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In this section: safety • air traffic control • events • related links • engineering, maintenance & materiel • flight ops

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air traffic control

The air traffic control (ATC) system is managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide safe separation of aircraft over the United States and in and out of U.S. airports. ATA remains a strong vocal proponent of modernizing the ATC system (see ATA 2009 Economic Report, section on "NOWGEN"). This section highlights various ATC-related activities of interest to the airline industry.

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Flight Plan Calculations

"Effective Flight Plans Can Help Airlines Economize" (Boeing AERO Magazine, Third Quarter 2009)

Transforming our National Airspace

The three critical components of the National Airspace System - communications, navigation, and surveillance -- must be modernized if we are to maintain the world's largest, safest, and most efficient air transportation system.

ATC System Modernization

While the basic design of the U.S. air traffic control system dates back to the 1950s, this design promises to present ever-growing concerns as demand for system capacity continues to rise.

Shaping the Future ATC System

ATA Vice President, Operations and Safety Basil Barimo contributed an article entitled "Shaping the Future ATC System" in a recent issue of the Flight Safety Foundation magazine AeroSafety World.

ATA and "SAFE" Agree that Modernized ATC Will Significantly Reduce Fuel Consumption and U.S. Oil Dependence

ERAM (En Route Automation Modernization)

ERAM is intended to replace existing National Airspace System (NAS) software and hardware with an open standards-based architecture allowing scalability for current and future needs. ERAM will produce benefits in NAS safety, security, capacity, and efficiency, and is one of the key stepping stones to the next generation air traffic system.

Tailored Arrivals (TAs)

TAs are generated by ATM computers and consider local traffic, weather, terrain, noise restrictions, and the aircraft's own capabilities to obtain an optimal route and an exact touchdown time for arriving aircraft.

Questions and Answers on RNAV

ATA Vice President of Operations and Safety Basil Barimo answers questions on RNAV.

Misrepresenting Air Traffic Delays

Reason Foundation's Air Traffic Control Reform Newsletter Article on Misrepresenting Air Traffic Delays (01.01.2008)

Anatomy of Air Travel Delays

Causes and effects of National Airspace System (NAS) delays.

FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center

The mission of the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center is to balance air traffic demand with system capacity in the National Airspace System (NAS).

FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center -- ATA Desk

The ATA Desk at the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Herndon, Virginia, represents ATA members' daily operational concerns by recommending strategic and tactical solutions to mitigate system constraints in the National Airspace System (NAS).

RTCA Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (ATMAC)

Flight Tracker

Commercial flight tracking web site.

Questions and Answers on Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B)

Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B)

ATA member airlines support a transition to an ADS-B surveillance system. Find out more about how it works and why FAA considers it the cornerstone of their Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

Forbes Magazine ADS-B Article

Forbes Magazine's "Smarter Skies" Feb. 26 article highlights the benefits of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and that the technology could eventually replace the radar system and relieve air traffic congestion.

ATA Pleased with Progress Made in Operational Performance But Says Steps Still Must be Taken to Accelerate NextGen Air Traffic Management System

ATA said that while government data show that flight delays have fallen recently, much more must be done to improve service by accelerating the implementation of NextGen – a modernized air traffic management (ATM) system.

ATA Chairman Tilton Urges New Administration and Congress to Make Modernization of Air Transportation Infrastructure a National Priority

ATA Chairman Tilton Says Air Transportation Infrastructure Must Be National Priority.

FAA Produces NextGen Video

FAA produced a NextGen video that tracks how the same flight would be handled with the current ATC system versus modernized airspace management system.

ATA Testifies That FAA Reauthorization Must Include Acceleration of System Modernization through “NowGen”

ATA President and CEO Jim May testified that reauthorization of FAA programs and funding must ensure that ATC modernization be done early – in the next several years rather than over the next decade – through a suite of key technologies and procedures being called NowGen.

Updated Air Traffic Control System Sorely Needed

ATA Vice President of Operations and Safety Basil Barimo speaks on ABC News with Charles Gibson stating that the current radar-based ATC system is outdated and stretched to its limits and the proposed $40 billion GPS-based system would be a huge improvement.