Story ID: 
FAA Dashboard Provides View into ATC Modernization
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Dashboard details 10,000 air traffic control projects and tracks progress
Word Count: 302
The FAA has rolled out a dashboard detailing more than 10,000 air traffic control projects ongoing throughout the National Airspace System (NAS). To be updated monthly, the dashboard provides descriptions of each project and how those efforts will improve the NAS. Also, the website includes an interactive map, a progress tracker, and a local impact search engine by location.
“The FAA is undertaking the most significant transformation of America’s air traffic control system in generations, and we are committed to being transparent and accountable every step of the way,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The American people deserve a clear view of how these investments are being executed and the progress being made to modernize our skies.”
Among the projects are the replacement of core infrastructure, radar, software, hardware, and telecommunications at 4,600 sites nationwide. This involves new radars, radios, surface surveillance systems, electronic flight strips, and voice switches. Alongside this, the FAA is replacing old copper telecommunications lines with fiber optic cable, wireless, and satellite technologies.
“One of the reasons past air traffic control modernization efforts failed was a lack of transparency,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who added that surging demand underscores the importance of the work.
NBAA praised the effort. “We are pleased to see the administration continuing to make progress on the most significant transformation of our National Airspace System (NAS) since the dawn of the jet age,” said the industry group’s president and CEO, Ed Bolen. “This project is a national imperative, and the new, user-friendly dashboard is a helpful tool to monitor and measure the work being done to enhance the safety and efficiency of the NAS for all stakeholders and ensure that America remains the world’s aviation leader for decades to come.”