WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Preparing for another busy summer travel season, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization hosted its summer summit and held conversations about the state of air travel in the short and long term.
The agency officials met with airlines, general aviation representatives and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to discuss traffic management strategies, operator schedules and facility needs in the National Airspace System.
The FAA announced that it is implementing new ultra-high sector airspace over the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center in Florida. This allows for more efficient 'layers' over what has recently become one of the busiest airspaces in the NAS and leads to fewer delays.
Summer travel forecast says Summer flight schedules are up 4 percent compared to last year.
This year, weather is the leading cause of delays across the NAS. In 2024, weather caused a 40 percent increase in delays compared to 2022-23.
Participants discussed playbooks to keep aircraft moving safely around summer thunderstorms, using alternate routes and altitudes, and new strategies to deal with weather impacts, especially along the East Coast.
The Federal Aviation Administration is forecasting many days in the coming months with more than 50,000 total flights in the sky.
The FAA is also looking to develop playbooks to keep aircraft moving safely, using alternate routes and altitudes to reduce constrained areas with increased demand.
The administration said it will also work with the military to make sure it can use special use airspace during very bust traffic periods.
The FAA is focusing on hiring the best and brightest air traffic Controllers and making training more effective at the facility. Operators requested focus on staffing at Texas-area facilities and transparency on appropriate staffing levels across the NAS.
NATCA representatives also emphasized the investment of simulators at facilities across the country, saying this technology reduces training time by 27 percent.
The FAA is working closely with facility managers and vendors to address telecommunication issues experienced across the NAS, particularly in the Northeast.
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