NATCA Bookshelf

5 NextGen Now | Winter 2014 However, the air traffic control system, which keeps the aviation system moving, continually faces unstable and unpredictable funding. Last year, sequestration and the government shutdown halted work on modernization. It set the projects you will read about in this publication back by months, costing millions in the process. Unpredictable funding has been a problem for many years, including Congress's difficulty in passing a FAA Reauthorization bill. The current political environment, budget deficit, and other extenuating circumstances have all contributed to a lack of regular order in the appropriations and budget process. We believe that funding is the primary issue to be addressed with the utmost urgency. The NAS is a 24/7 operation, and the FAA's aviation specialists and air traffic controllers must continue to run that system while simultaneously working on research, development, testing, and the implementation of technology modernization, as well as training new hires to become fully certified controllers. Stop-and-go funding increases costs and creates delays for all modernization efforts. Specifically, the instability makes planning for complex modernization projects impossible: when trying to budget over multiple years, the FAA needs to know what to expect. Congress and the FAA must work together to provide stable, predictable, and adequate funds for the FAA to continue running the safest, most efficient, and most complex airspace in the world. And every stakeholder in this aviation community should work together to ensure we find a solution to these budget issues, and ensure the U.S. remains a world leader in aviation.

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