NATCA Bookshelf

NiW Today n i w . n a t c a . n e t MODERNIZATION & INFRASTRUCTURE continued 2013 government shutdown, created needless delays in the development, design, and implementation of NextGen, and 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. 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. FAA'S RAPIDLY AGING PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE The FAA operates more than 300 air traffic control facilities of varying ages and conditions. The FAA's 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) located in the continental United States were built in the 1960s and are more than 50 years old. The FAA's large, stand-alone Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities (TRACONs) are, on average, 25 years old. In addition, the FAA has 132 combined TRACON/Towers, which average nearly 35 years old. Finally, the FAA has another 131 stand-alone towers which average almost 30 years old; the oldest is 75 years old. The FAA has begun the process of addressing its aging infrastructure through a combination of realignments, sustaining and maintaining some facilities, and replacing a handful of others. However, that process is also hampered by funding uncertainty. For example, the FAA is replacing Charlotte TRACON/Tower (CLT), which is approximately 35 years old. The replacement cost is more than $113 million. Similarly, San Francisco Tower (SFO) was approximately 28 years old when it was replaced, with the total cost of that project running greater than $82 million. To replace Las Vegas Tower and Las Vegas TRACON, which were about 31 and 29 years old, respectively, the FAA built one facility to replace two buildings. That project cost more than $110 million. Even for smaller facilities such as Wilkes-Barre, Pa., TRACON/Tower (AVP) and Abilene, Texas TRACON/Tower (ABI), the replacement costs were approximately $23 million and $21 million, respectively. These facility replacement costs are expected to rise with inflation as the facility infrastructure continues to age and as the FAA struggles to keep up with NextGen technological advancements and operational demands. The FAA needs a stable, predictable funding stream in order to adequately maintain and replace its aging infrastructure in the coming years. 48

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