Transform Facilities
Summary Description | Background | Operational Capability Description
Timeline | Benefits | Dependencies | FY08 Activities
Summary Description:
The transformation of facilities includes all initiatives that are focused primarily on improvements in Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) resource management. This includes the allocation of staffing and facilities to provide services, the use of more cost-effective and flexible systems for information sharing and back-up, and general management and training for human assets. It involves all activities related to the establishment or removal of facilities. This includes any changes to the number and size of control facilities as well as thinning/eliminating other facilities such as NAVAIDS.
Background:
Handling increased traffic in the future while managing costs and improving and expanding services is a primary need. The current system has built-in limitations in flexibility, cost of service delivery, and continuity of operations. Some smaller airports have limited service due to cost of service; there is a need to increase service in these locations, while reducing costs.
Transforming FAA’s delivery of ground, air-ground and ANSP facility services will enable the flexibility needed to respond to demand in an affordable and timely manner. Flexible infrastructure service delivery can scale up and down as needs change. It is the way to ensure that the service providers and the information (e.g., flight data, surveillance, weather) are readily available when and where needed.
Operational Capability Descriptions:
Flexible ground and air-ground communications networks do not require proximity of Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) facilities to the air traffic being managed. Facilities can be sited and occupied to provide for infrastructure security, service continuity and best deployment and management of the workforce. This may include co-locating several functional facilities (e.g., ARTCC, TRACONs, ATCT, staffed virtual towers) within a single physical facility.
Information systems facilitate the monitoring of infrastructure health and remote maintenance to maintain service availability and automatically alert the community about the status of NAS assets. One of the key transformations resulting from NextGen is the ability to operate with the loss of a limited number of key operational facilities. Network-enabled operations and infrastructure management services provide continuity of operations in the event of a major outage (such as a major hurricane or terrorist event).
New facilities are as much about change management as they are about reducing the number of facilities and cost. In order to facilitate the significant transformations and changes in roles and responsibilities of ANSP personnel, new facilities are incorporated into the overall plan to achieve NextGen. Traffic is assigned to facilities on both a long term and daily basis with service continuity a foremost requirement. Moreover, the facilities are sited and sized to provide for a stable workforce environment with opportunities for career progression.
Commitments
None
Mid-Term Capabilities (2012 – 2018):
- Resource Planning: Matching sector configuration and staffing with anticipated demand to mitigate the risk of chronic sector level demand and capacity imbalances. This includes proactively adjusting airspace and personnel scheduling for an area based on projections of seasonal changes, as well as city pair business adjustments by airlines.
- Staffed Virtual Towers: Provide tower services from remote locations.
- Initial General Service Delivery Points: Initialmove from current En Route and Terminals to consolidated general service delivery points where optimal.
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Benefits:
There will be increased cost-effectiveness through better matching assets to demand
- Reduced need for local resources surge buffers – personnel, equipment, etc.
- Improved Business continuity.
- Increase the ability to provide services to locations that do not have them in today’s current environment.
- Reduce overall ANSP costs without reducing level of service.
- Provide seamless backup services in the presence of facility failures.
- Provide seamless information exchange capabilities that allow flexible addition of new exchange pairs.
- Reduce the time and cost to train controllers and other ANSP personnel.
Dependencies:
This solution is dependant on SWIM, data communications, Safety Management System processes, enhanced En Route and Terminal automation, and NAS Voice Switch.
FY08 Activities:
Key research:
Develop critical displays for surveillance of the airport surface in the staffed virtual tower environment. Collaboration with Navy research was started in FY07 to determine information needs of controllers to assure safety during surface operations. During FY08 simulation infrastructure will be developed to enable the demonstration of the staffed virtual tower concept and measure the benefits of integrated displays.
Other Activities:
FAA will conduct initial analysis of the implications of the NextGen concept for FAA facilities. This analysis will consider full range of issues including: impacts on system capacity; operational concepts; optimization of automation and physical facilities; cost-effectiveness; new security requirements; and personnel impacts.
