ARW
ASOS SERVICE STANDARDS
Site-by-site scores and rankings
In 1996 a Government/Industry team agreed to a four-level service standard for surface aviation observation services at Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) sites. The policy was implemented July 1, 1996 and becomes effective at individual ASOS sites as the ASOS is commissioned.
The development of service standards required intensive collaboration with both the National Weather Service (NWS) and various Aviation Industry groups. The groups participating were:
- Air Transport Association (ATA)
- Airline Pilots Association (ALPA)
- Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
- American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
- Alaska Aviation Safety Foundation (AASF)
- Airports Council International (ACI)
- Airline Dispatchers Federation (ADF)
- AOPA Air Safety Foundation (ASF)
- Allied Pilots Association (APA)
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
- General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)
- Helicopter Association International (HAI)
- National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO)
- National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
- Regional Airline Association (RAA)
The criteria used to determine service standards are based on:
- occurrence of significant weather weighted by traffic counts
- distance to the nearest suitable alternate airport
- critical airport characteristics
In 1997 and again in 1998, the Government/Industry group re-validated the use of service standards as the best balance between satisfying the users' needs and operating within a limited budget.
Each year, between February and April, the FAA re-scores and re-ranks the airports' service standards, using available data. Interested FAA and NWS organizations and aviation industry groups have been notified of the publication of the 1999 report. The finalized list of sites showing site-by-site scores and rankings is available in a state-by-state format. Also available is a column-by-column explanation of the report and three appendices that explain footnotes to the report. If you are unable to download the ZIPed version of the Report in MS EXCEL format, you may request a paper copy or an electronic version by emailing debi.bacon@faa.gov. View a key to explain the tables of the report.
IMPLEMENTING RE-RANKING CHANGES
In order for the service standard level to increase or decrease, a site must sustain the change for two consecutive years. A site that changed service level in 1997 and remained at the new level in 1998 would take effect in fiscal year 1999.
There are two exceptions to the two-year sustainment rule:
- Changes in service level C and D resulting from the commissioning or decommissioning of a tower take place immediately upon that change in tower status.
- Air Transport Association provides a list of airports at which one or more airlines hub. The addition or deletion of that hub status may result in a scoring change. Changes resulting from a change in hub status will take place at the beginning of the following fiscal year.
This page was last updated on September 07, 1999