U.S. House Passes Bill to Improve NOTAM System

The NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023 calls for a task force appointed by the FAA Administrator to review and reform the current system.

Amelia Walsh

Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 06:49 PM ET

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The NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023 overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 424-4. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's outdated NOTAMs system caused the first nationwide ground stop since 9/11 due to a contractor's accidental file deletion, disrupting thousands of flights.
In response, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed "The NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023," which mandates a task force to review, reform, and enhance the system's stability and cybersecurity.
This legislation, having passed the House twice before but stalled in the Senate, underscores the urgent call from lawmakers and industry stakeholders to modernize the critical flight safety system.
The FAA is also working to update the NOTAM system and transition to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards by 2024.

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On January 25, the U.S. House passed a bipartisan bill to improve the FAA’s outdated notice to air missions (NOTAMs) system in order to prevent another mishap like the one on January 11 that resulted in the first nationwide ground stop experienced in the U.S. since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

NOTAMs are a critical component of flight safety used for notifying flight crews of changes in operations such as airport closures, runway use, weather, or restricted airspace. FARs require pilots to review NOTAMs prior to departure.