FAA Tells Congress NextGen on Track

Stephen Pope

Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 07:47 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has completed its nationwide ADS-B ground station network, confirming the 2020 ADS-B Out equipage mandate remains firm for aircraft owners.
Significant progress continues on NextGen, with the FAA nearing completion of ERAM software and hardware upgrades for high-altitude air traffic centers by next spring.
The NextGen Advisory Committee is focusing on four key areas—performance-based navigation, surface operations, multiple runway operations, and DataComm—to deliver near-term benefits through continued industry cooperation.

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Michael Whitaker, the FAA’s Deputy Administrator in charge of NextGen implementation, told a Senate committee yesterday that the agency has made “significant progress” in a number of key technology areas, stressing that the 2020 ADS-B equipment mandate is not in jeopardy of slipping.

Whitaker told members of the Senate Commerce Committee that the construction of a nationwide network of ADS-B ground stations is now finished, “fulfilling our part of the bargain.” Now, he said, it is up to aircraft owners and the airlines to do their part by equipping with ADS-B Out avionics.