023 and presented its report to the Acting Administrator and NATCA President in February 2023. As part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Congress directed FAA to use the CRWG targets as the basis of its 2025 Controller Workforce Plan (CWP) to provide Congress with a more complete and transparent view of FAA's operational workforce needs, while the Transportation Review Board completed its study on controller staffing. Continuing Resolution (CR) When Congress and the president cannot agree to or pass one or more appropriations bills before the previous bills expire, a CR is often passed to temporarily fund the government at the pre-existing appropriations at the same levels (or with minor modifications) as the previous fiscal year for a set amount of time. The CR's funding extends until the expiration date specified in the law or until regular appropriations bills are enacted, whichever comes first. Controller Workforce Plan (CWP) The FAA's Controller Workforce Plan is an annual report that the FAA must provide to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Glossary

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