Feds tout ‘major progress’ on improving air traffic control

Federal Aviation Administration chief Michael Huerta told Congress Wednesday that the federal government has made “major progress” on reforming the nation’s air traffic control system. 

The FAA has been planning for years to discard the World War II-era radar technology that has been used to manage airplane traffic for generations in favor of a satellite-based system known as NextGen. 

Republicans have criticized the agency for missing deadlines related to the switch, but Huerta told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the conversion is further along than most people realize. 

{mosads}“Some have argued for change saying the FAA has not delivered on air traffic modernization. I would argue that the FAA has already made major progress in modernizing our airspace system through NextGen,” Huerta said in a testimony submitted to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. 

“We completed installation of a more powerful technology platform with our new high altitude air traffic control system – known as ERAM,” he continued. “This system will accommodate the applications of NextGen and allow controllers to handle the expected increase in air traffic more efficiently. And last year we finished the coast-to-coast installation of the ADS-B network that will enable satellite-based air traffic control.” 

The FAA has said the NextGen system will ease congestion in the airspace around busy U.S. airports by streamlining the arrivals and departures of flights. It also argues that navigating flights more efficiently will have environmental benefits because airplanes will use less gas and produce less smog.

The catch is that the NextGen system is expected to cost about $40 billion to complete, and an original 2020 deadline for implementing it nationwide is rapidly approaching. Complicating matters further, the FAA’s current funding is scheduled to expire in September, although lawmakers have already begun holding hearings about a possible extension later this year. 

GOP leaders have pushed to privatize at some forms of air traffic control. The GOP has argued several forms of non-governmental could better manage the transition, citing examples such as private non-profit and public-private partnerships. 

The FAA has said that it has adopted a piecemeal approach to NextGen as it waits for answers from Congress about its future funding. 

Huerta said Wednesday that he is “aware of the criticisms of the FAA’s implementation of NextGen,” but he told lawmakers the incremental improvements are paying off for airline passengers. 

“There are different theories about how to deploy technology in a complex operating environment,” he said. “Some take the position that you should start from a wide ranging vision and work back from there on developing a range of scenarios. Others suggest mapping out the entire picture and only proceeding when you are sure of the end game. 

“Others say to take a more pragmatic approach, and this is the path the FAA has chosen – based on close consultation with industry,” Huerta continued. “This approach, used by the Office of Management and Budget, closely matches investments with tangible benefits to airlines and passengers. We acknowledge that it requires upfront investment, and we are careful not to strand programs in the middle of implementation.

The FAA’s funding measure, which normally includes money for NextGen, is scheduled to expire on Sept. 30.