Surface Operations

Mission

The mission of the Surface Operation Office is to enhance the efficiency of our nation's airports and within the overall aviation system, reducing the significant costs associated with delays, creating the environment for a better user experience and improved customer satisfaction. The Office serves to provide a single point of responsibility, authority, and is held accountable for defining and unifying cross-agency operational and information needs focused on enhancing surface efficiencies among FAA and industry stakeholders that will ultimately provide the flying public better reliability and a more satisfying experience.

Goals

• Sharing of real-time and forecast operational information, which positions stakeholders to understand the current status of the airport operation. "Getting the right information to the right people at the right time."
• Strategic management of airport surface movement and aircraft departure queues in order to avoid excessive taxi-out times, improve departure efficiency and reduce harmful emissions.
• Management of arrival traffic flows to increase throughput and to coordinate arrival and departure demand.
• Analysis, measurement and monitoring capabilities for use in the quantitative measurement of data quality, compliance and performance of all stakeholders, as well as collaborative assessment of operational performance.
• Global harmonization and eventual interoperability among the various international models.

Stakeholder Benefits

• Reduced taxi times
• Reduced fuel burn and emissions
• Increased predictability and less variability
• More timely, efficient and accurate surface flow
  management decisions
• More effective post-operational evaluations