WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford have announced that the FAA has awarded a contract to Air Space Intelligence for two complementary, cutting-edge technologies that will improve how flights are scheduled and managed throughout the National Airspace System.
The Flow Management Data and Services, or FMDS, will be the new technological backbone of the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. It balances air traffic demand with capacity and provides the data that underpins traffic management. Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories, an enhancement within FMDS, will use that data to prevent congestion and delays by strategically coordinating schedules and trajectories before aircraft depart.
Together, these technologies will reduce flight delays, improve traffic flow, and increase airspace capacity, according to the Department of Transportation.
The United States' current National Airspace System operation has a limited ability to anticipate the effects of the number and timing of forecasted flights and the effects of unplanned events such as weather, runway closures, and other capacity limits. Additionally, it doesn't identify and take advantage of large amounts of available airspace. 'We react to, rather than predict, these constraints, resulting in bottlenecks throughout the day, which have ripple effects throughout the entire country,' FAA said.
With these two new technologies, the FAA can house all critical data in one platform and proactively identify delays and available airspace to mitigate them days, weeks, and even months in advance. These systems will also allow controllers to overlay weather patterns and flight paths into one central visualization.
'We're already making remarkable progress on upgrading the radars, radios, and telecom wires air traffic controllers rely on thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut. But to really improve the flying experience for the traveling public, we must change how flights are managed,' said Secretary Duffy.
'We're thrilled to partner with ASI to begin deploying these two new software platforms. Once implemented, we will fundamentally reshape how the airspace is managed - slashing thousands of delays and cancellations in the process.'
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