Finding that most of the FAA’s air traffic control (ATC) systems are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable, a government watchdog stressed the need for urgency in modernizing aging systems. In a new report to the U.S. Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted that of the FAA’s 138 ATC systems, 51 were unsustainable and another 54 were potentially unsustainable.
That was the finding of an assessment the FAA conducted after it was forced to shut down the airspace last year due to an aging ATC system outage. The GAO undertook the study at the request of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders, who were concerned about the potential for growing system failures as air traffic continued to swell.
FAA officials informed the GAO that its aging systems "have been difficult to maintain due to the unavailability of parts and retirement of technicians with expertise in maintaining the aging systems."
Of the 105 unsustainable or potentially unsustainable systems, 58 play critical operational roles in the safety and efficiency of the ATC system, “but the agency has been slow to modernize the most critical and at-risk systems,” the watchdog reported.
The FAA has 64 ongoing investments in modernization efforts, but some projects won’t be complete for another 10 to 13 years and others needing replacement aren’t on any upgrade schedule—three of which are more than 30 years old, the GAO found.
Noting that the FAA undertook the assessment to prioritize investment decisions, the GAO maintained that has not yet been accomplished. “Until the FAA reports to the Congress on how it is addressing all critical systems, Congress will not be fully informed on how the FAA is mitigating the risks of these systems.” The GAO further questioned the consistency of the FAA’s oversight of modernization investments.
The GAO made seven recommendations that it said are designed to help the agency manage risks while it addresses unsustainable systems. Chief among them is reporting to Congress on how the FAA is mitigating risks for all unsustainable and critical systems. Further, the GAO recommended the FAA establish a timeframe for developing guidance to increase oversight; ensure investments have cost, schedule, and performance baselines; ensure the programs are organized in manageable segments; and ensure consistent reviews.