Michael Huerta, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spoke at the RTCA Symposium, June 5, 2012, about the status of NextGen implementation.
NextGen, basically, is the movement from World War II-era technology to satellite-based technology for air traffic control. It has many benefits:
- Pilots know precise locations of nearby aircraft.
- More direct flight paths and descents.
- Enhanced safety.
- Fuel savings.
In his speech, Huerta explained how successful industry-wide adoption of NextGen depends on collaboration among all aspects of aviation, from airports and air traffic controllers to equipment manufacturers and pilots.
Huerta also discussed four areas of NextGen implementation:
- Metroplex initiatives – Creating new routes to relieve congestion. These initiatives include programs such as Greener Skies in Seattle, which is working to demonstrate that curved a RNP approach is predictable and safe
- DataComm – Integrating communications in an air/ground network
- NextGen metrics – Providing performance data for NextGen initiatives in four areas (safety, capacity, efficiency and environment)
- Equipage incentives – Encouraging aircraft to upgrade to NextGen capabilities
The stages of implementation, which are predicted to take place between 2012 and 2025, are starting now in some of the larger airports in cities including Atlanta, Memphis and Seattle. Ideally, processes will be perfected in local and regional areas and standardized in order to be applied everywhere else.