focused on performance
DESCRIPTION
The Federal Aviation Admininstration's Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Report to CongressTRANSCRIPT
Mission:
•Ourmissionistoprovidethesafest,mostefficientaerospacesystemintheworld. Vision: •Wecontinuetoimprovethesafetyandefficiencyofflight. •Weareresponsivetoourcustomers. •Weareaccountabletothepublic. About the Air Traffic Organization:
TheprimaryserviceoftheAirTrafficOrganizationistomoveaircraftsafelyandefficiently.Ourcustomersarecommercialandprivateaviationandthemilitary.Ouremployeesaretheserviceproviders—theairtrafficcontrollers,technicians,engineersandsupportpersonnelwhoseunflaggingdailyeffortskeeptheairplanesmoving.
Nine service units make up the Air Traffic Organization:
•AcquisitionandBusinessServices •CommunicationsServices •EnRouteandOceanicServices •FinanceServices •OperationsPlanning •SafetyServices •SystemOperationsServices •TechnicalOperations •TerminalServices
ATO by the numbersAmerica’sNationalAirspaceSystem(NAS)isanetworkofpeople,procedures,andequipment,allcontributingtothesafestairspaceintheworld.Pilots,controllers,technicians,engineers,inspectors,andsupervisorsworktogethertomakesuremillionsofpassengersmovethroughitsafelyeveryday.TheFAAoperates314airtrafficcontrolfacilitiesandtheAirTrafficControlSystemCommandCenter.
TowerWithoutRadar 1
TerminalApproachControl(TRACON) 22
137CombinationTRACONandTowerwithRadar
CombinationNonRadarApproachControl&TowerwithoutRadar 2
CombinedControlFacility 4
TowerwithRadar 123
AirRouteTrafficControlCenter(ARTCC) 21
CombinedTRACONFacility 4
AirTrafficControlSystemCommandCenter 1
Number of FacilitiesFacility Type
Coverphoto:JonRoss,ATO
Contents
LetterFromActingFAAAdministrator 01LetterFromtheChiefOperatingOfficer 03FocusedonSafety:DeliveringQualityOperations 05FocusedonCredibility:EnhancingFinancialDiscipline 11FocusedonGrowth:IncreasingCapacity 15FocusedontheNextGeneration:BuildingfortheFutureNow 21Governance 25
Coverphoto:JonRoss,ATO
2007 Annual Performance ReportFocused on Excellence
We are currently living in the safest period in aviation history. There was not a single passenger fatality or major accident in the year 2007. This past fiscal year, we also succeeded in reducing the most serious types of runway incursions and operational errors.”
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
“
1
Whetherweflyornot,civilaviationtouchesourlivesinunseenways.Itcontributes$1.2trillionineconomicactivity,11millionjobs,andrepresents5.6percentofthegrossdomesticproduct.Aviationcanalsobealifesaverduringtimesofemergency.
Forthesereasons,theFederalAviationAdministration’sAirTrafficOrganization(ATO)ismorecommittedthanevertoprovidingsafety,serviceandvaluetoallofourstakeholders.
Wearecurrentlylivinginthesafestperiodinaviationhistory.Therewasnotasinglepassengerfatalityormajoraccidentintheyear2007.Thispastfiscalyear,wealsosucceededinreducingthemostserioustypesofrunwayincursionsandoperationalerrors.
Ensuringsafety,however,isanevervigilantprocess.Asthefiscalyearcametoaclose,weputthespotlightonrunwayincursionsbyconveningameetingwithairportandindustryofficials.Throughthiseffort,weidentifiedmorethan100short-terminitiatives,andseveralmoremid-andlong-terminitiatives.Nearlyalloftheshort-terminitiativesarecompleteandwe’reworkingcloselywiththeairportscommunitiestoimplementtherest. TheATOhascomealongwaytowardoperatingmorelikeabusiness.Weconductrigorousinvestmentanalysesofourcapitalprogramsandscrutinizethefinancialperformanceofeachlineofbusiness.Betterfinancialmanagementhasallowedustodeliverprogramsonscheduleandwithinbudget.
Thispastfiscalyear,theATOhasmovedforwardinbuildingtheNextGenerationAirTransportationSystem(NextGen).WereleasedaNextGenimplementationplanandawardeda$1.8billioncontracttobuildtheAutomaticDependentSurveillance-Broadcastgroundinfrastructure.WealsorecentlycompletedthetransitiontotheFAATelecommunicationsInfrastructure,aprojectthatwillprovidethebasisforairtrafficcontrolcommunicationsinthefuture.Aswemoveforward,weneedtohaveastablefundingstreamtoensurethatNextGen’sbenefitscometofruition.
Thisreportdetailsourprogressthispastfiscalyearinsafety,improvingefficiency,expandingairtrafficcapacity,performingmorelikeabusinessandourplansforNextGen. Sincerely,
RobertA.Sturgell ActingFAAAdministrator
Letter From Acting FAA AdministrAtor
RobertA.Sturgell.Photo:JeffBruzdzinski,ATO
Our plan is to build the Next Generation Air Transportation System. NextGen will rely on 21st century technologies in-cluding global positioning sys-tem, digital communications and net-centric operations. NextGen will also be a system that maximizes the value of ev-ery drop of fuel burned. And we’re already putting NextGen in place.”
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
“
3
ThefundamentalmissionoftheAirTrafficOrganization(ATO)istomaximizethesafetyandefficiencyofournation’sairtrafficsystem.Towardthiseffort,our34,000employeeshavemadegreatstridesin2007.
Aviationsafetyisbeenpersonalforme.Aschiefoperatingofficer,Iampromotingastrongsafetyculture.Amajorsteptowardcreatingthiscultureistofocusourattentionproactivelytomitigateunsafeconditions.Thatiswhyisfiscal2007wemovedforwardwiththeATO’sSafetyManagementSystem,acomprehensive,integratedapproachtosafety.
We’realsocommittedtominimizingairlinedelaysandexpandingairtrafficcapacity.In2007,weemployedtheuseofinnovativedelay-reducingtoolssuchastheAirspaceFlowProgramsandAdaptiveCompression.Inaddition,webegantoimplementtheNewYork/NewJersey/Philadelphiaairspaceredesign,aprojectthatwillhelpreduceairlinedelays,fuelusageandemissions.
Asafe,efficientsystemcanonlybeassuredbyhavingadedicated,qualifiedworkforce.Thispastfiscalyear,ATOhastakenstepstoaddresstheretirementbubblebyhiringmorethan1,800airtrafficcontrollersandintroducingnewtechnologytoreducecontrollertrainingtime.
Intermsoforganizationalprogress,I’mproudtosaythatin2007,97percentofourmajoracquisitionprogramsweredeliveredonscheduleand100percentwerewithinbudget. Nowaswelooktothefuture,weseeseveraltrendsthatwillaffectairtrafficsystemoperations:oilprices,airlinemergers,hubredistribution,growthinpassengertraffic,andtheemergenceofverylightjets,unmannedaircraftsystemsandcommercialspacevessels.
Inordertomeetthechangingneedsanddemandsoftheaviationmarketplace,wemusthaveanorganizationthatisflexible.
OurplanistobuildtheNextGenerationAirTransportationSystem.NextGenwillrelyon21stcenturytechnologiesincludingglobalpositioningsystem,digitalcommunicationsandnet-centricoperations.NextGenwillalsobeasystemthatmaximizesthevalueofeverydropoffuelburned.Andwe’realreadyputtingNextGeninplace.
Manychallengesstillremain.Wemustcontinuetoimproveouracquisitionmanagement.WemustclearlyarticulatethechangesthatNextGenwillbringtotheaviationcommunity.WemustalsocultivatethecommunityandpoliticalsupportnecessarytobuildNextGen.
However,asthisreportshows,weareingoodshapetomeetthesechallenges. Sincerely,
HankP.Krakowski ATOChiefOperatingOfficer
Letter From chieF operAting oFFicer
HankP.Krakowski.Photo:JeffBruzdzinski,ATO
DeliveringQuality
Runway Status Lights are helping curb runway incursions:Thenumberofseriousrunwayincursionshasbeenreducedby55percentsince2001.Infiscal2007,therewere24seriousincursionsduring61millionaircraftoperations—asignificantreductionfromthe31incursionsin2006andthe53infiscal2001.Photo:ATO
Operations
Focused on saFety:
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
5
Operating Safely
Thebestwaytomeasuretheeffectivenessofanysafetysystemistoexaminetheavailabledata.Andthedatawehavetodaytellsusthatcommercialaviationissaferthaneverbefore.AccordingtotheNationalTransportationSafetyBoard,in2007U.S.carriershadonly0.1seriousaccidentsforeverymillionhoursflown.
TheATO’spriorityistomakeasafesystemevensafer,especiallyasaviationisforecasttocontinuetogrowoverthelong-term,evenwithcurrentrecordoilprices.
Increasing Predictability of Flight Operations
Adverseweather,suchasthunderstorms,lowcloudceilingsandsnow,hasasignificantimpactonflightoperations.In2007,66percentofalldelayswereduetoweather-relatedevents.TheATOaimstoimprovehowtrafficismanagedduringbadweatherandminimizetheimpactofweatheronon-timeperformance.
Safeguarding National Aviation Security
Thesecurityofthenationalairspacesystem(NAS)goeshand-in-handwiththesafetyofthesystem.TheATOworksincollaborationwiththeDepartmentsofDefenseandHomelandSecurity,aswellaslawenforcementagencies,toprotecttheNASfromsecuritythreats.Atthesametime,theATOishelpingtooptimallybalancethesesecurityactionswiththeefficiencyneedsofthesystem’susers.
The Air TrAffic OrgAnizATiOn wAs esTAblished in 2003 TO prOvide The mOsT efficienT Air TrAffic cOnTrOl service And The highesT level Of sysTem sAfeTy. This sysTem is One ThAT mOves AircrAfT sAfely, hAndles The vOlume Of Air TrAffic OperATiOns wiTh minimAl delAys And is prOTecTed frOm securiTy ThreATs. cOmmerciAl, privATe And miliTAry AviATiOn OperATOrs wAnT predicTAbiliTy Of flighT OperATiOns wiTh An emphAsis On mAximum ThrOughpuT – The rATe AircrAfT pAss ThrOugh The AirspAce – And On-Time ArrivAls.
Thewholepurposeof
thesafetyeffortisto
makesurethatyouhave
operationalexcellence.
It’snotjustsafety
compliance,it’soperating
thebestyoucan,safely,
allthetime.”
—HankKrakowski,ATOChiefOperatingOfficer
“
6 Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
Figure 1.1 Operational Errors
Fiscal Year
Tota
l Num
ber o
f Ope
ratio
nal E
rror
s
0
300
600
900
1200
1500
1800
FY07FY06FY05FY04FY03FY02
0.39
Number of Operational ErrorsNumber of Category A & B Operational Errors
Rate Per Million Operations - Category A & B
4.20 4.434.07 4.28 4.12 4.06
Fiscal 2007 Accomplishments that Improve Operations
Operational Errors Reduced
Airtrafficcontrollersensurethesafetyofairtravelbykeepingaircraftsafelyseparatedfromotheraircraft,vehiclesandterrain.Anoperationalerroroccurswhenanaircraftcomescloserthantheestablishedstandardsforseparation.
Identifyingthevariousfactorsassociatedwiththoseincidents,ensuringthaterrorsarecorrectlyreportedandconductingtargetedpreventivetrainingensurestheATOcontinuestoreducetheriskofoperationalerrors.
Eachyear,theATOsetsamoreaggressivegoaltoreduceoperationalerrorstomakethesystemsafer.Theagencymetitsoperationalerrorreductiontargetin2007forthesecondyearinarow.TheATOachievedasafetymilestonewiththereductionofthemostseriousCategoryAandBoperationalerrors.Theperformancelimitwastoreducetheratetonomorethan4.27operationalerrorspermillionactivities.Fiscalyear2007endedwitharateof4.06AandBoperationalerrorspermillionactivities(figure1.1).
Additionally,infiscal2007,theATOlaunchedasoftware-basedoperationalerrordetectionsystem.TheATObeganinstallingTrafficAnalysisandReviewProgram(TARP)softwareatfiveATOapproachcontrolfacilitiesacrossthecountry.Theprogramautomaticallydetectslossesofaircraftseparation,allowingbetteranalysisofthefactorsthatleadtooperationalerrors,andhelpingfindwaystoeliminatethemandreducerisk.
WhiletheATO’s
aggressiverunwaysafety
programhasreduced
thenumberofserious
runwayincursionsby
55percentsince2001,
wecontinuetofocus
onreducingthenumber
ofincursionsthrough
outreach,awareness,
improvedinfrastructure
andtechnology.”
—BobbySturgell,ActingFAAAdministrator
“
7
Runway Incursions Reduced
In200761millionaircraftoperationsoccurredonthenation’srunwaysmanagedbytheATO.OneoftheATO’skeysafetygoalsispreventingtheoccurrenceofincursionsontheserunways.Runwayincursionsaredefinedastheincorrectpresenceofanaircraft,vehicleorpersonontheprotectedareaofasurfacedesignatedforthelandingandtake-off ofaircraft.
Implementingrunwaymanagementstrategies,theATOachieveditssafetyperformancelimitforrunwayincursionsforthesixthconsecutiveyear.ThegoalwastoreducetherateofCategoryAandBrunwayincursions,themostserious,to0.530incursionspermillionoperations.Infiscal2007thefinalratewas0.393seriousincursionspermillionoperations(figure1.2).
Anumberoffactorscontributetorunwayincursions(figure1.3).Inanefforttoaddressthecausesofrunwayincursions,theFAAissueda“CalltoAction”inAugust2007fortheaviationcommunitytorefocusonwaystoimproverunwaysafety.TheFAAandindustryagreedtoanambitiousplanfocusingonimprovingairportsignageandmarkings,airtrafficprocedures,cockpitproceduresandintroducingnewtechnologytoreducerunwayincursionsandwrongrunwaydepartures.
AsaresultoftheCalltoAction,specificrunwaysafetyimprovementshavealreadybeenimplementedathundredsofairports.Theseincludeimprovedairportmarkings,additionalpilotandcontrollertraining,andtheinstallationofnewlow-costtechnologiestoimproveairport surfaceoperations.
Figure 1.2 Runway Incursions
Fiscal Year
Tota
l Num
ber o
f Run
way
Incu
rsio
ns
0
100
200
300
400
500
FY07FY06FY05FY04FY03FY02FY01
0.390.460.44
0.510.57
0.81
0.51
Number of Runway IncursionsNumber of Category A & B Runway IncursionsRate Per Million Operations - Category A & B
8 Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
Safety Management System Order Approved
TheATOintroducedanewSafetyManagementSystemtomanagesafetyriskwhilereinforcingandimprovingtheATO’sexistingsafetyculture.Bygainingabetterunderstandingofproblems,thepotentialforincidentsisreduced.Millionsofrecordsofrunwaysafetydatahavebeenreviewedtodevelopandimplementrunwaysafetyimprovements.
TheATO’sSMSorderwaspublishedonMarch19,2007,andconformstoanInternationalCivilAviationOrganization(ICAO)agreementandaviationindustrysafetypractices.
Use of Adaptive Compression Maximizes Available Airport Slots
InMarch2007,theATOintroducedanewautomatedtoolthatconstantlyscansforopenairportslotsduetodelayed,cancelledorreroutedflightswhichhassaved1.1milliondelayminutesandmorethan$27million.It’spartofaportfoliooftrafficmanagementsystemenhancements.
Airspace Flow Programs Respond to Severe Weather
Infiscal2007,theATOmorethandoubledtheairspaceflowprogramstohelpmanagetrafficacrossmuchofthecountryfromtheMississippiRivereastward.
Airlineschoosetheoptionofeitheracceptingdelaysforflightsscheduledtoflythroughthunderstormsorflyinglongerroutestomaneuveraroundstorms.
ThenumberofAFPlocations—chosenfortheircombinationofheavytrafficandfrequentbadweather—hasbeenexpandedfromseven to18.
Dynamicairspaceflowprogramsareusedinotherareastotargetstormswithsurgicalprecisionasstormsdevelopandmove.
FromMaythroughAugust2007,atotalof58AFPswereused,saving$68millionfortheairlines.
Completed Expansion of LPV/WAAS Approach Procedures
Withnewon-boardtechnology,pilotscanusesatellite-positionreportstonavigatethroughbadweathertodayusingtheFAA’sWideAreaAugmentationSystem(WAAS),asystemofgroundstationsthatprovidenecessaryaugmentationstotheGlobalPositioningSystemnavigationsignal.UsingaprecisionmaneuverknownasLocalizerPerformancewithVerticalGuidance(LPV),pilotscanusetheironboardinstrumentstogetascloseas200feetabovetherunwayduringperiodsoflowvisibilityduetobadweather.Precisionapproacheshelpmaintainthesamenumberofarrivalsduringpoorweatherasduringoptimalweather.
Exceeded Operational Availability
Infiscal2007,theagencyexceededitsgoal(99.70percent)foradjustedoperationalavailabilityofequipment,whichisthepercentageoftimeequipmentsystemsareavailable,witha99.82percentavailabilityrate(figure1.4).
Photo:ATO
TechnicalOperationsemployeeskeep
equipmentworkingeverydayoftheyearand
inallkindsofweather.Intheremotefour-mile
stretchoftundraknownasMiddletonIsland
intheGulfofAlaska,techniciansworkshifts
thatsometimelastseveralweekstomake
suretheradarisoperational.
icy Upkeep
9
Air Defense Identification Zones Modified
Infiscal2007,theFAAmodifiedtherestrictedairspaceaboveWashington,D.C.,tomakeitsafer,moresecureandeasierforgeneralaviationandotherpilotstonavigate(figure1.5).Pilotsnowuseasinglenavigationalaidinsteadoffour;and33airportsandhelipads,inapproximately1,800squaremilesofairspace,arenowoutsidetheAirDefenseIdentificationZones.
Asaresultoftheredesign,therehasbeenasignificantdropinthenumberofairdefensezoneviolations;analysisindicatesthataboutonethirdofallviolationsoccurredinthe“mouseear”portionoftheformerADIZ.
Figure1.5:TheWashingtonD.C.,MetropolitanADIZpriortoAug.31,2007(left),andtheredesignedADIZ(right).Diagram:FAA
Figure 1.4 Adjusted Operational Availability at the 35 Busiest U.S. Airports
Perc
ent A
vaila
bilit
y
98.9
99.0
99.1
99.2
99.3
99.4
99.5
99.6
99.7
99.8
99.9
100.0
TargYTDSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJanDecNovOct
FY07
FY06
YTD
Target
EnhancingFinancial
TheFAAhasmadesignificantprogressinaddressingairtrafficmodernizationprogramweaknessessinceitwasdesignatedashighriskin1995.—TheGovernmentAccountabilityOffice.Photo:JeffBruzdzinski,ATO
Discipline
Focused on credibility:
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
11
The ATO hAs mAde significAnT imprOvemenTs in finAnciAl discipline. since esTAblished by cOngress, The ATO hAs cOme A lOng wAy TOwArd invesTing in The righT cApiTAl prOgrAms by Adhering TO An esTAblished seT Of business cOnTrOls. reducing OverheAd cOsTs is A mOTivATing fOrce ThAT hAs reAped subsTAnTiAl benefiTs. mAnAging OperATiOns nOw cleArly meAns mAnAging sAfeTy, delivery Of service And cOsT.
Lowering Operating Costs
CongressexpectstheATOtowiselyusethefundsandresourcesitentruststotheorganization.Ifitinvestswiselyinfacilitiesandequipment,increasesproductivity,eliminateswaste,andadherestoprovenbusinesspracticestoprioritizeinvestments,theATOwillincreaseoperatingefficiencyoftheNationalAirspaceSystem(NAS),reducingtheoperatingcostsanddelays.
Improving Credibility
Improvedprogrammanagementandreducingcostshashadadirectimpactinearningthepublic’strustandinboostingtheorganization’sfinancialcredibility.
Investing In the Future
Soundinvestmentdecisionsareessential.Thebestinvestmentssupporttheevolutionoftheairtrafficcontrolsystem,keepingtoday’sairtrafficsystemrunningwhilebuildingaplatformforthefuture.ATOleadersrevieweachcapitalinvestmenttodetermineiftheprogramwillsupportthedevelopmentoftheNextGenerationAirTransportationSystem.
Wecontinuetomanage
themoneythatwe’re
appropriatedinavery
tightmanner.Weknow
whereweare,weknow
howmuchmoneywe
havetospend.Weknow
thisearlyonandcanplan
anddoabetterjobof
implementingthings.”
—GeneJuba,ATOSeniorVicePresidentforFinanceServices
“
12 Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
Fiscal 2007 Accomplishments that Enhance Financial Discipline
The ATO Met Its Two Acquisition Targets in Fiscal 2007.
Cost: The target demands that at least 87.5 percent of major »baseline Capital Investment programs are within 10 percent of budget. 100 percent of the programs met this standard.
Schedule: The target sought to have 87.5 percent of major »Capital Investment programs meet established activity mile-stones schedule dates – 97 percent (65 of 67) met the standard.
Controller Hiring
Infiscal2007,theagencyhired1,815newcontrollers,boostingthetotalcontrollerworkforceto14,874employees,whichis0.5percenthigherthanthefiscalyearperformancegoal(Figure2.1).
Increasing Productivity
Bytakingadvantageofimprovedtechnologies,insightsfromindustry,andtraining,theATOisbecomingmoreproductive.Notableaccomplishmentsforfiscal2007:
A Staffing-to-Traffic Tool has been created to help facility plan- »ners determine the most effective way to schedule controllers for each shift. By using historic controller staffing data and merging it with peaks and valleys in air traffic operations, the tool helps managers build optimal staffing schedules. By using the tool, planners at the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center were able to improve the average controller time-on-position per eight-hour shift from 3.75 hours to 4.58 hours in just one month in April 2007 – a productivity gain of more than 20 percent.
Implemented an effective and efficient training process that »takes a newly hired controller from learning the fundamentals of air traffic control to earning the Certified Professional Controller designation and maintaining that proficiency. The use of simula-tors is a proven and effective training aid and mirrors what pilots have been doing for years. By introducing high-fidelity simulators to academy curriculum and field facilities, the training process is now more efficient. Depending on the complexity of the facility, controllers are now being trained in 2-3 years, down from 3-5 years, and are able to be fully productive where it counts – the air traffic facilities in the field – in nearly two-thirds of the time it used to take.
Wise Investment Decisions
Bytrackingcostandschedulemilestones,theATOensuresthattaxpayerdollarsspentthroughacquisitionprogramsachievedesiredperformanceoutcomes.TheATOmetitstargetsregardinghigh-interestprogramssuchasAirportSurfaceDetectionEquipment–ModelX,RunwayIncursionReductionProgram,AutomaticDependentSurveillance–Broadcast,IntegratedTerminalWeatherSystem,DistanceMeasuringEquipmentandFAATelecommunicationsInfrastructure.Somenotableaccomplishmentsduringfiscal2007:
Installed 931 new Ultra High Frequency and 1,180 multi-mode »digital radios under separate communications upgrade projects.
Installed 54 Precision Approach Path Indicators and 21 Runway »End Identifier Lights systems.
FAAcontinuestomake
progressinimplementing
acomprehensiveand
complexstaffingplan.”
—DepartmentofTransportationInspectorGeneral
“
13
Integrated five international reference stations into the Wide Area »Augmentation System and a new geostationary satellite signal into the system three months ahead of the target.
Decommissioning and Disposal of Real Property
In fiscal 2007, the ATO removed 488 outdated navigational aids »from the federal network. Disposing of obsolete technology has saved the agency $8.6 million. The ATO also disposed real prop-erty and restored land assets at 45 locations, saving $3.2 million over a 10-year period. Additional cost savings from this program are expected in 2008.
Sound Business Practices
The ATO implemented strong program control procedures to »institutionalize processes and ensure efficient program and project management. Executive oversight focuses not only on delivering solutions to meet growing demand, but also on cost, schedule and performance. More detail and agency scrutiny have created budgets that provide transparency.
Figure 2.1 Air Traffic Controller Hiring
Fiscal 2007
Tota
l Con
trolle
rs o
n Bo
ard
Target
Actual
14200
14300
14400
14500
14600
14700
14800
14900
15000
SepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJanDecNovOct
IncreasingCapacity
The FAAestimatesthatthevolumeofairtrafficmaydoubleby2025.Photo:JonRoss,ATO
Focused on Growth:
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
15
TO meeT AmericA’s AviATiOn needs, increAsing sysTem cApAciTy is An AbsOluTe necessiTy. The ATO wOrks TO ensure ThAT plAnes Arrive And depArT Their desTinATiOns On Time. wiTh An exTensive dATA cOllecTiOn neTwOrk, The ATO TrAcks AirpOrT cApAciTy AT The busiesT And mOsT cOngesTed AirpOrTs in The sysTem. An exAminATiOn Of This dATA AllOws The ATO TO idenTify Trends And risks TO be Addressed.
Safely Increase System Capacity Where and When Needed
AviationisabigdriverofU.S.economicgrowth.ItisimportantthattheNationalAirspaceSystem(NAS)keepsupwithgrowingdemandformoreflightsandaccommodatesnewtypesofaircraft.TheATOrecognizesthattheairlinecompanieswilladapttheirownbusinessplanstorespondtothetravelingpublic’sneedsandtomaximizeprofitability.Suchchangescanhappenquickly,andtheATOmustpositionitselftorespondeffectively.
Collaborate Effectively With Stakeholders
Effectivecollaborationisthesolutiontounderstandinginadvancethefutureneedsofstakeholdersandcustomers.TheATOworkscloselywiththeaviationindustrytoreducedelays.Forexample,CollaborativeDecisionMakinginvolvesairlinessharingscheduleinformationwiththeATO’sAirTrafficControlSystemCommandCenter,includingflightdelays,cancellationsandnewlycreatedflights.TheCommandCenterusesthisinformationtomonitorairportarrivaldemand,andtakesstepstoreducedelayscausedbyheavytrafficandsevereweather,andactstominimizechokepoints.TheCommandCenterhoststelephoneconferencecallseverytwohoursthroughoutthedaytodiscussproblemsaffectingcapacityinthesystemanddecidethemosteffectivewaytohandlethem.Duringthecalls,trafficflowmanagersseekinputfromfrontlineairtrafficfacilities,weatherprofessionalsandrepresentativesfromtheaviationcommunity,includingthecommercialairlinesandgeneralaviation. Prioritize Capacity Initiatives Based on Outcomes and Costs
Tomeettheemergingdemandsforqualityandsafeservicesatlowercosts,theATOisapproachingeverythingitdoeswithaneyetowardinnovation.Theorganizationiscarefullyprioritizingtheseimprovementsbypreparingandanalyzingoperationalbusinesscasesbeforedecisionsaremadetoensurethatithascompletepertinentinformationtomaketherightchoicesinhowtodrivecapacityimprovement.
By2025,weexpect
revenuepassengersmiles
tomorethandouble,
increasingbyanaverage
of50billionayear.”
—MaryPeters,DepartmentofTransportationSecretary
“
16 Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
Fiscal 2007 Accomplishments that Increase Capacity
Increasing Daily Capacity
Theaveragedailycapacityatthe35busiestU.S.commercialairportswas102,545arrivalsanddepartures,exceedingthefiscal2007targetof101,562arrivalsanddepartures(figure3.1).
Dealing With Weather
Bycloselyexaminingdata,theATOisabletoproposeprogramsandproceduresthatmitigateweatherdelays.Overallweatheratthe35busiestU.S.commercialairportsforfiscal2007improvedwhencomparedwithfiscal2006;however,dataindicatesthatlessfrequentpatternsofmoresevereweatherattheverybusiestairportshavethesameeffectincausingcongestionanddelaysinthesystem.Severeweatherincludingthunderstorms,snowstorms,icestorms,highwinds,windsheerandblizzards.TheATOimplementsacombinationofincreasedspacing,GroundDelayProgramsandGroundStopstomanageweather-relateddelays.
Mostairtrafficdelaysareduetopoorweather.Infact,66percentofalldelaysinfiscal2007wereduetoweather-relatedevents.Asvisibilityisreducedwhentheweatherdeteriorates,themaximumnumberofoperationsperhouratagivenairportdecreases,whichresultsindelaysandcancellations.Figure3.2depictshowmuchweatherimpactedthe busiestairports.
Infiscal2007,86.96percentofflightsarrivedontimeatthe35busiestairportsintheUnitedStates,notmeetingthegoalof87.67percent. Performance-Based Navigation
Throughtheuseofenhancedtechnologyandprocedures,theATOisincreasingthecapacityoftheairspacesystem.
Forexample,aircraftproperlyequippedcanuseperformance-basednavigation—aframeworkfordefiningnavigationperformancerequirementsthatcanbeappliedtoanairtrafficroute,instrumentprocedureordefinedairspace.ThisincludesbothAreaNavigation(RNAV)andRequiredNavigationPerformance(RNP).
TheATOhasimplemented155RNAVarrivalsanddeparturesat38airports,with42morepublishedinfiscal2007.MoreefficientRNAVroutessaveoperatorsmillionsofdollarsayearinfuelcostsandreducesaircraftemissions.
WithReducedVerticalSeparationMinima,theATOeffectivelydoubledthenumberofflightlevelscontrollerscanassigninhigh-altitudeairspace,providingmoreoptionsforpilotsthatcansave$1billionannuallyinfuelcostsattoday’sprices.
TheATOisbeginningtorealizecapacitybenefitsatDallas/FortWorthInternationalAirport,whereRNAVinitiativesenable20additionaldeparturesperhour,andatHartsfield-JacksonAtlantaInternationalAirport,whereRNAVtechnologyallowsfor10additionaldepartures perhour.
TheATOimplemented
42newRNAVarrivals
anddeparturesinfiscal
2007.MoreefficientRNAV
routessaveoperators
millionsofdollarsayear
infuelcostsandreduce
aircraftemissions.
17
Arr
ival
s an
d D
epar
ture
s
Month
97000
98000
99000
100000
101000
102000
103000
104000
105000
106000
TargetYTDSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJanDecNovOct
FY07
FY06
Figure 3.1 Average Daily Capacity at the 35 Busiest U.S. Airports
YTD
Target
October November December January
February March April May
June August SeptemberJuly
Figure 3.2 Airport Weather by Category 35 Busiest U.S. Airports
FY07FY06 FY07FY06 FY07FY06 FY07FY06
FY07FY06 FY07FY06 FY07FY06 FY07FY06
FY07FY06 FY07FY06 FY07FY06 FY07FY06
None Minor Moderate Severe
New Runways/Taxiways in Boston, Los Angeles and Atlanta
Anewrunway(Runway14/32)openedinNovember2006atBoston’sLoganInternationalAirport,whichhelpedreducedelaysby40percent.LosAngelesInternationalAirport’sRunway7R/25Lopenedin March2007.
InApril2007,anend-aroundtaxiway(figure3.3)wascommissionedatHartsfield-JacksonAtlantaInternationalAirport,thebusiestairportintheUnitedStates.Thisprovidesanalternativetoaircraftcrossinganactiverunwayandeliminatesmorethan600runwaycrossingsperday.
Chicago Airspace Project – Phase One
Infiscal2007,PhaseOneoftheO’HareModernizationPlandoubledthenumberofeastbounddepartureroutesoutofChicagoandincreasedefficiencieswiththreenewRNAVarrivals.
ThesenewroutesandprocedureswereimplementedaspartoftheChicagoAirspaceProjecttobetterservedomesticandinternationalaviationcustomers.
New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia Airspace Redesign
ToimprovetheefficiencyandreliabilityoftheairspacestructureandairtrafficcontrolsystemfromsouthernConnecticuttoeasternDelaware,theFAAchosetheIntegratedAirspaceAlternativeasthepreferredalternativefortheNewYork,NewJerseyandPhiladelphiaMetropolitanAreaAirspaceRedesignProject.Thisalternative,amongthefourstudiedoveranine-yearperiod,bestmeetsthepurposeandneedoftheproject.
Figure3.3:Anendaroundtaxiwayprovidesasaferalternativeforaircraftmovingacrosstheairportsurface.Illustration:JeffBruzdzinski,ATO
Taxiway
Taxiway
Taxiway
Taxiway
08L
08R
End Around Taxiway
Active Runway
18 Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
TheNewYork,New
JerseyandPhiladelphia
AirspaceRedesignProject
willsaveapproximately
12millionminutesof
delayannually,reduce
carbonemissionsand
$248millioninfuel
consumption,andreduce
aircraftnoiseexposurefor
morethanhalf-a-million
people.
19
RedesigningtheNewYork,NewJerseyandPhiladelphiametropolitanareaairspaceisexpectedtoreducedelays,fuelconsumption,aircraftemissionsandnoise.
Theplancombineshigh-altitudeandlow-altitudeairspacetocreatemoreefficientarrivalanddepartureroutesandwilleliminate12millionminutesofflightdelaysannuallyforthearea’sfourmajorinternationalairports—JohnF.Kennedy,LaGuardia,NewarkLibertyandPhiladelphia.Thisairspacewasfirstdesignedinthe1960sandhasbecomemuchmorecomplex.
Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures
AdvancedTechnologiesandOceanicProcedures(ATOP)providesafullymodernizedoceanicairtrafficcontrolautomationsystemthatallowscustomerstotakeadvantageofinvestmentsmadeincockpitdigitalcommunications.
WithATOP,theATOsignificantlyreducestheintensivemanualprocessesthattodaylimittheabilityofcontrollerstosafelyhandleairlinerequestsformoreefficienttracksoraltitudesoverlongoceanicroutes.ItallowstheATOtomeetinternationalcommitmentsofreducingaircraftseparationstandards,therebydramaticallyincreasingcapacityandefficiencyforourcustomers.
Infiscal2007,ATOPwasimplementedatallthreeoceanicsites:theAnchorage,OaklandandNewYorkAirRouteTrafficControlCenters.
WithsomuchtrafficroutedovertheNorth
PoleandthePacificOceanbeyondradar
coverage,Anchoragewasanaturallocation
forAdvancedTechnologiesandOceanic
Procedures.
ATOPcreatesaradar-likeimageusing
informationknownabouttheflight,extracting
aflightpath,thencorrectingitasnew
informationiscalledinbypilots.Inthepast,
planesdisappearedfromthe“glass”at
AnchorageCenterafterflyingoutofradar
range.ATOP,whichbecameoperationalin
March2007,replacespaperflightstripsthat
forcedcontrollerstokeeptrackofflightsin
theirheads.
Photo:DaleHopper,ATO
Atop exceLs
Buildingfor
Next Generation Air Transportation System:NextGenwillhavethetechnologyandinfrastructurenecessarytohandletheincreasingairtrafficexpectedinthecomingdecades.Satellite-basednavigationwillallowaircrafttoflymoredirectroutesandnavigatearoundinclementweather,whichwillincreaseairspacecapacityandreducedelays. Illustration:JeffBruzdzinski,ATO
theFutureNow
Focused on the next Generation:
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
21
iT is An exciTing Time TO be in AviATiOn. The AdvAncemenTs being puT in plAce TOdAy will be The fOundATiOn upOn which TOmOrrOw’s nATiOnAl AirspAce sysTem (nAs) will resT. while reAping The benefiTs Of imprOved TechnOlOgies TO mAke flying sAfer And mOre efficienT, The ATO musT hAve A sOlid And deliberATe plAn TO secure The fuTure Of The nAs. The nAs musT cOnTinue TO exisT And funcTiOn in A finAnciAlly heAlThy mAnner fOr generATiOns TO cOme, And meeT The evOlving needs Of iTs users.
Ensuring a Viable Future
AssuchtheATOisacceleratingtheNextGenerationAirTransportationSystem(NextGen).Usingsatellites,digitalnetworksandairportenhancements,thismodernizationprovidesaddedflexibilitytomeet21stcenturyairtrafficdemands.
Delivering NextGen
Astheaviationindustryinfiscal2007sawgreateruseofperformance-basednavigationproceduresunderRequiredNavigationPerformance(RNP)andAreaNavigation(RNAV)procedures,theATOalsomovedforwardwiththefivefoundationalprogramsforNextGen:
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) »
System Wide Information Management (SWIM) »
Data Communications »
NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW) »
NAS Voice Switch »
ItiscriticallyimportantthattheworkonthesefivefoundationalprogramscontinuessotheywillbeoperationalintheNASintimetomeetprojectedtrafficincreases.
Working with Partners
TheATOisalsoengagingitsinternationalanddomesticpartnerstodeliverontheNextGenpromise.TheATOactivelyworkswithotherairnavigationserviceproviders,civilaviationauthoritiesandglobalorganizationstoexpanduseofperformance-basedandsatellite-basedtechnologiesthatserveasthefoundationofNextGen.Itisnotcosteffectiveforairlinestoequipaircraftwithmultiplesame-purposesystemssolelybecauseofoperationsinothercountries.TheFAAisworkingcloselywithEuropeanpartnerstoharmonizetheU.S.andEuropeanvisionstojointlysupportglobalairtrafficmanagementmodernizationefforts.Additionally,theATOhasformedsteeringgroupswithCanada,China,JapanandMexicoinanefforttoinfluenceregionalairtrafficmanagementsystemsdevelopmentwithU.S.NextGentechnologies,procedures,conceptsandsystems.
TheNextGeneration
AirTransportation
Systemisawide-
rangingtransformation
oftheentirenationalair
transportationsystem–
notjustcertainpiecesof
it.NextGen’spurposeis
tomeetfuturedemands
andavoidgridlockinthe
skyandintheairports
whileimprovingsafety
andprotectingthe
environment.”
—VickiCox,ATOSeniorVicePresidentforNextGenandOperationsPlanning
“
22 Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
Fiscal 2007 Accomplishments that Build Toward the Future
ADS-B Moves Forward
ADS-BusesGlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)technologytodetermineanaircraft’sexactposition.BecauseADS-Bprovidesmorepreciseinformationthanradar,planescansafelyflyclosertogether,thereforeincreasingcapacity.InFebruary2007theFAAmadethefinalinvestmentdecisionfortheADS-Bprogram.InAugust2007,theFAAawardedtheprimecontractforADS-BtoITTCorp.
SWIM Advances
SWIMprovidescommoninformationacrossasecure,digitalnetworktoallNASusers.TheinvestmentdecisionfortheSWIMprogramwasmadeinJune2007.
NextGen Implementation Plan
TheOperationalEvolutionPartnership(OEP)wascharteredtodeveloptheFAA’sNextGenimplementationplan.TheOEPintegratedplanningactivitiesintoonecomprehensive,high-leveldocument.Itisorganizedaroundthreekeytransformationareas–airtrafficoperations,airportdevelopmentandaircraftandoperatorrequirements–focusingonthecapabilitiesneededforaviation.(TheOEPwasrenamedtheNextGenIntegrationandImplementationOfficein2008).
International Cooperation
The FAA and the European Commission announced the creation »of the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions partnership (AIRE). The partnership aims to accelerate develop-ment of operational procedures to reduce aviation’s environmen-tal footprint for all phases of flight.
A top-to-bottom review of FAA policies and procedures was »completed to identify differences with international Standards and Recommended Practices established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Aligning the procedures and technologies ensures all airspace users, regardless of which country the pilot is from, follow the same rules and thereby improve safety. The ATO set a goal to reduce the 318 differences by 10 percent – or 32 items – by fiscal 2012.
A representative from the European Organization for the Safety »of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) was detailed to the ATO to coordinate NextGen and Europe’s Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research Program harmonization.
The ATO sent a representative to Germany’s air traffic agency, »Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH, and hosted a representative from that agency to learn how each respective country manages and operates the air traffic systems.
Through interaction with ICAO and the Civil Air Navigation »Services Organization, senior leaders learn corporate best prac-tices from global partners so that the ATO continues to be an international leader in running an air transportation system.
Thissignalsaneweraof
airtrafficcontrol.ADS-B
—and,inturn,NextGen
—willattackthedelay
problemheadonby
dramaticallyincreasingair
trafficefficiency.”
—BobbySturgell,ActingFAAAdministrator
“
23
The ATO has established an international leadership goal as an »FAA performance target related to the expansion of NextGen technologies. The objective for fiscal 2007 was to expand use of performance-based systems to one country. Toward that end, the FAA successfully signed a technical assistance agree-ment with China to support Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) implementation ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics. RVSM allows decreased vertical distance between properly equipped airplanes, a more efficient use of airspace.
Delivering the NextGen Promise
Thecurrenthard-wiredsystemofmovingairplanesusingground-basedradar,radiotechnologyandcapacity-constrainedairportswillnotmeetfuturedemandsbecauseofincreasedtrafficandnewclassesofaircraftsuchasverylightjetsandunmannedaircraftsystemsflyingalongsidesuperjumbosandcommercialspaceflights.Toavoidgridlock,NextGentransformshowtheFAAhandlestheincreasedtrafficandnewtypesofaircraft.
NextGentransformsallthreecomponentsofairtraffic-theairport,theaircraftandairtrafficcontrol–toprovidetheflexibilityneededtosafelyandefficientlyhandleairtrafficintothe21stcentury.Airportswillprovidegreatersafetyandcapacity,andlessentheenvironmentalimpactonsurroundingareasthankstoNextGen.Pilotsandgroundpersonnelwillhavegreatersituationalawareness,therebyreducingrunwayincursions.
NextGen Transformation
From...Ground-Based Navigation and Surveillance »
Voice Radio Control »
Disconnected Information Systems »
Air Traffic “Control” »
Fragmented Weather Forecasting »
Visibility Limited Airfield Parameters »
Forensic Safety System »
To...Satellite-Based Navigation and Surveillance »
Digital Data Exchange »
Net-Centric Information Access »
Air Traffic “Management” »
Informed Decisions Using Integrated Weather »
“Equivalent Visual” Operations »
Prognostic Safety System »
NextGenwillnot“powerup”onacertain
inauguraldatewiththeflipofaswitch.
Rather,itisanevolutionarychangethathas
alreadystartedandwillbeimplementedin
stagesoverthenext20years.
TheATOisalreadybeginningthetransition
toNextGenwithnewcapabilitiesbeing
integratedintomanyoftheexistingsystems
toimproveoperations.
Thebottomline:whilethefuturesystem
willlookandfeelverydifferentfromtoday’s
environment,thechangewillbeincremental
–thepublicwillbeabletoreapthebenefits
throughouttheNextGeninvestmentperiod
andnothavetowaituntil2025.
Illustration:JPDO
reAping BeneFits From new technoLogies now
FAAHeadquartersinWashington,D.C.Photo:JeffBruzdzinski
Governance
Air Traffic Organization 2007 Annual Performance Report — Focused on Excellence
25
Air Traffic Services (ATS) Committee
Createdin2003bythe“Vision100—CenturyofAviationReauthorizationAct,”theAirTrafficServices(ATS)CommitteemeetsquarterlytoassessandadvisetheATO.Thepanelmembers,whoservethree-yearterms,areappointedbythePresidentwiththeadviceandconsentoftheSenate.Theyarechosenbasedontheirprofessionalexperienceandexpertiseinmanagement,customerservices,procurement,technologyandlaborrelations.TheAdministratoroftheFederalAviationAdministrationchairsthecommittee.
ATS Committee
Robert Sturgell, Acting FAA Administrator and ATS »Committee Chair
Sharon Patrick, President and CEO of the Sharon Patrick »Company
Leon Lynch, International Vice President of Human Affairs »(retired) for the United Steelworkers of America
Phil Brady, President of National Automobile Dealers Association. »
FAA/ATO Leadership
RobertSturgellActingAdministratorforFAA
HankKrakowskiATOChiefOperatingOfficer
GeneJubaSeniorVicepresidentforFinanceServices
VickiCoxSeniorVicePresidentforNextGenandOperationsPlanningServices
NancyKalinowskiVicePresidentforSystemOperationsServices
RickDayVicePresidentforEnRouteandOceanicServices
BruceJohnsonVicePresidentforTerminalServices
SteveZaidmanVicePresidentforTechnicalOperationsServices
RobertO.TarterVicePresidentforSafetyServices
JimWashingtonVicePresidentforAcquisitionsandBusinessServices
SandraSanchezVicePresidentforCommunicationsServices