Increase Safety, Security and Environmental Performance
This solution set includes Safety, Security and Environmental Performance.
Timeline | Benefits | Dependencies | FY08 Activities
Safety Summary Description:
This solution set involves activities which relate directly to safety.
Safety Background:
The potential for significant growth and increased complexity in the air transportation system requires a fundamental change in the way safety is managed. The safety programs of the future will evolve from reactive data analysis to integrated historical and prognostic evaluation and management of safety risks to prevent future accidents and incidents. This is the evolution from the current safety programs to system-wide use of Safety Management System (SMS). SMS is a formal, top-down business-like approach to managing safety risk using a systematic method. With the projected tripling in operations, it is not sufficient to maintain the current low accident rate. Safety must improve to ensure the number of accidents does not increase. This improvement in safety must occur during the most complete overhaul of aircraft systems and operations in aviation history, as characterized in the other OEP outcome descriptions.
Safety Operational Capability Description:
The Next Generation Air Transportation (NextGen) system ensures safety through use of an integrated Safety Management System (SMS) approach for identifying and managing potential problems in a system, organization, or operation. Specifically, this method includes procedures, practices and policies for the management of safety. There are four pillars or components that comprise an SMS:
- Safety Policy: Defines how the organization will manage safety as an integral part of its operations, and establishes SMS requirements, responsibilities, and accountabilities.
- Safety Risk Management (SRM): The formal process within the SMS composed of describing the system, identifying the hazards, assessing the risk, analyzing the risk, and controlling the risk; the SRM process is embedded in the processes used to provide the product or service—it is not a separate process.
- Safety Assurance: SMS process management functions that systematically ensure organizational products or services meet or exceed safety requirements; includes the processes used to ensure safety, including audits, evaluations and inspections, and data tracking and analysis.
- Safety Promotion: Training, communication, and dissemination of safety information to strengthen the safety culture and support integration of the SMS into operations.
The integration and sharing of high-quality, relevant, and timely aviation safety information is critical to the operational success of the Safety Management System. The Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) environment is a combination of processes, governance, technologies, information protection policies and standards, and architectures used to connect Safety Management System resources including information, organizations, services, and personnel.
To facilitate the trusted exchange of aviation safety information, ASIAS leverages net-centric features by implementing need-to-know, role-based access capabilities. ASIAS provides access to the necessary aggregated databases while maintaining the anonymity of owner-sensitive data. ASIAS establishes and continuously refines interoperability techniques by joining data sources to discover system-level hazards that were once undiscoverable. To do this, ASIAS provides easy access to a suite of tools used to extract relevant knowledge from large amounts of disparate safety information.
ASIAS Implementation:- Safety data is shared and employed across cognizant organizations to improve safety performance and drive action.
- Timely sharing of sensitive safety relevant data and information enables prompt action to prevent incidents and accidents.
- Early identification of event precursors allowing intervention strategies to avoid accidents and incidents.
- Timely acceptance of proposed new safety-enhancing technology, procedures, and training products;
- Integrated safety requirements in the early stages of product design and development to reduce costs and ensure earlier initial operational capability for hardware, software and procedures, and,
- Institutionalized safety thinking throughout workforce,(development, acquisition, operations and operations support alike).
- Aligned R&D efforts maximizing the benefits provided.
Integration of SMS across the air transportation system
- Capability to align processes and integrate safety risk management activities.
Commitments:
National Aviation Safety Policy: New policy will be published for assuring safety in the NAS.
National Standard for Safety Management: New standards will be published for safety management in the NAS.
Mid-Term Capabilities:
Aviation Safety and Information Analysis and Sharing: FAA will implement ASIAS to provide the ability to identify future threats, conduct a causal analysis of those threats, and recommend solutions for the commercial aviation sector.
Safety Management Enterprise Services: FAA will act to have the organizations that it oversees (air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, etc) to implement SMS for the management of safety risk for their contribution to the air transportation system.
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Safety Benefits:
The benefit of safety focused activities is an increase in safety through a reduction of risk in the air transportation system. Safety activities also enable initiatives focused on capacity increases or efficiency gains by ensuring that these efforts are accomplished without increasing the safety risk in the system.
Key Research:
Develop automated tools to monitor databases for potential safety issues.
Develop prototype Phase-1 ASIAS system and associated reports that show the benefit of utilizing diverse textual and digital data sets for analyzing commercial aviation safety metrics and enhancements.
Conduct analytical studies using ASIAS and other aviation safety data to (a) address hazards and risks of operating aircraft in the National Airspace System, and (b) to determine the effectiveness of FAA recommended and industry implemented safety enhancements.
Release a prototype decision support system that provides the FAA with improved certificate management and oversight capabilities. The major products will be identification of databases within FAA purview, redesigned databases, and possible location of and access to existing databases needed to populate the described methodology.
Assessment of integration of industry SMS with FAA’s internal SMS and oversight responsibilities.
Demonstrations:
- Demonstrate the use of ASIAS by analyzing 8 to 10 selected known system risks identified from previous accident/incident investigations.
Other Activities:
FAA-wide SMS Implementation –
- Develop a national safety policy,
- Begin implementation of SMS within the lines of business in FAA starting with ATO, AVS, and ARP,
- Apply Safety Risk Management process to targeted NAS changes,
- Initiate a study to identify requirements to define the workforce and safety culture necessary to support NextGen concept.
ASIAS – Analyze safety information architecture and governance and develop an operational concept for information sharing. Initiate data sharing agreements across JPDO member organizations. Review existing data systems (internal FAA and external) to identify potential candidate ASIAS data sources.
TCAS – Continue TCAS enhancement projects.
UAS – Continue research on the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the NAS.
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Summary Description | Background | Operational Capability Description
Timeline | Benefits | Dependencies | FY08 Activities
Security Summary Description:
The FAA has various responsibilities, authorities, and capabilities as the country’s navigational service provider and airspace controlling authority. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, national security concerns have been heightened and airspace security efforts have become increasingly complex. FAA’s responsibility is to respond effectively and efficiently to security threat assessments made by the appropriate partner agencies. FAA also has an increased role in national preparedness, response, and recovery efforts addressing other threats to the nation, including natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and preparation for biological events such as pandemic influenza.
Security Background:
Homeland and National Security Presidential Directive for Aviation Security, signed by the President on June 20, 2006, outlines five strategic goals for aviation security:
1) Deter and prevent Terrorist Attacks and Criminal or Hostile Acts in the Air Domain
2) Protect the United States and its Interests in the Air Domain
3) Mitigate Damage and Expedite Recovery
4) Minimize the Impact on the Aviation Transportation System and the U.S. Economy
5) Actively Engage Domestic and International Partners
Security Operational Capability Description:
Future airspace security operations are depicted in the following figure. The operational security environment consists of various security partners, each with a user-defined operating picture based on common information shared rapidly and securely. This Shared Situation Awareness (SSA) capability will improve security operation by making it more effective.. Digital communication, added to voice communication, will ensure accurate information sharing and timely decision-making.
The security environment represents a layered, adaptiveapproach that will permit timely and effective responses, and appropriate risk management to security situations through automation and decision support systems that inform human decision making.
Future Airspace Security Operations
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Security Integrated Tool Set (SITS) will enable Air Traffic Security Coordinators (ATSC) to perform data correlation, NAS impact analysis of security or emergency actions, and trend analysis. NAS response to security risk assessments by partner agencies is intended to be accomplished in the same manner as for weather, Special Use Airspace (SUAs) and Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs). SITS will also support integrated security restricted airspace development and sharing capabilities. These capabilities will be seamlessly integrated with ATM and support defense, homeland security/disaster recovery and law enforcement operations, and will be scalable to meet required response and projected air traffic demand.
SITS will streamline processes, improve operational security shared situational awareness, and enable the agency to meet increased demand for security. SITS will also improve coordination and collaboration with the FAA’s various security partners, consisting of other government agencies such as Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Secret Service, and the International partners.
SITS will enable the future NAS airspace security to be achieved with layered, adaptive security services as outlined in the NextGen Concept of Operations. In addition, SITS will provide a platform to host partner agency requirements, if desired and funded by them.
Mid-Term Capabilities (2012 – 2018):
- Enhance Government / Agency SSA Cooperation and Support: The SITS program will collaborate with JPDO and partner agencies to develop and implement requirements, incl. applicable requirements from HSPD-16 and NextGen.
- Operational Security Capability for threat/event reporting and NAS impact analysis: The SITS program will implement lessons learned from Net-Enabled Operations (NEO) Demonstrations and Joint Security Exercises. SITS will include trajectory-based risk assessment algorithms, and security element volumetric expression.
- SSA and Information System Security Integrated Incident Detection and Response: SITS will have a SSA capability operational. SITS will interface with SWIM, AIM, TFM-M, and ERAM.
- Information System Security and Surveillance Integration/Protection: Develop robust info security system capabilities to protect the processing, access, and integration of surveillance information within the NAS.
Security Benefits:
Shared situational awareness among all partners will improve data gathering and correlation, coordination, report generation, collaborative decision-making, and NAS impact assessment in security operations. Also, automation of manual processes will result in cost savings and enable more effective security operation.
Security Dependencies:
This solution set is dependant on: SWIM, TFM-M, ERAM, and AIM.
Key Research:
SITS will gather and implement lessons learned from NEO Demonstration and Joint Security Exercises.
Perform Investment Analysis and obtain Final Investment Decision to proceed into Solution Development for SITS:
- Develop Concept of Use
- Develop Program Requirements
- Identify, Develop, and Analyze three Alterative Solutions
- Develop Lifecycle Cost Estimates
- Develop Exhibit 300
Prepare and release Request for Proposal (RFP) to develop SITS.
Other Activities:
Automated Detection & Processing Terminal (ADAPT) has functionalities to validate the identity and legitimacy of the aircraft operating within or entering the NAS. ADAPT is an operational prototype that integrates a set of database systems provided by FAA, Commerce, Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration of all aircraft approved or not approved to fly in the NAS. Program Plans are being developed in FY08. SITS program plans include providing appropriate FAA information to meet ADAPT functionalities.
Event Management Framework (EMF) capabilities will initially focus on information requirements supporting USNORTHCOM, U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the NGB, DHS, the FAA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The overall intent of EMF is to provide analysts and decision makers across DOD and non-DOD organizations with actionable information and expanded SA by leveraging the capability to search for, discover, retrieve, correlate, and monitor relevant information across multiple organizational domains, while supporting operational events. EMF capabilities will:
• Discover, correlate and share real-time, operationally sensitive information horizontally and vertically across multiple organizational domains; and
• Support the management of multiple, simultaneous, and unanticipated events across dynamic COIs.
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Summary Description | Background | Operational Capability Description
Timeline | Benefits | Dependencies | FY08 Activities
Environmental Summary Description:
Environmental Background:
Anticipated increases in air transportation demand will place significant environmental pressures on various segments of the NAS. The primary environmental constraints on the capacity and flexibility of the NextGen will likely be noise, local air quality, global climate impacts, water quality, and energy production and consumption. Environmental issues in some cases, have constrained airport and airspace growth over the past decade. Noise has been and will continue to be a key area of concern. However, air quality, global climate impact, and energy and water quality concerns are a growing challenge to enabling significant capacity expansion without a detrimental impact to the environment. Ultimately, the NextGen environmental challenge is to manage aviation’s environmental concerns in a manner that reduces or limits their impacts to allow sustained aviation growth.
Preventing or reducing significant environmental impacts is critical to the success of NextGen. Even at today’s levels, aircraft noise, local air quality emissions and water quality are strong constraints on airport operations and aviation system capacity. New critical issues, such as global climate impact and energy concerns, continue to emerge. To increase the NAS capacity by three times, we must reduce and or mitigate current levels of aircraft noise, emissions, and energy use and water pollutants to alleviate future environmental impacts that will otherwise severely constrain growth. The NextGen environmental management framework must also account for interdependencies among many environmental issues so that in addressing some, others are not exacerbated. The ultimate goal is achieving absolute reduction of significant aerospace environmental impacts. If we do not achieve this goal, environmental constraints will likely make it impossible to achieve a three fold increase in the capacity of the NAS.
Environmental Operational Capability Description:
Operational Procedures to Mitigate Environmental Impacts: The development and integration of clean and quiet operational procedures will foster National Airspace System (NAS) operational capabilities that function more efficiently and that contribute to mitigating environmental impacts. Improvements to increased efficiency will span across numerous operational procedures, policies and practices and automation systems in the NAS to lower noise and engine emissions and reduce fuel use. By continuing to leverage Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) Center of Excellence R&D investments, environmentally “friendly” Continuous Descent Arrival (CDA) operational procedures are being transitioned into the OEP and integrated into the NAS. CDA demonstrations have proven that optimal trajectory-based aircraft procedures offer significant reductions of environmental impacts. Trials and demonstrations reinforce maturation of operational approaches, where appropriate, and support the environmental goals of NextGen concept of operations. Environmental efficiencies beyond terminal operations are also being pursued to include surface traffic and En Route operations management. By 2025, coordinated decision-making through comprehensive automated systems communication/data communications for surface movement/En Route/ terminal domains will be vital for total “gate-to-gate” environmental efficiency.
Continuous Low Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Consortium: CLEEN will demonstrate aircraft and engine technologies that reduce noise and local air quality and greenhouse gas emissions at the source to a developmental level that will allow quicker industry uptake of these new environmental technologies in order to produce a fleet that will operate more efficiently with less energy usage and permit expansion of airports in a manner consistent with the environmental goals of the NextGen plan. The goal is to have a fleet of quieter, cleaner aircraft that operate more efficiently with less energy. Solutions that involve technology improvements in engines and airframes in a foreseeable timeframe require successful maturation and certification of new technologies within the next 5-8 years. Starting in FY09, this initiative establishes a consortium to demonstrate aircraft and engine technologies that reduce noise and local air quality and greenhouse gas emissions at the source to a developmental level that will allow quicker industry uptake of these new environmental technologies in order to produce a fleet that will operate more efficiently with less energy usage and permit expansion of airports in a manner consistent with the environmental goals of the NextGen plan. It will also demonstrate alternative fuels for aviation to reduce emissions affecting local air quality and greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy supply security for NextGen
Environmental Management System (EMS): Support the design, development and implementation of an Environmental Management Systems (EMS) that will administrate and track environmental protection procedures, policies, and practices in the dynamically changing environment of the NAS as it moves towards NextGen.
Other activities include:
- Advance noise, local air quality and climate impacts metrics to quantify and manage the impacts of operations associated with NextGen.
- Develop decision support tools to dynamically manage environmental impacts.
- Conduct validation modeling and field demonstrations of mitigation approaches.
These activities will foster FAA ability to support the NextGen goal of three fold growth in the NAS is enabled without adverse environmental impacts by:
- Reducing, or mitigating, in absolute terms, significant aviation environmental impacts associated with noise, emissions, global climate change, energy production and use and water quality.
- Balancing aviation’s environmental impact with other societal objectives, both domestically and internationally
Commitments:
- Integrated models assess trade-offs between environment and capacity.
- Establish metrics and formulate policy.
Mid-Term Capabilities (2012 – 2018):
- National Environmental Management System (EMS) Supports Integrated Environmental Performance: FAA will implement EMS to manage the environmental impacts of the air transportation system. FAA will implement, collaboratively with industry, operational procedures that mitigate NextGen environmental impact. FAA will establish and advance air transportation system infrastructure and adaptation required to adopt CLEEN technologies and alternative fuels.
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Environmental Benefits:
Establish the most cost effective approach to reducing aviation noise and emissions in absolute terms while enabling the future air traffic system to handle growth in demand up to three times current levels.
Performance targets, as documented in the FAA Flight Plan include:
- Reduce the number of people exposed to significant noise by 1 percent each year through FY2011, as measured by a three-year moving average, from the three-year average from calendar years 2000-2002.
- Improve aviation fuel efficiency per revenue plane-mile by 1 percent each year through FY2011, as measured by a three-year moving average, from the three-year average from calendar years 2000-2002.
For NextGen by 2015:
- Demonstrate that aviation noise, and local air quality emissions can be significantly reduced in absolute terms (to enable up to three times capacity) in a cost-effective way through a combination of new vehicle technologies, cleaner and quiet operations, better land use and market based actions.
- Effects of particulate matter and global climate impacts understood to levels that allow appropriate action.
- Determine and mitigate significant water quality impacts.
Environmental Dependencies:
Environment is tied to Increase Arrivals/ Departures at High Density Airports with an effort of Environmental procedures in high density operations. It will also be tied to Weather and Airport initiatives to enhance the efficiency of the NAS, and thus reduce environmental impacts.
Environmental FY08 R,E&D Activities:
Develop models to predict the impact and benefits of changes. Develop and distribute a first generation of integrated noise and emission prediction and modeling tools including an environmental cost module.
- Through the Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) Center of Excellence (COE) identify and better measure the issues and impacts associated with aircraft noise and aviation emissions, and generate improved solutions to mitigate these problems.
- Assess the impact and advance implementation of operation procedures to reduce noise, emissions and fuel burn in the National Airspace System (NAS).
- Minimize the impact of aircraft noise and aviation emissions – actions include: advancing the state of science/knowledge concerning effects of aircraft noise and aviation emissions; improving aircraft certification standards and operational procedures; and implement improved noise and emissions control technologies and mitigation measures.
- Conduct assessments on the impact and advance implementation of operation procedures and new technologies to reduce noise, emissions and fuel burn in the NAS.
