United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-05-10 monographic deposited born digital 17 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-725T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T P0b002ee180375eb1 f:d01725t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T GAO-01-725T Air traffic control systems Commercial aviation Transportation safety Systems conversions Human resources utilization FAA Advanced Automation System FAA Air Traffic Control Modernization Program FAA Display System Replacement Project FAA National Airspace System Plan FAA Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System FAA Traffic Management Advisor FAA User Request Evaluation Tool Testimony A00977 This testimony discusses the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) modernization of the nation's air traffic control (ATC) system and its relationship to the initiatives under way to address the escalating crises of insufficient capacity facing the aviation industry. Specifically, GAO reviews the (1) extent of the delay and congestion problems and the contribution of the ATC system to them, (2) progress and problems encountered in FAA's ATC modernization program, and (3) importance of a continued focus on delivering ATC equipment and on human capital issues as policymakers seek to address delays and congestion. GAO found that the national airspace system (NAS) is facing significant capacity problems. Last year, more than 25 percent of nationwide flights were canceled, delayed or diverted. These actions affected 163 million passengers who, on average, were delayed almost an hour. Inefficiencies in the ATC system contribute to the delays and congestion. Modernizing equipment, along with other changes in the ATC system, is expected to help increase the capacity of NAS between 5 and 15 percent. However, to date, improvements expected from FAA's modernization program have fallen short. Although FAA has installed new equipment to provide the necessary platform for fielding modern technologies to improve efficiency, this effort has experienced cost, schedule, and performance problems. As part of this program, FAA has begun to deploy new technologies to achieve free flight, which will enable pilots and controllers, under certain circumstances, to select optimal flight paths, thereby lowering costs and helping to accommodate more flights in the nation's airspace. To ensue that the modernization effort if successful, FAA must institute a performance-oriented culture, which is essential to establishing a climate of accountability and coordination throughout the agency. Furthermore, FAA will need to address human capital issues related to retirement, expected within the decade, of many aviation industry professionals, such as FAA controllers and airline mechanics. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T.pdf GAO-01-725T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-725T Testimony GAO-01-725T; Air Traffic Control: Role of FAA's Modernization Program in Reducing Delays and Congestion; Air traffic control systems Commercial aviation Transportation safety Systems conversions Human resources utilization FAA Advanced Automation System FAA Air Traffic Control Modernization Program FAA Display System Replacement Project FAA National Airspace System Plan FAA Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System FAA Traffic Management Advisor FAA User Request Evaluation Tool Public Law 106-181