1. What is the process for non-Federal entities to request access to FAA radar/surveillance data?
- FAA Order 1200.22, External Release of National Airspace System (NAS) Data, outlines the request process. Generally, requestors obtain an FAA sponsor that submits an FAA Form 1200-5, NAS Data Release Request, in accordance with instructions included with the form, then the FAA sponsor initiates coordination on behalf of the requestor.
2. Are there any limiting factors for non-Federal entities to request access to FAA radar/surveillance data feeds for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration efforts?
- Yes. Currently, there are significant technical/physical capacity constraints at the FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS) Enterprise Security Gateway (NESG), which is where connections between FAA NAS systems and outside entities are made. Even if a data connection can be supported, there would be no service level assurance regarding the latency of the data and it could only be provisioned on an “as is, best effort, no guarantee” arrangement. Additionally, the FAA’s NAS surveillance data feeds contain Sensitive Flight Data (SFD), which is a type of Sensitive Unclassified Information (SUI) which requires robust physical, cyber, and personnel security control measures to be in place by an external requestor to ensure requisite data protection.
3. Does the FAA already make some data available to the public?
- Yes. The FAA provides a clearinghouse for non-sensitive publicly available FAA data that may satisfy your needs, without making an additional request for NAS data. This open data catalog is continually expanding and includes access to select FAA aeronautical data, System Wide Information Management (SWIM) data, and a Developers Portal that can integrate FAA datasets into software applications via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
4. What is an “FAA Sponsor” for non-Federal entities requesting access to FAA radar/surveillance data?
- An FAA Sponsor is a representative from an FAA office that will assist the non-Federal entity and facilitate coordination and actions associated with the FAA radar data request. The FAA Sponsor is responsible for working with both the non-Federal entity and the appropriate FAA offices to compile the appropriate pre-requisite artifacts and requirements for consideration in an FAA board evaluation.
5. What are some requirements and restrictions for non-Federal entities to access FAA radar data?
- Depending on the use case, the FAA will determine a requestors qualification to receive NAS radar data using FAA policy guidance. This will include an evaluation of a bona fide "need-to-know" as required by FAA policy for protecting Sensitive Unclassified Information (SUI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and the ability to meet the “duty to protect” requirement criteria for the data. This includes a specific set of physical, cyber, and personnel security control measures to be implemented and validated prior to provisioning FAA radar data. See FAA Order 1200.22, External Requests for National Airspace System (NAS) Data, for more information.
6. Are there any security compliance processes for non-Federal entities to obtain FAA radar/surveillance data?
- Yes. FAA radar data, both real-time and historical, includes Sensitive Unclassified Information that must be protected. Requests must be processed in accordance with FAA Order 1200.22, External Requests for National Airspace System (NAS) Data and undergo a third-party assessment organization’s evaluation process to ensure compliance with all required physical, cyber, and personnel security control measures. This evaluation process will determine what specific data elements are necessary to include in the radar/surveillance data feed and any conditions or protection measures required.
7. Are there costs or fees associated with obtaining FAA radar/surveillance data for non-Federal entities?
- Yes. Non-Federal entities will be responsible for funding costs to implement, validate compliance with, and sustain all required physical, cyber, and personnel security control measures and other data protections for the duration of the proposed FAA radar/surveillance data provisioning. The extent of these costs is situationally dependent on the particular use case and/or data connection (e.g., Costs associated with a third-party assessment of security control measures compliance).
8. Does the “NAS Data Release Board” establish the physical data connection(s) and “release” the data?
- No. The “NAS Data Release Board” is an FAA agency cross-functional group of subject matter experts that “review” proposals by FAA systems and FAA sponsors of external NAS data requestors to ensure those requests for NAS/non-public data are compliant with Sensitive Unclassified Information (SUI) data protection policy. If a request is approved by the NAS Data Release Board, that request is then directed to the appropriate FAA System Owner to establish the physical connection and perform “release” of the NAS data following validation that sensitive data filtering algorithms and/or protection mechanisms are properly implemented.
9. What are the exceptions to the NAS Data Release Board (NDRB) review and evaluation process?
Exceptions to the formal NDRB review and evaluation process includes external release of FAA NAS data:
- to other Federal Departments or Agencies
- to State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal Law Enforcement
- specified as Government Furnished Information (GFI) in an FAA contract or grant agreement with an external entity, which is necessary for the performance of that contract or agreement
- in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
- under international agreements between the FAA, other Federal Departments and Agencies, and foreign entities
- to contracted Third-Party Flight Information Services that are necessary for flight operations
- to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Please feel free to visit the NAS Data Release Board (NDRB) site for more information.
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