NATCA: Collaboration Resulting in NextGen Success, Funding Uncertainty Creates Challenges

National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Paul Rinaldi told the Senate Aviation Subcommittee today that the successful implementation of NextGen modernization, which NATCA fully supports, is underway. He said the progress has been fueled by strong and effective collaboration involving NATCA, the FAA, and other aviation stakeholders. The results, he added, are “much-needed improvements that will increase the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS).”

Rinaldi also expressed NATCA’s concern that the progress could be undermined by the lack of stable funding for these important modernization projects. In the past year, mandatory sequestration cuts resulted in furloughs at the FAA that slowed or halted several essential NextGen projects.

“Funding uncertainty has also created a stop-and-go pace that adds cost overruns as air traffic controllers must be retrained each time a project is halted – lost time becomes lost money, and lost opportunity to reap the benefits of these modernizations,” he said.