Urgent Need for FAA Modernization of Air Traffic Control Systems GAO Report Says

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing significant challenges in maintaining its air traffic control (ATC) systems, many of which are outdated and unsustainable. Following a national airspace shutdown in 2023, triggered by a system failure, the FAA initiated an operational risk assessment that revealed alarming results. Nearly 37 percent of the FAA's 138 systems were deemed unsustainable, and another 39 percent potentially unsustainable. Many of these systems, which are crucial to the safety and efficiency of the national airspace, are aging, with some systems more than 50 years old. The FAA has identified 58 systems that have critical operational impacts on the safety and efficiency of the airspace.

Despite these findings, the FAA’s modernization efforts have been slow. The agency currently has 64 ongoing investments aimed at modernizing 90 of the 105 unsustainable and potentially unsustainable systems. However, many of these modernization efforts will take years to complete, with some systems not expected to be fully modernized for another 10 to 13 years. Even more concerning, the FAA has not initiated modernization efforts for four of the most critical and at-risk systems, leaving their future uncertain.

This slow pace of modernization is not a new issue for the FAA. For decades, the agency has struggled with modernization efforts, encountering delays and cost overruns. The challenges are rooted in a combination of factors, including the unavailability of replacement parts for older systems, the retirement of technicians with expertise in outdated technologies, and the increasing demand on the national airspace. As the FAA anticipates a 6.2 percent annual increase in air travel, the need to address these issues is becoming more urgent.

The FAA’s lack of near-term plans to address its most critical systems raises significant concerns about the safety and efficiency of the national airspace. While the agency has begun to develop new risk assessment processes and operational plans, it has yet to prioritize modernization efforts for its most critical systems. Furthermore, the FAA has acknowledged gaps in accountability, stating that some investments that have not yet established cost, schedule, or performance baselines receive limited oversight. As a result, these investments face delays in implementation, further slowing the FAA’s ability to modernize its systems.

The FAA’s acquisition management process has also contributed to these delays. The agency’s acquisition lifecycle consists of six phases, culminating in a decision to proceed to the next phase. Many of the selected investments reviewed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have taken years to establish cost, schedule, and performance baselines. For example, the 11 investments required to establish an acquisition program baseline took an average of 4 years and 7 months to do so. Some investments, such as the Next Generation Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency Air-to-Ground Communications Phase 2 investment, took over six years to establish a baseline. Investments without baselines receive limited oversight, contributing to the delays and challenges in modernization.

The GAO’s report makes several recommendations for the FAA to improve its modernization efforts. These include reporting to Congress on how it is mitigating the risks of unsustainable systems, establishing a time frame for developing and implementing guidance to increase oversight of pre-baselined investments, ensuring that ATC modernization investments establish baselines more quickly, and requiring consistent reviews of all high-risk investments. The FAA has concurred with most of these recommendations and is in the early stages of planning to implement them.

However, without more immediate action, the FAA’s modernization efforts are likely to continue to face significant delays. The aging ATC systems pose a real risk to the safety and efficiency of the national airspace, and the FAA’s current pace of modernization is not sufficient to address these challenges. Until the FAA prioritizes its most critical systems and improves its oversight processes, the national airspace will remain vulnerable to future outages and system failures.