All For One and One For All

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Pete [Dumont, President of the Air Traffic Control Association], for that kind introduction. It is great to be here with so many friends and colleagues in the aviation industry. Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge the great contributions of a civil servant who is leaving public office. John Pistole has announced he is retiring as Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration after four-and-a-half years leading that agency. I have the deepest respect for his work and the dedicated leadership he has provided and wish him the very best in his new endeavors. 

Chicago
As you all know, we have had a very busy last few weeks.  The sabotage and resulting fire at our en route center near Chicago can only be described with one word: devastating. But it was also something else.  It was an event that was marked by profound teamwork.

FAA Chief Operating Officer Teri Bristol and I have spent a lot of time together the last few weeks. When we visited Chicago Center to see the progress on our recovery, I couldn’t tell who was a manager, and who was a controller, and who was a technician.  I couldn’t tell who was from industry and who was from the FAA.  In fact, what it looked like was one team.

It just goes to show what can happen when the FAA and industry work together, come up with a plan, establish targets and then commit to meet them.  We did that in Chicago.  And we need to do that on a much larger scale for the future of the aviation industry. 

You are all aware that the FAA is facing significant challenges in both maintaining our system – 50,000 operations per day, countless companies all supporting nearly 12 million jobs – and at the same time modernizing that system.  And this needs to take place in the face of an extremely unforgiving budget environment. 

As an industry, we have the responsibility to pull together as one, like we did in Chicago, and create the kind of airspace system that will serve our needs and provide a very bright future for this country. When we cooperate, look what happens. Chicago Center came back into service three days ago, as promised. It took just two weeks.

Let me tell you why it worked. Chicago Center controllers traveled to facilities in other states to help keep air traffic moving. They are the experts in Chicago’s air space, and they put that knowledge to work helping their colleagues at adjacent facilities who had assumed the responsibility for air traffic that would typically be handled by Chicago Center.

Technicians rerouted phone lines to keep communications flowing. At the same time mechanics and electricians rebuilt from the fire – installing two dozen racks of equipment and connecting more than 10 miles of cable to some 835 distinct circuits. This was an extraordinary team effort and a very quick turnaround time. It should be a lesson to all of us about the rewards of cooperation and the rewards of having a clear mission. 

Regardless of this great work, I do understand the traveling public was frustrated. They were frustrated with flight delays and they were frustrated with cancellations. We are currently in the middle of the 30-day review of our contingency plans and security procedures for our major air traffic facilities. I’ve asked my team to think as creatively as possible and make recommendations for improvements.

Some think the FAA should have been able to restore full operations in a matter of hours, but our contingency plans have always been about the steps we take to maintain a safe system. Safety overrides every other factor. The plans have never been designed so that we could handle a full schedule for the airlines within minutes or hours of a major catastrophic event. 

In the long run, however, NextGen gives us the ability to recover from unexpected outages more quickly because it’s a more flexible system. Chicago is a good example of why we all need to come together to make sure we focus on upgrading our nation’s airspace infrastructure so that we remain competitive and make sure we can withstand the unexpected.

NextGen Priorities
That same team work and collaboration that allowed us to get Chicago Center up and running in two weeks is a model for what we, as an industry, need to do more of.  In fact, that same level of cooperation has taken place between the FAA and industry over the last year as we defined and focused our NextGen priorities.  We have worked collaboratively with industry through the NextGen Advisory Committee. We listen to what you say and we actively respond.

We are very focused on providing near term NextGen benefits and have already done so in many parts of the country.  And we are building on this and sharpening our focus on near term benefits.  Tomorrow, we will be delivering a report to Congress outlining the near-term priorities that we have all agreed upon – government and industry – and we are committed to deliver. These priorities fall in four areas: more satellite-based navigation procedures; better use of runways; better situational awareness at airports; and more streamlined departure clearances through DataComm.

Let me give you a couple of examples of what we are working on. 

The first is satellite-based navigation.  A lot of good work has been happening in Seattle and Denver and other cities through collaboration with airlines, airports, and other stakeholders. We are fast-tracking more direct routes in the airspace above other busy metropolitan areas through our Metroplex initiative. Already, airlines are seeing benefits in fuel savings and lower carbon emissions. Take Houston and North Texas for example. In Houston alone, this amounts to 3 million gallons of fuel savings annually – and millions of dollars in savings for the airlines that operate there.  Now we will expand these benefits to Northern California, Charlotte and Atlanta in the next three years in response to the request that came in from industry. 

While these procedures make our airspace more efficient, we also want to get the most out of our nation’s runways, which takes me to the second example. Industry has asked loud and clear for improved wake turbulence separation standards at more airports. We heard you, and we are increasing the number of airports with this capability. We are going to reduce separation standards at nine new airports in five cities over the next year. Those cities are: Houston, metropolitan New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Charlotte.

We have already seen the benefits in Memphis and Louisville over the last two years.  This year, we have implemented these new standards in Cincinnati and Atlanta.  At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, we’re seeing great results. Delta Air Lines is reporting faster taxi out times, reduced delays in the departure queue and that they are spending less time in TRACON airspace.

Industry and the FAA came together to choose these four NextGen priorities and we will deliver on them. We focused our efforts so that we could achieve the maximum benefits in the shortest amount of time.

Longer term NextGen and Chicago
But what about the longer term?  We’re also planning into the future, for longer-term benefits from airspace modernization through new technologies. Again, taking the incident in Chicago as an example, I want to paint a picture of how NextGen helped us recover from this air traffic outage much more quickly and how it will help us even more in the future.  

The common theme in NextGen is that we are switching our nation’s air traffic system from point to point communications to a network of communications. One facility can communicate with all, and all can communicate with one.

Right now each air traffic facility can only see and talk to aircraft within their proscribed area. Voice radios and radars are wired directly and exclusively into the facilities that they serve.  NextGen’s architecture is much more resilient and is more flexible than our legacy, point to point systems.  The NAS Voice System is one example. It will allow us to transfer duties from one facility to another much more easily, if need be. That’s a lot different than changing a lot of hard wiring. 

The NextGen alternative to radar – Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast – is once again, a network of sensors. This allows us to adjust the surveillance picture that controllers see by changing network settings. In contrast, radar is point to point and potentially requires modifying hardware like phone lines, routers, modems and switches to change the picture a controller sees. It is a much less flexible system. NextGen will take the entire airspace and make it much more flexible and adaptable.  

You’re already seeing the results. During this Chicago incident, we reconfigured our new en route automation modernization platform – ERAM – so that controllers in adjacent centers could see far beyond the boundaries of their own center and deeply into the airspace that was controlled by Chicago Center. It was great to visit Kansas City Center and see Kansas City controllers sitting at the screen, with Chicago sectors displayed and with Chicago controllers sitting next to them, and making sure that they understood the unique operational characteristics of that airspace. Now, we got a complete picture by putting it all together in a way where we were taking advantage of the flexibility of ERAM. Our legacy system would not allow controllers to see past their own center’s airspace. Since ERAM is a network, its architecture is more flexible and it’s powerful. ERAM can process information from a much larger base of surveillance points as well – 64 different radars versus 24 radars on the legacy system. And it can follow nearly twice the number of aircraft.  So, as a result, controllers in adjacent centers had the ability to see the traffic flying through Chicago Center’s airspace and they were better able to control it. The proof is that just four days after the shutdown, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was once again the busiest airport in the world, and was handling more operations than any other airport.

With NAS Voice System, ERAM and ADS-B, we will have more flexibility to control our airspace in a much more dynamic way. It means we will be able to provide traditional, high efficiency separation of aircraft in the event of an unplanned outage.

ADS-B Call to Action
Many of you know that ADS-B is one of the foundational elements of NextGen. It’s the technology that allows us to move from a radar-based system to a satellite-based system. Our nation’s air transportation network has long been a paradigm for safety and for efficiency around the world, but our role as a world leader is not something that we can take for granted. Technology is evolving, and we as an industry need to take advantage of the greater efficiencies that are enabled by these new technologies.

It’s the job of government to lay the groundwork for infrastructure projects that will benefit everyone, and that’s just what we’ve done. This year the FAA completed the installation of hundreds of ground transceivers for ADS-B. In addition, the automation system that runs ADS-B –ERAM—is now operating in 16 of 20 centers across the nation that control high altitude air traffic. Now, we have come a very long way with ERAM and I’m very proud that we are pushing this program across the finish line this spring to the remaining four centers. This is a powerful automation tool, and it is going to make a huge difference in the efficiency and safety of our skies.

We are also installing a new automation system in the TRACON airspace as well, and key facilities will have it by 2016. This is all very significant progress.

Recent assertions by the DOT Inspector General that ADS-B is not providing benefits today are missing the key point. The ADS-B network has created the foundation for NextGen and the many additional benefits that will be layered on top of this base system. It’s like the foundation of a house – it’s essential that you build it first.

A report by the MITRE Corporation came out last week showing that we are right on track with NextGen. We have followed through on a decision made in 2010 – with the help and input from industry – to move our country to a satellite-based system that will provide greater situational awareness for all airspace users and greater competitiveness for our country. The MITRE report looked at the bigger picture and recognized that the full benefits of ADS-B will be realized once industry equips to use the system that we have built.

The deadline for equipping is a little more than five years from now. As many of you know, we are holding a Call to Action on ADS-B equipage at the end of this month. We are going to bring together industry leaders and associations to identify the barriers to compliance and discuss solutions. We need to make sure that everyone is prepared to comply with the January 1, 2020 mandate, because that deadline is not going to change.

Unity in Reauthorization
We need to bring this same level of focus, and cooperation as we look to reauthorization.  We will only realize the full benefits of our airspace system when we have an aviation industry that is engaged and that is united around our priorities. We have a lot to accomplish to modernize our nation’s airspace and also maintain the equipment we use each and every day. Our stakeholders would like us to do everything better; to do it faster; and to do it cheaper. Believe me, we’re all for that, but the question is, how are we going to do that in a constrained and unpredictable fiscal environment?

This industry needs to come together and rally around what is important, just as we all rallied together in Chicago to get the job done. This industry needs to fight for the priorities we all arrive at, and agree on how we’re going to pay for them. This process will take compromise and setting aside of the many differences we might have between us. Everyone in this room has a responsibility to support efforts to secure an airspace system that best serves our entire nation. A good way to accomplish this is through the FAA reauthorization that we’ll be working on this year.

We started a conversation last year about what kind of an airspace system we want and how we should pay for it. There’s a sense among some in the industry that it’s time for structural reform. That is because the FAA is facing two main problems. First, there is a lack of predictability in our budgets due to short term extensions and continuing resolutions, and because of the constrained fiscal climate here in Washington. Second, we face challenges focusing on core priorities in light of the very diverse interests of all of our stakeholders. It’s clear to me, however, that we will not succeed if we don’t prioritize.

Now, there is no shortage of viewpoints on how to solve these problems and the direction we should take. But what I hear are many separate conversations – conversations about air traffic control or about addressing certification.  What we need to have is a conversation across the industry to identify the priorities for the system as a whole. The danger is that if we only promote certain narrow interests, we could devolve into trading one of our interests off against another, and our industry as a whole will be worse off.

If the incident in Chicago teaches us anything, it’s that when the system shuts down, there are immediate economic consequences. Our national airspace system underpins an industry that adds $1.5 trillion to our economy. This system is really an ecosystem, where each part relies on the other to function well. There can’t be a disconnect between industry and government or between sectors in the industry if we expect to be successful. All of us should have a very keen interest in how all of these issues play out.

So, we need to have an honest conversation about the fiscal challenges we face. While you can always debate the exact budgetary needs of an agency, one thing is clear: there is simply no way the FAA can implement NextGen, and recapitalize our aging infrastructure; and continue to provide our current level of services without making some serious tradeoffs. Even with short term choices, there will be significant impacts to our budget and the services we can provide. We need to have the flexibility to make investment choices that further the health of our airspace system, and not make choices simply because they might be politically popular.

A year ago it was clear to me that there was a sense of urgency, and many parts of the industry were willing to entertain some approaches that might have been ruled out previously.  The past year has only sharpened my own sense of urgency. However, I fear there is a level of complacency that’s developing that business as usual might work. It won’t. And complacency is a mistake. If we don’t come up with a concrete plan, and if we don’t do it collectively, I’m afraid we’ll be signing up for more instability and uncertainty –which is exactly what we all say we don’t want.

America truly is unique in that we have a vibrant and diverse aviation industry – commercial carriers, regional carriers, business aviation and recreational flyers, not to mention new users like unmanned aircraft and commercial space operators. We have a strong manufacturing base for aircraft and for avionics. Each sector is important and together they create those 12 million jobs that civil aviation contributes to our economy.

Aviation was born in America. It started here, and it’s always embodied the pioneer spirit. So many before us have made great contributions in engineering, avionics, design and manufacturing – all of which have gotten us to where we are today.

It’s our responsibility as leaders in this industry to protect our system and move it forward. We need to think about the future and how we will modernize our system. If all we’re going to do is protect our own positions and jockey for advantage, thinking we can somehow go it alone, we are wrong. We all need each other, and we need consensus across the entire industry.

Again, think back to our experience in Chicago. In just two weeks, a team of dedicated people turned an incredibly bad situation – an act of sabotage – completely around. They kept air traffic moving into the world’s busiest airport, doing whatever it took. They did it because they are dedicated. They are proud of our aviation system and they were able to set aside any differences, come together, and come up with a plan.  Our whole industry can do the same.

Coming to some kind of consensus is not easy. In fact, we all know it’s very, very hard. But the price of complacency will be much greater.  Aviation has consistently pioneered innovation in this country, so let’s create an alternative path to the gridlock that is so prevalent here in Washington. I look forward to finding a solution with all of you in this room to ensure that we at the FAA, and you in industry, are in the position to continue to provide the safest and most efficient system that we need in the years ahead. None of us should not settle for anything less than that.

Thank you very much.     

FAA Report

I’d like to start off by acknowledging the great work that Bill Ayer has done over the last two years. As you all know, this is Bill’s last meeting as chairman. Over the course of two years with the NextGen Advisory Committee, he has helped coordinate unprecedented cooperation between the FAA and industry. He has been extremely influential in the success of the NextGen prioritization work. It wasn’t without some friction, but that was necessary to break through some of the myths and achieve results. In many ways, today’s agenda is a culmination of that work.

We had a chance to honor Bill last night for his contributions. Let me just say that I am honored to have worked with Bill and wish him every success in his future endeavors. Thank you for your service.

I would also like to welcome, in abstentia, our new NAC chairman Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines. Richard became CEO of Delta in 2007 and has more than 25 years of experience in the airline industry, starting with Continental in 1987. He has served as CEO of Northwest Airlines and also as chairman of the Airlines for America board of directors and the IATA Board of Directors. We are delighted that he has agreed to be the next chairman of the NAC, and we look forward to working with him.

Also, welcome to our new NAC members, Brigadier General Giovanni Tuck, United States Air Force; Brad Pierce, President of NOISE and City Council member, Aurora, Colorado; and Eddie Angeles, FAA Associate Administrator for Airports.

Chicago Center

Before I begin a discussion of today’s agenda, I’d like to talk about what’s been happening over the last 10 days or so at Chicago Center. As you all know, we are working around the clock to restore service to the Center near Chicago that was damaged by fire Sept. 26^th.

We are grateful that everyone was evacuated safely from the facility and there were no fatalities. A contract employee was criminally charged in relation to this incident and was treated for self-inflicted injuries. Another employee was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and returned to work the next day.

This was a criminal act – a deliberate act of sabotage at Chicago Center. It led to a very significant disruption to service in extremely busy airspace. But it also has resulted in heroic amounts of work, innovation and cooperation in our workforce, with the operators in that airspace, and with our contractors.

Our air traffic controllers and technical specialists have been especially amazing as they dedicated themselves to not only maintaining the flow of air traffic, but to installing an entirely new telecommunications room at ZAU. Last week, on Tuesday, just four days after the fire, FAA air traffic controllers managed more operations at Chicago O’Hare than at any other airport in the country. I could not be more proud of the people of the FAA who have been giving their all to keep traffic moving in Chicago and to restore full operations at Chicago Center as soon as possible.

I’m going to turn it over to Teri Bristol for more details.

Ed Bolton and Teri anniversaries

This meeting also marks the one year anniversary of Ed Bolton as the Associate Administrator for NextGen and the approaching anniversary of Teri Bristol as COO of ATO.

Ed has added a refreshing culture change to NextGen, moving us from focusing on delivering milestones, to delivering capabilities.

Teri will also complete one year in her position in December.

Teri’s engagement with the priorities, and the support from the entire ATO, has been key in our focus on delivering benefits.

This year marks some outstanding coordination with industry to sharpen our focus in NextGen. We’re all rowing in the same direction now. The leadership of Ed, Teri and Peggy Gilligan and John Hickey has been key in driving this work within the FAA.

FAA Update

We will focus much of today on the work of the last year around the four NextGen priorities – those key procedures and technologies that will have the biggest impact on improving the efficiency of the NAS.

This work has focused on four areas: surface operations, multiple runway operations; performance based navigation and DataComm.

We’ve been working closely through the NextGen Integration Working Group to identify locations and to scope the work.

Perhaps the most important thing to come out of our collaboration is that we’ve forged a plan with industry for these key NextGen priorities, reducing the risks to implementation and assuring we can deliver benefits to the traveling public.

Our efforts with the integration working group reflect our commitment to work together. We in the FAA have been focused on getting the technology, procedures, and standards out the door, particularly as we have deployed the foundational NextGen technology. Now we’re concentrating on working hand-in-hand with operators to determine where to roll out these capabilities that are available today and ready to be deployed. We want to choose the most beneficial locations and generate the benefits that are, in the end, the whole point of this effort.

It’s a lot of work. It’s not always easy. But this approach is better. It’s a good working model.

One example is that through this approach, we have been able to respond very quickly to your input on multiple runway operations.

I am particularly pleased that we have been able to increase the number of wake recategorization locations. I know how important wake recat is for carriers. I hear about it in detail at every hub I visit. We’ve got that message loud and clear.

We received this recommendation from you in June, and quickly conducted a review of the roll out schedule. Everyone worked closely within the program and with the various facilities and determined that we will be able to meet your needs and implement these improvements.

We are going to reduce separation standards at nine new airports in five cities in the next year. This will give us a total of 13 airports nationwide that have these reduced separation standards. We have already seen the benefits in Memphis and Louisville.

This year, we have implemented these reduced separation standards at Cincinnati and Atlanta.

In Atlanta, we’re already seeing great results. We implemented wake recat there on June 1, 2014. After 90 days, Delta Air Lines is reporting a 2.3 minute reduction in taxi out times and a 14 to 24 percent reduction in departure queue delays. In a hub the size of Atlanta, these are significant numbers.

On the arrival side, Delta is also benefiting from each aircraft spending two minutes less in the TRACON airspace. These efficiencies are reducing fuel usage and emissions. 

Next year, we plan to add nine airports in five cities:

The two Houston airports

In New York at: JFK, Newark and LaGuardia

In Chicago at: O’Hare and Midway

SFO

Charlotte

The other three NextGen priorities are on track as well.

PBN

We have made significant progress with performance based procedures. As we discussed at the last NAC meeting, our Houston Metroplex site went live in May. That redesign included 61 new satellite-based procedures in the Houston area. We estimate these procedures in Houston could save airlines $9.2 million dollars in fuel each year.

Just a couple of weeks ago, on September 18^th, we went live with our second large-scale Metroplex implementation, this time in North Texas. That redesign included more than 80 new satellite-based procedures in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

The lead industry partners there were American Airlines and Southwest, with additional participation from NBAA and Express Jet.

We expect to see similar benefits as we saw in Houston, such as reduced fuel consumption, reduced flight time, and reduced carbon emissions. We will report those as data becomes available.

MITRE REPORT

While the priorities work has been going on, we continue to deliver on deploying the foundational technology of NextGen. Earlier this year, we asked MITRE to conduct an independent assessment of our progress on NextGen, and they briefed their report this morning at the breakfast.

The report confirms that the FAA remains on schedule in delivering on foundational NextGen technologies. The MITRE report confirms our path forward and enables us to make necessary adjustments.

NextGen remains on track, and it is our job – all of us—to work together to make sure it stays on track.

ADS-B Call to Action

As we complete the foundational work of NextGen, and as we work with the NAC to deliver on the priorities, we are also looking ahead. The most important milestone looming ahead is the 2020 ADS-B equipage mandate. To keep NextGen on track, we need to meet that mandate. Which means industry needs to be on schedule to meet that mandate.

ADS-B equipage will allow us to replace the radar-based system with a GPS-based system that is more efficient. This is one of the key components of NextGen. As you all undoubtedly know, the rule was put in place in 2010 –with a lot of help and input from industry. It was put in place with a 10-year lead time to allow equipage to occur. That lead time was there to allow the carriers to have a normal cycle of aircraft replacement and maintenance. It was there to give GA an opportunity to equip, and for the cost of equipage to come down. It was also there to allow the FAA to demonstrate our commitment to installing the ground system well before aircraft would be required to equip.

The FAA has done its part: As you are aware, this year we completed the ground installation of ADS-B nationwide. We also are well on our way to completing the computer system we will use to run ADS-B. To date, 16 en route facilities have fully modernized their automation systems. By next spring, all 20 en route centers will complete the transition. We’re also upgrading and standardizing the automation systems at more than 150 terminal facilities throughout the country.

But the clock is ticking. We’re just over five years away from the day of the mandate. Now we come to the point where we’re looking at how we are going to go operational, and that means equipage. We have only so much visibility into the plans of carriers. These plans for equipage are commercially sensitive. But these are the kinds of issues that we need to start looking at, and how we’re going to stay on track with that date.

Recently we have seen some very good trends. We have seen the price of equipage for GA come down, with multiple products on the market. Suppliers that are still developing products are announcing their schedules. We’re seeing an acceleration of the number of aircraft equipped. We want to build on these trends and reaffirm our joint commitment to the mandate.

We’re doing two things in this regard.

The first is that we are communicating clearly and unequivocally that the 2020 mandate will not change. We need to make sure that everyone is prepared to comply with the mandate. This is imperative to keep NextGen on track.

The second thing is that we’re announcing an industry Call to Action, which the FAA will host on October 28 in our offices. We are going to bring together industry leaders and associations to have a day where we look at where we are with ADS-B and where we are with equipage. We want to identify the barriers to compliance and discuss solutions.

We need to understand if suppliers will provide solutions with sufficient time to allow everyone to comply? Will repair stations be able to handle the projected volume of installations? What policy or guidance do you need from us to help you make decisions on what to buy, and when to install it?

By the end of the Call to Action, we hope to have a high-level plan to resolve the various barriers to on-time compliance. Many of the aspects of that plan will require a sustained level of commitment and follow-through. To that end, I have asked the NextGen Institute to form an Equip 2020 working group. I expect that this group will meet shortly after the Call to Action, and will continue to meet through 2019 to coordinate and guide the implementation of ADS-B across the fleet.

Leading this effort will be the Executive Director of the NextGen Institute, Major General Marke “Hoot” Gibson, retired United States Air Force. Please stand, Hoot.

The Call to Action and the Equip 2020 working group are focused on coordinating the implementation of plans and decisions which were laid down in 2010. We are not expecting that group to achieve consensus or develop recommendations for the FAA, like the NAC has done. Instead, we expect this group to address each individual barrier to help keep ADS-B implementation on track.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Call to Action, and to obtaining your renewed commitment to the January 1, 2020 implementation date.

I know we have time on the agenda this afternoon to discuss various issues, including ADS-B, and I look forward to that discussion.

Updates

In finishing out the agenda, we also have some very good news today on how we measure the benefits of NextGen. We have started to receive actual fuel data from A4A on flights between more than 80 city pairs. As you know, we tasked the NAC with this work. And you all put forth an extensive effort to help us determine how best to measure NextGen benefits.

A significant and notable shortfall was how to collect, track and measure actual fuel burn data. A4A members have provided historical data going back two years for all flights between dozens of key city pairs. We plan to report aggregated data on our FAA harmonized metrics web site to fulfill our obligations under reauthorization.

As an update to another previous tasking, we asked for your help in providing recommendations to overcome noise challenges that hindered our ability to issue guidance for categorical exclusions. Those exclusions were part of reauthorization. This was to accelerate environmental reviews of NextGen procedures.

You gathered a group of experts and provided recommendations last September that helped us examine the impacts and provide a potential way forward.

The public comment period on this is still open – until October 20^th. At the February NAC meeting we will come back and give a report out on your recommendation.

Closing

I’m going to leave it there for now. Thank you for your attention this morning. We have a very good meeting in front of us today and I look forward to the fruitful discussions that are a hallmark of this committee.

I’d like to turn it over now to the FAA’s Assistant Administrator for International Affairs, Policy and the Environment, Rich Swayze, for a few words on our upcoming reauthorization. After Rich, we’ll hear from Ed and Florian for our regular update on SESAR/NextGen collaboration.

Towards a More Flexible National Airspace

Thank you, Jim [Washington, ATCA chairman and COO of B3 Solutions].  As always, I’m glad to be a part of the ATCA conference. I’d like to start out today with some comments on Friday’s incident near Chicago.

I am sure many of you have seen the news reports over the weekend about the fire at our Air Route Traffic Control Center in Aurora, Illinois.  Early Friday morning we evacuated the en route center, and our employees got out safely. The individual charged in relation to the incident is receiving treatment for self-inflicted injuries and is under guard. One of our technical operations employees suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene. We are thankful that he is OK. He went back to work soon thereafter. We are relieved that everyone is safe and that initial cleanup of the site has progressed throughout the weekend.

We are steadily increasing the amount of air traffic we can handle in the air space around Chicago, and we are trying to reach as close to normal operations as quickly as possible. Yesterday, air traffic controllers safely managed about 60 percent of typical traffic at O'Hare and more than 75 percent at Midway. 

I think the question on many people’s minds is how could one incident have such an impact on our system? And I’d like to address that. We always have redundancy built into everything we do. We have contingency plans in place for unexpected incidents. On Friday morning we activated our contingency plan, which is why we have been able to keep air traffic moving, despite the loss of capability at Chicago center, a facility which controls traffic over an area that encompasses five states and hundreds of airports – 91,000 square miles!

First, we transferred control of high altitude air traffic to neighboring en route centers in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland and Indianapolis. These centers are Chicago’s next door neighbors in terms of airspace.

We established consistent altitudes for hand-offs. Controllers in these centers are handling air traffic at 18,000 feet and above. They are directing the air traffic coming and going from Chicago center’s airspace. They are also handling the transcontinental flights at cruising altitudes by sending those flights around Chicago airspace entirely.

The centers are funneling the lower level traffic to 19 different TRACON facilities in the area. These TRACONS have increased their control upwards to about 17,000 feet altitude, from the normal range of about 10,000 feet, to provide increased coverage.

In addition, air traffic controllers who normally work at the Chicago en route center are now working at other surrounding FAA air traffic facilities to help safely maximize the traffic flow in and out of the Chicago area airports.

Some Chicago center controllers also are traveling to the other high-altitude centers I mentioned to assist controllers at those locations to provide local knowledge and to minimize disruptions for travelers.

We recovered operations in Chicago by developing new communication and flight plan processing solutions. We also adapted our automation and modified our radar feeds.

The day after the fire, we created direct phone lines between all four centers and Chicago TRACON. When controllers handle a departure or arrival there’s a lot of coordination that has to happen, for example if there’s a go-around.  This ability to communicate directly has helped us increase capacity.

The fire also disrupted our ability to exchange flight plan data between Chicago center and its four neighboring centers. We had been typing in the flight plan info for each plane and printing it out on a strip for the en route controllers. We’ve been able to automate much of this, and it has significantly improved our throughput as well.

We reestablished consistent arrival and departure rates at Chicago area airports. We are speaking with the airlines continually to give them a better measure of predictability so they can adjust their schedules accordingly. Believe me, we are using all existing tools to maximize operations, and we’re developing new capabilities where necessary to return to normal service levels in the Chicago area.

While the operational changes enable us to build traffic, we also need to restore Chicago Center itself. The damaged communications equipment needs to be replaced entirely. While crews are cleaning the area damaged by the fire, others are reconfiguring space on a different floor, to house the new equipment. We have brought in our best technicians from around the country to expedite the replacement of the central communications network at Chicago center.

The supplier and the operator of the FTI system which was damaged is Harris Corporation. They have been working throughout the weekend to stage and assemble equipment to begin the restoration.

The first shipment of communications equipment arrived last night and crews began installing it over night.  All of the equipment will arrive this week and we are working with the Harris Corporation towards a target of having the communications capabilities rebuilt and up and running by October 13^th.  That is an extraordinarily accelerated timeline, and I have to thank the teamwork of the employees in the Central Service Area and all across the nation, for their dedication and willingness to work round-the-clock to get this done.

Secretary Foxx and I are very proud of how the FAA team has handled the last three days. Our people are working through incredibly challenging circumstances. I have been in constant communication with the Secretary, giving him updates on the incident and our progress in returning the system to near normal operations.

The FAA’s contingency planning focuses on the safe handling of aircraft. When a situation like a major outage occurs, our goal is to manage the aircraft in the air to ensure they reach their destinations safely. In the case of Friday’s fire, the FAA worked quickly to handle aircraft traversing Chicago center’s airspace and implemented its contingency plans to handoff airspace responsibilities to adjacent facilities.  What suffers under these circumstances is the efficiency of the system we have come to depend on. 

Regardless of the extraordinary conditions we are dealing with though, I do understand the traveling public’s frustrations with flight delays and cancellations. The air transportation system is vital to our economy and people rely on it to function 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I want to make sure that we have the most robust contingency plans possible.

That is why I’ve asked our Air Traffic Organization, in collaboration with our partners NATCA and PASS, to review our contingency plans for our major facilities. Over the next 30 days, they will take a look at our plans to make sure we are prepared to both assure the safety of aircraft but also the efficiency of the system. I want to make sure we have all the tools in place to get our airspace back up and running as quickly as possible.  I’ve asked the team to think as creatively as possible and make recommendations to me about our preparedness going forward.

As part of this review, we are also asking our security organization to review the security protocols at our facilities to make sure we have the most robust policies and practices in place. If we need to make changes as a result of what happened on Friday to improve the system, we will not hesitate to do so.

This incident in Chicago is also a stark reminder of the reasons that we are working toward an even more robust and scalable system. In the future, our ability to agilely shift air traffic management responsibilities between facilities is a key objective of NextGen.  But getting there requires stable and adequate funding, the right people in the right place, and a sustained commitment to follow through on today's plans.

We have followed through on a joint decision between industry and the FAA in 2010 to move to a system of satellite-based surveillance and navigation that will provide greater situational awareness for all airspace users. Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, or ADS-B, will bring more flexibility and more options throughout our nation’s airspace.

In the spring, we completed the installation of the baseline ground infrastructure for ADS-B, which gives us the capability to track aircraft using satellites instead of radar. What we need is equipped aircraft to take advantage of the system we have built. In the past, we’ve called ADS-B a game changer, but that’s only if we all use it. 

As you know, we’re going to hold a Call to Action regarding ADS-B equipage at the end of October to look at where we are. We will try to identify what the issues are, or what the barriers are, so that the carriers can equip by the deadline that we worked with industry to establish, a deadline that is rapidly approaching—January 2020. That date is not going to change. NextGen is on track. And we will keep it on track, but to do so, we’ve got to meet that equipage mandate.  

Meanwhile, we’re reshaping our airspace through implementing NextGen procedures.  In May, our Houston Metroplex site went live.  Airspace users can now benefit from 61 new satellite-based procedures in the Houston area.  These procedures include Optimized Profile Descents.  OPDs allow pilots to almost idle the engines while the aircraft descends at a constant rate. 

We also have procedures in place that will allow planes to climb without leveling off, which brings them to a cruising altitude sooner.  These procedures mean less fuel usage and less carbon emissions, and, based on flight plans, we estimate airliners will fly 648,000 fewer nautical miles each year in Houston. 

This will help improve on-time performance and it will save up to 3 million gallons of fuel and reduce carbon emissions by as much as 31,000 metric tons each year.  We estimate these procedures could save airlines $9.2 million dollars in fuel each year. That’s like taking 6,000 cars off the streets of Houston.

The Houston project was completed in only 30 months, which is 6-12 months less than previous projects of this scope.  This is a major accomplishment.

We are implementing these kinds of improvements in other metropolitan areas. This month, we started using these new NextGen procedures in North Texas, and we’re planning to roll out more benefits, in Northern California, starting in November.

And then there are NextGen benefits in places like Atlanta, Louisville and Memphis thanks to new wake turbulence separation standards.  In Atlanta, we implemented the new standards in June of this year.  After 90 days, Delta Airlines is reporting a 2.3 minute reduction in taxi out times and a 14 to 24 percent reduction in departure queue delays.  On the arrival side, Delta is also benefiting from each aircraft spending two minutes less in the TRACON airspace.  These efficiencies are reducing fuel usage and emissions. 

Last year, we started using new wake separation standards in Louisville and UPS is saving 52,000 pounds of fuel per night on arrivals.  We put the same procedures in place in Memphis a year before that and the airport capacity in Memphis is up by more than 20 percent. 

We see the many ways that NextGen can improve all that we do, and we are committed to following through on our implementation plans. However, we still remain in a difficult situation when it comes to long term planning and budgeting. 

In December, Congress passed a two-year budget resolution that has provided us with some degree of certainty for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.  This budget deal has temporarily suspended the cuts we faced under the sequester. Our funding levels for FY 2015 have yet to be finalized by Congress, but we are in a continuing resolution that keeps us at 2014 levels through December 11^th.

We have to prioritize our work, and the current budget environment is making us take a closer look at what we can do differently or perhaps stop altogether.  In addition to modernizing through NextGen, we have to maintain our existing infrastructure.

We are having discussions with our stakeholders about our mission and our work – what should be high on the list and what shouldn’t be on the list at all. 

In an aviation community as diverse as ours, this is obviously a much larger discussion.  We want to build consensus on the direction we’re going, and I believe that consensus around the future direction of the FAA is critical if we’re going to resolve our long-term funding challenges.

We can see the future clearly, and we want to get to the types of efficiencies that NextGen can bring us all. While we are able to respond to the type of incident in Chicago with our current infrastructure, we will be able to respond even more swiftly to future contingencies with the improved performance of NextGen.

With NextGen capabilities fully operational, we will be able to provide many more options for rapidly reconfiguring our facilities. 

We have made great progress in laying the groundwork for this. Already, we have updated the air traffic control automation system in almost all of our en route centers and are doing so in our terminal facilities too. These programs, En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, and Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement, or TAMR, provide both the capacity and functional capability to "see" well beyond the traditional airspace boundaries. 

These new platforms are powerful, and when we combine them with the greater precision and coverage of ADS-B, we will have the ability to configure any single facility to view any part of our nation’s airspace.

In addition to seeing any part of our airspace, we will be able to talk with the aircraft in any part of it as well. The NAS Voice System is taking our communications equipment from point to point communications to a Voice Over Internet Protocol system, using the federal government’s more secure version of the Internet.  

Because of this greater flexibility, we will be able to rapidly reconfigure a facility’s access to radio resources to allow them to hand off control of sectors of airspace from one facility to another if traffic becomes extremely busy or if we lose the capability of a facility, as happened in Aurora.  

For example, in the current outage at Chicago center, we would be able to have each of the neighboring en route centers reach into Chicago center's airspace and take control of all of the radios used to control aircraft there. Additionally, we would be able to rapidly establish ground-to-ground connections between these en route centers and the TRACONS that normally connect to Chicago center. This would greatly increase the range of our operational response, ease the burden on the surrounding TRACONS, and increase arrival and departure throughput. It could also open additional routes into and out of Chicago.

NextGen tools will provide more accurate information and airspace flexibility in a much more dynamic way than we are able to do today.  As a result, we will be able to better reduce the impact of unplanned changes or outages on our operation.

I think we all want to benefit from the better capabilities that NextGen can bring us. It’s good for safety, good for efficiency, good for the traveling public and good for business. I look forward to working with all of you to find the best path to overcome the challenges that we face.

We are at a critical point in aviation, where the decisions we make today will affect this industry for decades to come. Thanks for joining with me to make the right decisions and make sure our nation’s aviation system is better for generations to come.

State of ATO

Thank you, Jim [Washington].  I’m very happy to be here. 

This morning, Administrator Huerta spoke at length about Friday’s fire at the Chicago en route center.  We were all relieved that our employees safely evacuated the building.  The individual charged in the incident is receiving treatment for self-inflicted injuries and is under guard. 

I think the question on many people’s minds is how could one incident have such an impact on our system?  And I’d like to address that.  We always have redundancy built into everything we do.  We have contingency plans in place for unexpected incidents. 

Our people at Chicago Center executed their contingency plan and safely transferred Chicago airspace to their neighboring en route facilities. 

We have been able to keep air traffic moving, despite the loss of capability at Chicago center, a facility which controls traffic over an area that encompasses five states and hundreds of airports – 91,000 square miles!

As Administrator Huerta mentioned this morning, we transferred control of high altitude air traffic to neighboring en route centers in Minneapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland and Indianapolis. 

We established consistent altitudes for hand-offs. Controllers in these centers are handling air traffic at 18,000 feet and above.  They are directing the air traffic coming and going from Chicago center’s airspace.  They are also handling the transcontinental flights at cruising altitudes by sending those flights around Chicago airspace entirely.  I would like to thank our friends to the North… NavCanada has been extremely helpful, providing us additional flexibility and access to help us better manage through the situation.

We are steadily increasing the amount of air traffic we can handle in the air space around Chicago, and we are trying to reach as close to normal operations as quickly as possible.  Yesterday, air traffic controllers safely managed about 70% of typical traffic at O'Hare and about 95% at Midway.   

My leadership team and I have been closely involved throughout the weekend and today to ensure that the cleanup and system restoration efforts are going well.  We’ve brought in our best technicians to rebuild our communications capabilities.  People are working around the clock in an effort to restore normal operational service by October 13th.  And over the next 30 days, we’re going to review our contingency and security protocols to ensure preparedness and continuity of air traffic service during a crisis like this.

Over these past few days, I’ve been seeing the tremendous character and professionalism of our workforce shine through.  Everyone, regardless of their job function, has pulled together as one unit.  And this is actually the very message I was planning to deliver today.   

I’m honored to serve as the FAA’s Chief Operating Officer.  I’ve been officially on the job for six months now, and I’ve never been more proud of the people of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization.  The busiest and the best.  We run a safe, efficient, airspace system every day. 

I’m also proud to be part of this aviation community.  The airspace users, and the flying public and the passengers are the ATO’s customers.  And I look forward to working in partnership with you to strengthen our nation’s air traffic system in the months and years ahead.

That’s really why we’re here.  How can we most effectively work together to make it happen?

Some of you may recall a book called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, published in 2000.  Gladwell talks about what happens when ideas and trends cross a threshold    – that’s where he gets the phrase “tipping point” from.  These ideas and trends then spread like wildfire. 

How does that happen?  And more importantly, why does that happen?  The book has some theories – one of them essentially is that when the right people get behind the right ideas at the right time, there can be major change.        

Now what does this mean for us?  The aviation community is at a tipping point, in terms of how we work together to improve and modernize the NAS.  We are the right people.  Collaboration is the right idea and with the launch of NextGen – this is the right time! 

Are we going to fall back into old ways of business – silos, turf wars, and provincial thinking that characterize some of our past efforts?  Or do we build on the recent trend toward collaboration between government, labor, and industry?  We have to strengthen this collaboration, keeping in mind that our goal is a better future system for the nation.  It’s time for us to capitalize on our momentum.    

Our choice will determine how much we accomplish in the next five years.  The time has never been better for new ways of doing business.

Today, I’d like to provide you with a “State of the ATO.”  Specifically, I’ll cover three topics –

I’ll discuss our strategic plan called the ATO Blueprint.    

I’ll discuss the progress we’re making in modernization.    

And I’ll discuss some of our upcoming investment priorities. 

So let me start with the ATO Blueprint.       

The FAA is going to make aviation safer and smarter, by developing a risk-based decision making initiative.

The FAA is going to deliver greater benefits through technology, infrastructure, and more efficient streamlined services.

The FAA will target its international efforts more effectively. 

And the FAA will recruit and develop a highly skilled workforce.

The common thread running through these four areas is that we will better define, target, and prioritize our activities and services, relying on data to base our decisions.  This will include rightsizing or doing differently certain activities and services that we’ve conducted or provided in the past.  It’s especially important that we do this, given today’s very tough budget climate.

To support these strategic efforts, the Air Traffic Organization has developed what we’re calling the ATO Blueprint which includes three components: Safety, Efficiency, and Business Acumen.  Let me tell you more about it. 

The ATO is proactively committed to identifying and mitigating the MOST pressing safety risks in the airspace system. 

We’re in a better position to do this because of the wealth of safety data that’s now available. 

Through these data sources, the ATO identifies a Top 5 list of safety hazards each year.  We develop corrective actions against these hazards and then measure and monitor the actions for two years.  We recently determined the Top 5 list for fiscal year 2015. 

And we’re reaffirming a commitment to quality control through a National Safety Initiative, which is a collaborative effort between management and labor.  Here, we’re targeting three areas: consistent dissemination of weather information by controllers, conflicts between IFR and VFR aircraft, and parachute operations. 

While safety problems in these areas are exceedingly rare, our data tells us that when problems do happen, it could mean collision and loss of life.  In all of these cases, we want to make sure that controllers have clear, unambiguous guidance on what they can and can’t do to safely affect the situation.

One of the ATO’s major successes in 2014 has been reducing the safety risk associated with converging runway operations, which includes those operations with non-intersecting runways with intersecting flight paths.  Our safety data showed that there was a higher risk when aircraft execute a go around that conflicted with another aircraft departing from a non-intersecting runway, creating the potential for collision. 

To address the problem, we worked with our stakeholders, and put in place policy changes and new automation tools at 140 airports where this risk was identified.  This was one of the most significant reductions in safety risk we’ve made over the past decade. 

The second key component of the ATO Blueprint is our Efficiency Initiative, which is a collaborative effort between management and labor, to deliver consistent and predictable results based on metrics.  This effort is built on the same model we’re employing within safety in that we’re collecting data, finding areas of concern, and developing strategies for improvement. 

The Efficiency effort is essential as we look to optimize the NAS, both from an operations perspective and an engineering and infrastructure perspective.  The initial focus is on improving existing metrics and enhancing decision making using the Terminal Arrival Efficiency Rate (TAER) tool, which measures the performance and impact of Traffic Management Initiatives (TMI) and other similar tools.

A national review of the previous day’s operation and outlook for the current day occurs every morning linking senior ATO leaders with our Directors of Operations and Managers of Tactical Operations in the field.  At the end of every week, we conduct a “deep dive” on the previous week’s operation spending time to analyze what worked well and what needs continued focus. 

The third component of the ATO Blueprint is called Business Acumen.  We are expecting a significant loss of leadership and corporate knowledge over the next three years.  In anticipation of this shift, we are working to enhance managers’ non-technical business skills, which will help them make smarter tactical and strategic decisions.

Through these strategic efforts, we will enhance the safety and efficiency of the service we provide.  This is in keeping with our core mission.

And the ATO’s modernization efforts support this mission as well – which brings me to the second topic I’d like to discuss. 

My Program Management Organization within the ATO is responsible for completing the implementation and execution of NextGen programs.    

The foundation for NextGen includes upgrading the automation in our en route and key terminal facilities.  These are the ERAM and TAMR programs respectively.  ERAM will be finalized in all 20 planned en route centers by next spring and TAMR is now in full production mode.

And earlier this year, the ATO completed the installation of 634 radios that make up the ground infrastructure for ADS-B.  Now we’re in a position to deliver the benefits of more precise surveillance to equipped airspace users.  This includes providing more efficient separation of aircraft, surveillance coverage in non-radar environments like in the mountains or over large bodies of water, and greater situational awareness for both controllers and pilots.  With NextGen’s foundation near complete, we’re in a position to really unleash the benefits of NextGen. 

But make no mistake.  NextGen is happening NOW.  It’s being integrated into the NAS every day.  In May, we implemented the Houston Metroplex initiative.  Airspace users can now benefit from 61 new satellite-based procedures in the Houston area. 

In point of fact, as of May, the ATO has implemented more than 7,000 satellite-based procedures and routes around the nation.  These procedures enable equipped aircraft to fly on more direct paths across the country.  This cuts flight time, reduces congestion, fuel burn and emissions, and improves access to airports.    

And with Data Comm we have trials underway at Memphis and Newark airports to demonstrate Data Comm’s departure clearance capability.  Each site is using Data Comm, 24/7, to conduct as many as 80 operations a day.  We’re already seeing reduced communications time, resulting in faster taxi outs, reduced delays, and reduced pilot and controller workload.  In 2015, we’ll proceed with key site testing at control towers in Salt Lake and Houston, and we’re on schedule for deployment at 56 airports starting in 2016.

To upgrade voice communications, we just issued a final investment decision for NAS Voice System.  We currently depend on ten different kinds of voice switches, many of which are becoming obsolete.  With NAS Voice System, we’ll be able to transfer air traffic sectors within facilities, and between facilities, to better balance operations workload and be able to maintain operations in the event that we lose the capability of a facility like the recent situation in Aurora.  We’re working with our labor partners – NATCA and PASS, respectively, to get their input to define program requirements.  This is important, because early stakeholder input will help us deliver a product that is on time, within budget, and achieves performance goals.    

When stakeholders collaborate by giving each other input, we get a better product in the end.  I talked about how we’re at a tipping point.  Let’s tip forward to even more effective collaboration. 

In fact, it’s been through collaboration with industry, specifically through our NextGen Advisory Committee, that the FAA has decided on a set of four NextGen priorities, where we plan to concentrate our efforts in the next one to three years.  The four priorities are: increasing the use of Performance Based (or satellite-based) Navigation, making multiple runway operations more efficient, improving surface operations, and implementing Data Communications.  We believe, and industry agrees, that progress in these areas can benefit the aviation community right away.

The ATO is working closely with the FAA’s NextGen office and with industry as part of the NextGen Integrated Working Group.  In mid-October, we will submit a plan to Congress where we’ll make specific commitments, with locations and dates as well as costs, to deliver capabilities in these four areas. 

Finally, let me tell you about our contracting opportunities in the ATO.

The FAA plans to invest about $4 billion in procurement annually, with more than $1 billion provided to small businesses.  The ATO will make the bulk of these awards in areas like engineering and safety analysis services, facility construction, major air traffic control systems procurement, and direct operational services, such as satellite surveillance and telecommunications.

Over the next two years, some of the ATO’s major procurements include our Decision Support Programs: Terminal Flight Data Manager and Traffic Flow Management System. 

Terminal Flight Data Manager, or TFDM, is a new system that will automate flight plans and integrate them with surveillance data to create accurate, real-time predictive tools for the terminal environment.  This capability will enable controllers to make more informed decisions to improve traffic flow on the airport surface and decrease the time the aircraft is spent waiting to taxi.  In doing so, we’ll be able to reduce aircraft fuel usage and emissions.  We plan to develop TFDM’s surface capability starting in 2016. 

The Traffic Flow Management System, or TFMS, is designed to balance user demand with system capacity, so we can reduce congestion and delays.  The better we can forecast capacity and demand, the better our performance will be. 

You’re invited to hear updates on these and other programs at an Industry Outreach event we’re hosting at FAA Headquarters on Thursday morning, although preregistration is required by tomorrow.

As the backdrop to everything I’ve talked about today, the biggest challenge that we face is budget uncertainty.  We are in a difficult situation when it comes to long term planning and budgeting. Congress has passed a continuing resolution that will keep us at current funding levels through December 11.  And last December, Congress passed a two-year budget agreement that enables us to temporarily avoid the cuts we would have had to make under a sequester in fiscal years 2014 and 2015.  But unless there’s another fix, the sequester will be with us again in 2016.

In closing, the ATO remains committed to running the safest, most efficient system in the world.  Through the ATO Blueprint, and through NextGen and other modernization efforts, we’re committed to improving the service we provide for our customers.  But we can’t do it alone.  No one can.  We need continued, effective collaboration between government, labor and industry.  We’re seeing it on multiple fronts and it’s a big reason for much of our progress in recent years.

And here we are – at the tipping point.  Our future success comes down to our ability to strengthen this collaborative approach.  Let’s find out what each of our needs are and let’s meet these needs in a way that puts the future of aviation ahead of parochial interests.  In doing so, we’ll build an even greater airspace system and deliver greater benefits for our nation.

Thank you.

FAA Exemptions for Commercial UAS Movie and TV Production

Thank you, Secretary Foxx. 

We recognize the potential unmanned aircraft bring to business, such as surveying, movie making, farming, monitoring pipelines and electric lines, as well as countless other industries. Our challenge at the FAA is to integrate unmanned aircraft into the busiest, most complex airspace system in the world—and to do so while we maintain our mission—protecting the safety of the American people in the air and on the ground.  We are taking a reasonable and responsible approach. We are introducing unmanned aircraft into America’s airspace incrementally and with the interest of safety first. 

This process opens up a whole new avenue for companies and organizations wishing to safely integrate unmanned aircraft into their business.  In addition, it’s a major step forward in our plan for safe and staged integration.

So, how does it work? As part of their petition, these firms asked the FAA for exemptions from regulations that address general flight rules, pilot certificate requirements, manuals, maintenance and equipment mandates.

To receive the exemptions, the firms had to show that their UAS operations would provide an equivalent level of safety to the rules and that the operations would be in the public interest. 

In their applications, these aerial photo and video firms said the operators of the unmanned aircraft will hold private pilot certificates, and keep the unmanned aircraft within line of sight at all times. They’ll also restrict flights to the "sterile area" on the set. 

We accepted their safety conditions as outlined and added a requirement for an inspection of the aircraft before each flight.  We also prohibited operations at night. But we have informed the operators that we are willing to revisit the night operations when they can provide information about additional safety controls they plan to put in place.  

We are also going to issue Certificates of Waiver or Authorization to these companies to address Air Traffic operational issues.  And to comply with those waivers, operators must report to the FAA any accidents or incidents that occur.

I should note, seven aerial video companies filed identical petitions at the same time.  We are granting exemptions to six today.  One petition is still under review—we are working with the company to obtain additional, required information.

These are just the first of about 40 petitions that have been filed ranging from pipeline patrolling to crop surveys.  We will continue to review those requests on an ongoing basis and we expect they will be addressed in the coming weeks and months.

We were able to take this important step through collaboration with the Motion Picture Association of America. The Association facilitated the exemption requests on behalf of these seven members—helping to develop a standard safety manual and operating procedures that could be used by any television or motion picture member. We are encouraging other industry associations to develop similar procedures for their membership and help facilitate petitions.

I’d like to turn it over to Senator Christopher Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.

InfoShare Works

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Warren [Randolph, FAA’s Manager of Accident Prevention’s Integrated Safety Teams and Program Management Branch].  I’ve been looking forward to joining all of you at InfoShare this year.  This is my first time here, and I’ll be sitting in on some of the sessions this afternoon to get a feel for how the process works, and to see firsthand the benefit that comes from brainstorming together about potential problems.

Risk-based decision making is the way of the future. And it is one of our strategic initiatives at the FAA, which will guide our work for years to come. To make good decisions, you need good information. You need good data that points to the risks. That is why what you’re doing here today is so important. 

As you know, we’ve reached a point in aviation safety where commercial operations are safer than ever. This is in great part thanks to the work of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team and to carriers, manufacturers, labor, and the FAA working together to reduce hazards and risks. That teamwork, along with advances in aircraft safety and new regulations, reduced the commercial fatality risk in the United States by more than 80 percent over a 10 year period. 

We are building on that success through our expanding government-industry partnership with CAST and the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing program. CAST and ASIAS, and the work you’re doing at InfoShare, are vital to changing the culture of how we approach safety. It’s vital to transforming us from an aviation safety culture based on forensic analysis of accidents, to a culture that identifies risk and concentrates efforts on eradicating those risks from the system.

In order to determine risk, we need to identify problem areas, and to do that, we need information. We need to see patterns in the vast array of data. The type of information you feed into the various voluntary self-reporting programs is vital—the Aviation Safety Action Program for employees, and the Flight Operational Quality Assurance program for flight data.  Together with the info we provide through the FAA’s programs for controllers and Tech Ops, these efforts are essential and foundational to a new safety culture. I’m heartened to see the support for this kind of info sharing from operations folks, from the dozens of carriers here today, including carriers from overseas, and from our partners in labor and industry.

InfoShare means a willingness to give the FAA a look into your operations.  For my part, the push for increased data sharing is a pledge by the FAA that what you divulge will be de-identified and not be used against you.  I want you to know that I’m a firm believer in this process.  We need to create and sustain a safety culture where the continual pursuit of enhanced safety is more important than assigning blame. People need to share what they know without concern of reprisal or loss of competitive edge. Employees need to feel that they can raise their hand and talk about things that are troubling them. Safety is essential to what we do, and it’s also good business. If we’re not safe, nothing else matters. 

The entire goal of this conference is to find precursors to risk, to examine those hazards, and to get rid of them.  Certainly, training and professionalism are part of the equation.  But the information we get from data sharing is the foundation. And we are improving participation all the time.  Since 2007, airline pilots alone have submitted 150,000 voluntary safety reports.  The number of operators participating in ASIAS is currently 44, up from just four carriers seven year ago. The model to improve safety is the success that we’ve seen with InfoShare, ASIAS and CAST working in partnership. 

Last year, we took the logical next step and decided to apply the model to GA.  In March, we launched a one-year program to demonstrate what ASIAS could do to help the GA community.  This project will build on the process established by all of you for commercial aviation.  To do this, we’re working with local pilot groups in Arizona, and national pilot groups, manufacturers and NATCA.   We’re giving pilots a new set of tools to look at flight data. These tools will use applications for tablets or mobile phones to record real-time flight data.  GA pilots will be able to upload and analyze their own data and critique their own flight. Data submitted through these tools is confidential and de-identified. It will not be used for enforcement purposes; but instead, to improve GA safety.

The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee was essential to this work.  Although we have reduced the GA accident over the last 20 years, that rate has leveled off in the last few years. We need to redouble our efforts to keep it moving down and reduce the number of fatal GA accidents.  I’m pleased to see that GA is also establishing InfoShare for their communities.  On Thursday, the corporate members of the GA community are getting together right here to do just that to share safety information.

There are other examples as well.  As those of you from the Regional Airline Association already know, your pilots alerted us to a potential risk involving the way RNAV departures were programmed into flight management systems.  Through ASIAS, we were able to conduct an analysis that led to CAST adopting safety enhancements last year.  This includes improving the way that these departures are designed.  It includes improving the training of pilots and air traffic controllers when using these procedures. 

This reinforces something that intrinsically each of us already knows:  When all of us are willing to place our knowledge and experience on the table, we can significantly advance safety.

You’re also well aware of the work with Airplane State Awareness that’s come out of information sharing.  As aviation advances, so does technology. As we know, technology can change the equation.  It’s not unlike when I learned how to drive a car, which was a manual transmission… a Ford Pinto to be exact.  While learning, I was constantly paying attention to the speed, the tachometer, the sound of the engine and whether there was enough distance to stop.  Today automatic transmissions are mainstream, and we drive without concentrating nearly as much on these basics. Instead, drivers now benefit from newer safety features that remove blind spots, such as the live view on the dashboard that shows what is behind the car when backing up, and other features that can detect if the car is veering towards the road shoulder and correct the steering. Suddenly, driving has become a very different experience. 

To understand the effects of technology is not easy.  Better than two-thirds of recent loss of control events stem from attitude awareness or energy state awareness.  Were it not for the precursors we uncovered through the information you shared, we wouldn’t have realized this as quickly. The kind of information you are sharing is helping us prioritize our efforts to enhance safety in a targeted way.   

In fact as the FAA moves toward Safety Management Systems, we need to ensure all of us in the aviation community work together. In the future, there will be opportunities for both commercial aviation and GA to work together on problems that are common to both communities.

In closing, let me say how pleased I am to see such a full room.  I’m especially glad to see corporate and international participation.  There’s an increased involvement and awareness with the Directors of Safety, who are having their third meeting this week.  And the Directors of Maintenance are meeting for the first time here at the conference. 

Meetings like this give us all a chance to talk about best practices and continuously refine the top issues.  I appreciate the work all of you are doing and more importantly, I appreciate very much that we are doing it together.  I’m looking forward to joining you this afternoon.

NextGen

Thank you for that fine introduction.

I thought this morning it would be a good time to reflect a bit on what’s happened in the last year with NextGen – what we’ve accomplished and where we see it going at this point.

Our focus the last year has been on three distinct areas.

One has been completing the foundational work of NextGen. Completing it on time. Completing it on budget. And communicating about it with stakeholders better than ever.  

The ADS-B ground installation was completed this year on time. This spring, we will have completed ERAM – putting the foundational technologies in our centers.

And as importantly, Ed Bolton, Assistant Administrator for NextGen, and I have been very focused on communicating our progress on foundational projects. I think there’s been a lot of misunderstanding about where NextGen is. The lifecycle was designed as a 20-year, $20 billion endeavor. We’re about $5 billion into that, so, it’s still relatively early in the long haul, if you will. But we are on track to complete the foundational piece.

The second thing that we’re focusing on is delivering benefits to users that have already been in the pipeline. And again we are getting better at articulating what those benefits are.

This year we completed the new Houston Metroplex project. We completed 61 new satellite-based procedures in the metro area. Almost 650,000 fewer nautical miles each year will be flown in that metro area because of the optimization. That saves gas and cuts down on emissions. It’s like taking the equivalent of 6,000 cars off the streets of Houston. Some very significant undertakings that have been in the pipeline for some time are now being delivered.

In addition, there have been new runway procedures in Atlanta that have significantly increased capacity. And wake recategorization has been a major initiative that we’re rolling out that has been hugely popular with carriers. It’s really a very low cost way to increase runway capacity in congested airspace.

And then finally, the third thing we’ve been focusing on is engaging with our stakeholders to make sure that we are aligned with what their interests are. And the major forum for this has been through the NextGen Advisory Committee taskings that Ed will talk about in some detail.

I think I had been here for about a month, when we sent a request to the NextGen Advisory Committee to let us know what industry values as far as these technologies. And that has been hugely meaningful work that has allowed us to be much more aligned with industry and much more focused on delivering benefits to industry.

In some ways, these were confidence building measures, to keep NextGen on track. But they also caused some very real process changes to happen, not only within the FAA but also working with industry. And this has given us some success. That brings us to where we are now. We will continue along the path that we’ve been on for the last year. We will continue to execute on the on the basis of completing the foundation and reporting the metrics. We will continue to execute on the benefits that are in the pipeline.

The North Texas Metroplex is rolled out this week. These are very significant programs that have been underway for years in some cases. And we will continue to execute well and deliver those benefits.

And with respect to the NextGen priorities that we’re working on with the NAC, we will report to Congress in the middle of next month with very definitive milestones and targets and plans. And we will continue to work and execute and meet those targets and plans. So there’s a very significant amount of work underway.

As we look to the future, as we look at how to keep NextGen on track, I think now our focus is turning to another milestone that’s out in front of us, which is the 2020 mandate for ADS-B equipage. And I would say that there is not a more important milestone in NextGen than ADS-B equipage. It is the technology that will be used in NextGen. It is what allows us to replace the radar-based system with a GPS-based system.

As you all undoubtedly know, the rule was put in place in 2010. It was put in place with a 10-year runway to allow equipage to occur. That runway was there to allow the carriers to have a normal cycle of aircraft replacement and maintenance. It was there to give GA an opportunity to equip, and for the cost of equipage to come down. And there was also a 10 year period to allow some certainty that the FAA would be able to execute on its part of the bargain with the installation of ADS-B.

So we’re now half-way to that point. We’re almost five years from the day of the mandate. I think there have been some very good trends that we’ve seen with ADS-B equipage. We have seen the price of equipage for GA come down. It seems like every time there’s an airshow at Oshkosh, the price has come down another thousand dollars. We’re seeing positive trends in that direction.

As I mentioned, the ADS-B infrastructure has been completed, so we have done our part of the bargain. The installations are there, and ERAM, which will operate ADS-B, will be up and running. Now we come to the point where we’re looking at how we are going to go operational. We have only so much visibility into the plans of the carriers. These plans for equipage are sensitive plans. But these are the kinds of issues that we need to start looking at and how we’re going to stay on track with that date.

We’re doing two things in this regard. The first is that we are communicating clearly and unequivocally that the 2020 mandate will not change. That date is not going to change. If I could think of another way of saying that, I would. But the date is not going to change. And we have to make sure that that has been understood.

The second thing is that we’re announcing an industry Call to Action, which the FAA will host on October 28 in our offices. The invitations are going out today. We are going to bring together industry leaders and associations to have a day where we look at where we are with ADS-B and where we are with equipage. We want to form working groups and try to identify what the issues are, or what the barriers are. What can industry do to move forward and what can we do to move forward. And then in four months regroup to guide that work.

If you look at the work that’s gone on at the NAC with the NextGen priorities, if you look at the intensity of the work that’s gone on, with over 100 companies involved, working with the FAA. We need to bring that same kind of intensity to looking at the ADS-B issue. If we don’t equip by 2020, it’s not possible to keep NextGen on track. Right now NextGen is on track. And we will keep it on track, but we’ve got to meet that mandate.  

One of the reasons we want to do this is because we’ve had a series of private conversations on the issues around this, and we get a lot of myths. We get a lot of stakeholders who point to other stakeholders and say, well, we would really like to equip, but the manufacturers are doing this, or the avionics manufacturers are doing that and the carriers are doing that. So we want to get everyone in the room so that we can start to hash that out.

I can’t think of a more appropriate place to initiate this effort than here at the NextGen Institute. The NextGen Institute is a perfect partner for us to do this work.

We want to use the Institute’s experience to help us stay on track and bring it together for 2020. We’re looking forward to working with all of you and your cooperation.

Let me stop there, and I’m happy to answer any questions.

Airports: The Link Within the Western Hemisphere and Beyond

Bom dia a todos. Thank you for the warm introduction.  It is a pleasure to be here in Brazil.  This is my first time in your lovely country and my first time flying into Guarulhos. It’s very impressive, and I congratulate you on all of the recent improvements you’ve made, especially the opening of Terminal 3, the new passenger terminal.  

The United States and Brazil have long been leaders in civil aviation.  We honor the vision, passion, and perseverance of our aviation pioneers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, and Alberto Santos Dumont.  These talented men contributed greatly to our early knowledge of flight. 

Brazil and the United States have strong ties, including an agreement for cooperation in aviation that has been a highlight of our bilateral relationship and an example for other sectors of the economy.  This helps us maintain a productive relationship between our nations and provide aviation leadership jointly within the Western Hemisphere.  There’s good reason to do this.  We both have strong aviation manufacturing programs, large aviation sectors, and complex airspace systems. 

The increase in air traffic between the United States and Brazil is expected to grow at 6.5 percent per year between now and 2025.  And, it is no longer only tourist travel –it is also now business travelers.  This is a reflection of the growing interconnectedness of our economies.  The growth of traffic overall between the U.S. and Latin America will likely outpace the growth between the United States and other regions, even the fast-growing Asia Pacific region. 

Our Aviation Partnership gives us an opportunity to capitalize on this expansion, and to embrace the inherent link and the common heritage in our hemisphere.  In addition, we have a joint commitment to share safety data proactively through the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing program, and other mechanisms, and to the legal protection of such data. 

I have listened this morning with great interest to the discussion on Brazil’s airport study.  And, I applaud the forward thinking that you are doing here in Brazil on airport development.  Airports are the gateways to locations near and far.  It is in the airport where we experience all facets of our global village: vacationers, business travelers, students departing to study abroad, or people traveling to far off lands to visit family.  And airports are the place where all parts of aviation converge.  You saw this with the successful World Cup Games this June and July, and you will have the same experience when you host the Olympics here in 2016. 

My experience with the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City was similar.  Effective airport infrastructure was vital to the success of the Games.  Utah airports were the face of the Olympics.  Your airports will be the first and last impression that travelers will have when entering and leaving Brazil in 2016.  

And, it’s not just applicable to special events.  We all know the importance of aviation and airports to the global economy.  Airports big and small are part of this economic engine – they contribute to local, national, and global economies alike.  Aviation and airports fuel jobs and trade for millions of people. 

In the United States, airports are owned and operated by various sponsors – cities, states and regions.  My agency supports airports by providing grants to a variety of airports for development and improvement projects through the Airport Improvement Program.  This program, which is funded through ticket and fuel taxes, has allowed us to issue billions of dollars of grants to ensure that airport infrastructure in the United States remains state-of-the-art.  Because of these grants, airports throughout the country have successfully completed many development projects.  This has included refurbishing or extending runways, taxiways and aprons.   

Some U.S. airports have also received grants to enhance runway safety areas, to build and improve airport terminals, and to reduce environmental impacts.  These improvements are crucial to the enhanced safety and efficiency of U.S. airspace, and to meet the demands of a growing and changing airspace.  They are critical to preserving our airport infrastructure, and for helping expand the benefits of aviation modernization. 

Just as infrastructure on the ground is important, we cannot overlook investment in infrastructure in the air. A modernized air traffic system also creates more efficient and safer operations in and around airports.  For example, in the United States, we have improved infrastructure and built new capabilities at airports throughout the country to move more aircraft efficiently. 

The Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, is our program for modernization, and it is about creating a more efficient, environmentally sound, and ultimately safer aviation system.  It is helping us evolve from the ground-based radar system of today to a satellite-based system of tomorrow.  So, while in certain areas where airport infrastructure expansion may be limited, we can continue to utilize more effective and efficient arrival and departure procedures to more precisely utilize the existing airspace, especially in busy metropolitan areas. 

Many technologies are making NextGen a reality.  Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast —or ADS-B – is one of the foundations of NextGen.  We have completed the installation of more than 630 ADS-B ground stations across the United States.  This surveillance capability is now available everywhere that radar is available, and in some places where radar cannot function, such as over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and in mountainous regions. 

ADS-B transmits the location of aircraft to controllers and other ADS-B equipped aircraft with a faster update rate than radar.  This infrastructure will improve the efficiency of our airports through better approaches and departures, and better routes in busy metropolitan areas.  Newer technologies are also used by air traffic controllers at airports to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles.  These allow better and more efficient operations between aircraft and other vehicles on airport grounds, and help reduce the possibility of runway incursions. 

With NextGen, more precise departure and arrival paths will optimize routing and operations, especially for congested metropolitan areas, and improve access to locations previously challenged by land-based navigation.  My agency works with airports, airlines, air traffic controllers, and other federal agencies to improve air traffic flow around all of the airports in busy metropolitan areas with multiple airports.

These more efficient routes in turn lessen the environmental impact of aviation.  A more direct approach or departure will reduce emissions, a benefit to us all.  We must focus on aviation’s impact on the environment.  And, as we do this, we must ensure that our approach is balanced.  The agreement reached last year at the ICAO Assembly to pass a resolution to address environmental impact with market-based measures is a sound approach.  Our governments worked together closely on this solution, and it is one that we can be proud of as we move forward on a global level. 

We also see the need for alternative fuel solutions to address environmental and economic issues.  The FAA is actively involved with industry under the Continuous Lower Energy Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) program, to conduct tests to demonstrate the use of alternative fuels.  Brazil is a pioneer in alternative fuels for cars and increasingly for aircraft, and our governments have signed an agreement under which we cooperate in the development and certification of alternative fuels for aviation.  We must encourage other governments to take similar steps to ensure a solid, proactive way to address the need for more efficient fuel sources.  The steps you have taken with alternative fuels, not only in aviation, but in transportation in general, are to be commended.    

As aviation brings the far reaches of the globe closer and closer together, we have much to celebrate.  This is especially true within our own hemisphere.  We have experienced phenomenal growth over the decades, and airports continue to play a key role in this development.  As the famous saying goes, a mile of road takes you one mile.  A mile of runway can take you anywhere in the world.  We must never underestimate the value that airports bring to communities, nations, and to the global economy. 

Thank you, again, for your kind invitation.  Muito Obrigado.

Safety Through Partnership

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Oscar [Derby], for that kind introduction, and thank you for doing an outstanding job as well.  And let me offer a special thank you as well to the professionals who are attending the series of meetings that bring us to Curacao.  The list is impressive.  The Pan American Aviation Safety Summit.  Your fifth summit.  The Regional Aviation Safety Group-Pan America.  Your seventh meeting.   

When you see groups like these coming together, it is a very, very good sign.  It’s a sign that we share common goals.  We believe that safety is the foundation for moving forward in this industry.  We believe that partnership is not only the best way to get there, but that it is the smartest business decision anyone of us can make.

But most of all, an audience of this size is a very clear indication that we plan to move forward together.  As I looked at the agenda for this week, I saw more than a dozen organizational and company logos from all over the world.  That is outstanding.  Aviation is an international business that by its very nature brings people together.  The success of this industry and this conference are rooted in partnership.  From what I have seen and heard so far, I can say with certainty that we are perfectly positioned to get there. 

Let me start out by congratulating the Regional Aviation Safety Group-Pan America—RASG-PA.  I know that there are many RASG-PA member states here right now.  I am excited by your work.  You are without question working hard at becoming world leaders in aviation safety.  And you are very committed to carrying this out at a regional level.  That’s a model for the rest of us to follow. 

I’m particularly impressed by the partnership you’ve established between the industry and the State regulators.  This is not happening in all parts of the world, but I think we all agree that it needs to.  In our experience, we have seen that it is key to have everyone at the table who has a role to play in the solution. 

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating:  Partnership is the heart of safety, but it does take a leader to help make it happen.  I want to recognize one of our key partners – the ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean Regional Office and the Regional Director Loretta Martin for her leadership over the years in helping RASG-PA evolve.  Her commitment and professionalism at ICAO has enabled this regional safety group to become a model of improving safety around the world.  I’d be remiss not to acknowledge our other key regional partner, Franklin Hoyer from the ICAO  South America Regional office in Lima.  Your work makes a difference. 

What Loretta Martin will tell you firsthand – as will the successful operators – is that we must establish safety cultures.  That’s what safety management systems do for aviation.  When you instill a safety culture—a culture that’s based from top to bottom with safety as its focus—you get a safety record like the one we have in U.S. commercial aviation. 

By definition, a safety management system—SMS—is a process-oriented approach to managing safety throughout an organization.  That includes everything up to and including an organization-wide safety policy.  An SMS takes the guesswork out of safety assessments. 

An SMS has formal methods for identifying hazards, and then mitigating and controlling risk.  An SMS continually assesses risk and safety performance.  SMS is not just about compliance with technical standards.  An SMS emphasizes the overall safety performance of the organization. 

Through safety management systems, we can shape aviation’s future by continuing to drive down safety risk.  The frequency of commercial airline accidents is declining around the world.  Safety management feeds the safety culture of an organization, which in turn provides the safety information that gives us insight into precursors.  The information is based on data bases that are populated with input from operational information from flight data recorders, from radar and also from voluntary submissions made by safety professionals on the front line.

That type of safety record happens when everyone … everyone who touches the plane … everyone who touches something that touches the plane … when all the players have safety as their primary concern.  In aviation, we have very complex processes—manufacturing, maintenance and operations—things move very quickly.  With humans in the loop it’s easy to make a mistake.  We can’t afford that.  With safety, you must always be vigilant. 

In the U.S., we’ve achieved an 83 percent reduction in the commercial fatality -risk because we take a proactive approach to safety.  Safety management ensures that the outcomes of any activity incorporate safety considerations.  And it insists on a healthy safety culture. 

As we move forward in the safety information sharing that really gives these partnerships life, it’s important to remember that all of these efforts have been successful because this is not punitive.  FAA Administrator Michael Huerta has said on more than one occasion that secure data and information sharing among trusted professionals has the potential to be the single-greatest catalyst for aviation safety in the decades to come.  He is absolutely 100 percent right. 

He’s right because voluntary safety data adds a new dimension to what we can learn about what’s happening in the system.  I want to encourage everyone here to champion the implementation of these programs in the aviation community.

The simple fact of the matter is that providing protections for safety programs is vital.  That is the only way we can encourage members of the community to step forward with safety issues.  Data sharing is based entirely on trust, and all parties need to be able to trust one another. 

Information sharing needs to be part of any system that’s striving for safety.  Information sharing and international partnership go hand in hand.  Information sharing is pivotal if we as aviation safety professionals are to enhance safety worldwide. 

Our collaborative efforts in this region are well under way.  The Commercial Aviation Safety Team is an example that’s well known to you.  CAST signed an agreement with the RASG-PA to share U.S. operator experience at 22 Latin American and Caribbean airports.  This agreement lets CAST and RASG-PA share detailed safety information through systems like ASIAS to monitor risk and evaluate the effectiveness of deployed mitigations.  In addition to sharing CAST safety information based on U.S. experience flying into RASG-PA destinations, CAST has also shared its solutions to safety risks … and many of these have been adopted by RASG-PA.

In closing, it’s important that you know that your work makes a difference.  We look forward to building on our successes together to address safety risk in this region.  I know that regional aviation safety groups participate in the FAA’s Aviation Safety InfoShare meetings back in the United States.  That is one of our most important venues for safety.  I was delighted to hear CAST’s recent Airplane State Awareness study was already being evaluated by PA-RAST for its training-related safety enhancements.

When government and industry become partners, it’s not about the government telling everyone what to do.  It’s about individuals and their organizations and their businesses stepping up and sharing information.  Sharing best practices.  Making sure that all operators are safe.  That all maintenance facilities are safe.  That we all move forward with safety as our goal. 

This is where you’ll get the best results.  When we are looking at all of the available data together, it’s hard not to come to the same conclusion.  And that conclusion is that safety and partnership go hand in hand.  Safety and partnership must go hand-in-hand.  Thank you.

T.F. Green Runway

My background is in transportation, so obviously, I’m a huge fan of airports. And I have to tell you, this is a beautiful airport. We have a wonderful partnership here at T.F. Green Airport, and there is lots of potential to help Rhode Island grow economically.

As the Secretary will tell you, the airport grants that we’ve provided played a very, very significant role here. But all of that started here with a vision, a vision that the state of Rhode Island had, a plan for bigger and better, for growth for this airport. And we’re so proud to be partnering with you to leverage this airport and its role in this area. You’ve shown a strong commitment to the flying public as well as to the community.

The airfield improvement program here is going to make a big, big difference. Lengthening the airport’s primary runway will improve efficiency and will enhance safety for the airlines and the traveling public. It will also allow T.F. Green to handle longer haul flights. The new runway safety areas and arrestor beds on the other runways provide an extra margin of safety in the very unlikely event that a pilot needs to use them.

In fact, they’re called “EMAS” – Engineered Materials Arresting System – and what they do is actually slow an airplane to a complete stop if it overruns the main runway area – just as planned. And if you want to know what one looks like, there is an EMAS bed at the end of this runway right behind you. The EMAS at the end of Runway 34 will be done by the end of next year.

The sum total of all that brings us here today. Big things are in store for T.F. Green Airport. I am absolutely confident of that.

Now, it’s my pleasure to introduce the Secretary of Transportation. When the President nominated Anthony Foxx to be Secretary, he said, “He’s got the respect of his peers, mayors, and governors all across the country. He’s going to be extraordinarily effective.” That’s a nice thing to hear coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Secretary is an unfailing supporter of aviation, and that’s what brings him here today. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Secretary Anthony Foxx.