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Katrina Hall
Friday, November 29, 2024
Katrina Hall is the Chief Technology Officer of the Air Traffic Organization. Ms. Hall oversees and provides guidance to the Program Management Organization, Mission Support Services, Safety and Technical Training, and Management Services of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO).
She oversees the framework of these organizations; harmonizes support of the operation; assures modernization of NAS operations; directs the establishment of policies, standards, and procedures; realigns programs and priorities; optimizes hiring and placement efforts; and leads the ATO’s budget and program activities.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Hall served as the Deputy Vice President of Technical Operations. As Deputy Vice President of Technical Operations, Ms. Hall was responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient National Airspace System (NAS) by effectively managing air navigation services and infrastructure. Previously she served as the Director of Capital Budgets within the Office of Budgets and Programs, Office of Finance and Management.
Her division was responsible for: (1) establishing short and long-term capital and research program financial plans for the ATO to support acquisition goals, (2) establishing reviews, priorities, and reports on NAS requirements, investments, reprograms, schedules, and performance baselines and (3) providing analysis and responses to inquiries from the FAA CFO, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, the Office of Management and Budget, Congress and others.
Ms. Hall also served as the Director, Investment Planning and Analysis. The Office of Investment Planning & Analysis supports strategic investment decision-making at the FAA by ensuring major capital investments are supported by robust business cases.
Ms. Hall began her federal government career with the Department of Defense as an operations research analyst for the Navy. She has more than 30 years of acquisition, financial, and business case analysis experience on large-scale government procurements. Ms. Hall holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Morgan State University. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institutes Leadership for a Democratic Society.
Technical Operations
Technical Operations ensures safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System (NAS) by effectively managing air navigation services and infrastructure.
Aviation Weather Observation Program
Wednesday, September 23, 2026The Aviation Weather Observation Program (AWOP) is the official owner of FAA policy and oversight of Aviation Weather Observations in the National Airspace System (NAS). AWOP provides aviation weather information through certified government personnel, contract service providers and non-federal weather observers. The program is driven both by the weather observation requirements outlined in 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 and 135 requirements and the recognition that human observation of weather conditions that augment automated systems are critical to safety.
Specifically, AWOP:
- Acts as the Office of Primary Responsibility for the FAA Orders that govern weather observations
- Oversees aviation weather observer certification process
- Owns and manages the Contract Weather Observation (CWO) contract
- Provides quality assurance services
Program governs weather observations at approximately 585 locations:
- CWO Contract – 135 locations (congressionally mandated)
- Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Stations (LAWRS) — air traffic control towers and federal contract towers, more than 390 locations
- Non-Federal Observer (NF-OBS) Program – non-federal contract towers, more than 60 locations
CWO – Contract Weather Observation Program
What is it?
The CWO program provides certified contract weather observers that both augment and backup automated weather observation system (AWOS/Automated Surface Observing Systems) observations at Service Level A and B towers as outlined in FAA Joint Order (JO) 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing, and a limited set of non-towered Alaska airports based on need. CWOs are currently mandated by Congress per the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act.
How to Certify
Candidates must be hired by a CWO Contract company. Training and certification to take weather observations is the responsibility of the candidate’s employer in coordination with the FAA.
CWO Areas
LAWRS – Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Service
What is it?
The CWO program provides certified contract weather observers that both augment and backup automated weather observation system (AWOS/Automated Surface Observing Systems) observations at Service Level A and B towers as outlined in FAA Joint Order (JO) 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing, and a limited set of non-towered Alaska airports based on need. CWOs are currently mandated by Congress per the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act.
Purpose
The purpose of LAWRS is to provide required weather observation and augmentation services when required at airports that do not have a designated CWO and generally apply to Service Level C airports as outlined in FAA JO 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing. The LAWRS observer has the complete responsibility for the surface aviation weather elements in the Aviation Routine Weather Report/Aviation Selected Special Weather Report.
How to Certify
FAA LAWRS weather observer proficiency requirements are governed by FAA JO 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing and FAA JO 3120.4 Air Traffic Technical Training and applies to FAA, FSS, and FCT observers. General programmatic procedures are outlined in FAA JO 7230.8B Limited Weather Reporting Stations (LAWRS).
NON-FED - Non-Federal Aviation Weather Reporting Service
What is it?
The NF-OBS Program is a voluntary program in which FAA certified, non-federal observers enter into a formal agreement to provide backup and/or augmentation of the automated system, or provide manual weather observation services as needed in support of Part 121 and Part 135 operations at an airport that do not have a CWO or LAWRS observer. NF-OBS observers may include NFCT controllers, airline personnel, fixed-base operator personnel or other entities.
How to Apply
The approval process involves both weather observer certification in accordance with FAA JO 7900.5, and the general procedures outlined in FAA JO 7210.77 Non-Federal Weather Observers. Contact the AWOP office for more information.
Contact Information:
Aviation Weather Observation Program Office
Aviation Weather and Aeronautical Services Programs
Enterprise Services Group AJM-3
Send requests to the AWOP Mailbox:
9-AJO-AJR-FS-AWOP@faa.gov
CWO Areas
Area 1
- DAB - Daytona Beach Int'l
- DJT - President Donald J. Trump Int'l
- FLL - Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood Int'l
- JAX - Jacksonville Int'l Arpt
- MCO - Orlando Int'l
- MIA - Miami Int'l
- SJU - Luis Munoz Marin Int'l Arpt
- TLH - Tallahassee Regional Arpt
- TPA - Tampa Int'l
- CAE - Columbia Metropolitan Arpt
- CHS - Charleston AFB/Int'l Arpt
- SAV - Savannah Municipal Arpt
Area 2
- ATL - William B. Hartsfield Int'l Arpt
- BHM - Birmingham Int'l
- TRI - Tri-Cities Regional
- TYS - McGhee Tyson
- HSV - Huntsville Int'l
- JAN - Jackson Int'l Arpt
- BNA - Nashville Int'l
- CHA - Lovell Field
- CLT - Charlotte/Douglas Int'l
- GSO - Piedmont Triad Int'l
- MEM - Memphis Int'l
- RDU - Raleigh-Durham Int'l
- BWI - Baltimore-Washington Int'l
- DCA - Ronald Reagan National Arpt
- IAD - Washington Dulles Int'l
- RIC - Richmond Int'l
- ROA - Roanoke Regional/Woodrum
- LIT - Adams Field Arpt
Area 3
- SYR - Syracuse Hancock Int'l
- MDT - Harrisburg Int'l Arpt
- MHT - Manchester Arpt
- PHL - Philadelphia Int'l
- ALB - Albany Int'l
- BOS - Logan Int'l Arpt
- BDL - Bradley Int'l
- EWR - Newark Int'l
- ISP - Long Island Mac Arthur Arpt
- JFK - John F. Kennedy Int'l
- LGA - La Guardia Int'l Manchester Arpt
- PVD - Theodore Francis Green State Arpt
- PWM - Portland Int'l Jetport Arpt
- BGR - Bangor Int'l Arpt
- BTV - Burlington Int'l Arpt
Area 4
- AFW - Fort Worth Alliance Arpt
- AUS - Robert Mueller Municipal Arpt
- CRP - Corpus Christi Int'l Arpt
- DAL - Dallas Love Field Dallas
- DFW - Dallas/Fort Worth Int'l Arpt
- ELP - El Paso Int'l
- HOU - William P. Hobby Arpt
- IAH - George Bush Intercontinental
- LBB - Lubbock Int'l Arpt
- SAT - San Antonio Int'l
- ABQ - Albuquerque Int'l Sunport Arpt
- MSY - Louis Armstrong New Orleans Int'l
- OKC - Will Rogers World
- SHV - Shreveport Regional Arpt
- TUL - Tulsa Int'l
- PHX - Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'l Arpt
- MOB - Mobile Regional Arpt
Area 5
- ICT - Wichita Mid-Continent Arpt
- DLH - Duluth Int'l Arpt
- DSM - Des Moines Int'l Arpt
- FSD - Joe Foss Field
- GFK - Grand Forks International Arpt
- MCI - Kansas City Int'l Arpt
- MSP - Minneapolis – St.Paul Int'l
- OMA - Eppley Airfield
- STL - Lambert-St. Louis Int'l Arpt
- MDW - Chicago Midway
- MKE - Milwaukee Arpt
- MSN - Dane Co. Regional-Truax Field
- ORD - Chicago O’Hare Int'l
- RFD - Greater Rockford Arpt
Area 6
- CRW - Yeager
- CVG - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int'l
- SDF - Louisville Muhammad Ali Int'l Arpt
- PIT - Pittsburg Int'l
- BUF - Buffalo-Niagara Int'l Arpt
- ROC - Greater Rochester Int'l
- FWA - Fort Wayne Int'l
- IND - Indianapolis Int'l
- CAK - Akron-Washington County
- CLE - Cleveland-Hopkins Int'l Arpt
- DTW - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- GRR - Gerald R. Ford Int'l Arpt
- MKG - Muskegon County
- PTK - Oakland County Int'l
- TVC - Pontiac Cherry Capital Arpt
- CMH - Columbus Int'l
- DAY - James M. Cox Dayton Int'l
- YNG - Youngstown-Warren Regional
Area 7
- APA - Centennial Arpt
- BIL - Billings Logan Int'l Arpt
- COS - Colorado Springs Municipal
- DEN - Denver Int'l
- EUG - Mahlon Sweet Field Arpt
- GEG - Spokane Int'l
- LAS - McCarran Int'l Arpt
- PDX - Portland Int'l Arpt
- RNO - Reno/Tahoe Int'l Arpt
- SEA - Seattle-Tacoma Int'l
- SLC - Salt Lake City Int'l Arpt
Area 8
- FAT - Fresno Yosemite Int'l
- HNL - Honolulu Int'l Arpt
- LAX - Los Angeles Int'l
- OAK - Metropolitan Oakland Int'l
- ONT - Ontario Int'l Arpt
- SAN - San Diego Int'l Arpt
- SFO - San Francisco Int'l Arpt
- SJC - San Jose Int'l Arpt
- SNA - John Wayne-Orange County
- SMF - Sacramento Int'l Arpt
Area 9
- ANC - Anchorage Int'l Arpt
- AKN - King Salmon Arpt
- BET - Bethel Arpt
- DUT - Dutch Harbor Unalaska Tom Madsen Arpt
- ILI - Iliamna Arpt
- MRI - Merrill Int'l
- SSDP - and Point Arpt
Area 10
- CDV - Cordova Merle K. Smith Mudhole Arpt
- JNU - Juneau Field
- PSG - Petersburg Arpt
- SIT - Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Arpt
- VDZ - Valdez Pioneer Field Arpt
- WRG - Wrangell Arpt
Area 11
- BIG - Allen Army Airfield
- BTT - Bettles Arpt
- FAI - Fairbanks Int'l Arpt
- FYU - Fort Yukon Arpt
- ORT - Great Circle Arpt
- SCC - Deadhorse Arpt
- TAL - Ralph Calhoun Arpt