Why FMDS?

The FAA manages the safest, busiest and most complex airspace system in the world. Our air traffic professionals manage this airspace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using a variety of systems to maintain the efficiency and safety to all users; one of these systems is the existing Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS).

The current traffic management system is aging. Over the next five years, the FAA will modernize and replace the legacy TFMS with the Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) system to reflect the needs of the National Airspace System (NAS) today and in the future to maintain the efficiency and safety for all users.

What is FMDS?

• FMDS's Scope is equivalent to the previously baselined TFMS requirements.
• Traffic Flow Management (TFM) powers the Command Center, and FMDS is its future backbone.
• FMDS will provide a reliable traffic flow management (TFM) automation system by utilizing modern architecture and infrastructure for better reliability, maintainability, and availability (RMA) to users and reduced response time, as compared to TFMS.
• FMDS will leverage new technologies and a new approach to software architecture and infrastructure, allowing TFM activities to scale to projected air traffic growth.
• FMDS updates include faster development cycles, consolidated applications, and a streamlined interface for TFM automation system functions that will improve the user experience via an integrated situation awareness display.
• The new, consolidated FMDS interface will allow users to view all traffic, traffic management initiatives (TMIs), and weather in one integrated application, allowing for more proactive and efficient execution of TFM actions.

Timeline

Program Documents

FMDS has released several program documents to industry via the Market Survey. The links to the Market Survey and the related documents are below.

• FMDS released its third Market Survey, dated August 3, 2023, to collect information to shape the technology and acquisition strategy.
• The Concept of Operations (ConOps) (attachment J.2) provides a vision for FMDS.
• The preliminary Program Requirements Document (pPRD) describes the high-level requirements for FMDS to provide a basis for determining alternative solutions and estimating costs for the FMDS program.

Collaborations

FMDS collaborates with many stakeholders across the FAA. These partnerships are integral to the program's success.

• The Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) is the NAS-wide system for planning and implementing strategic and tactical traffic flow management initiatives to mitigate demand/capacity imbalance. The NAS animated storyboard demonstrates how the FAA's various programs or capabilities operate.
• Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) is a federally funded joint government and industry initiative aimed at improving air traffic flow management through increased information exchange among aviation community stakeholders. CDM is comprised of representatives from government, general aviation, airlines, private industry and academia who work together to create technological and procedural solutions to the Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) challenges faced by the NAS.