NBAA Applauds FAA’s Request for Solutions on Historic ATC System Overhaul

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen commended the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) recent publication of a Request for Solutions (RFS), in which the agency solicits a prime integrator to manage the development and implementation of a modernized air traffic control (ATC) system.

“NBAA applauds the FAA’s important next step to move forward with air traffic control modernization,” said Bolen. “We support efforts to streamline procurement and drive results to meet the three-to-four-year goal. This Request for Solutions is a key step toward modernizing the National Airspace System (NAS) on schedule.”

The FAA outlines a three-pillar strategy to aviation safety: continuously optimizing national airspace design and technology; modernizing NAS infrastructure, telecommunication, surveillance, automation and facilities; and fully staffing and equipping the best people for the mission. The agency says these three pillars will result in safety, reliability, agility and scalability of the NAS.

The Performance Work Statement (PWS) in the RFS describes the role, responsibilities and tasks of the prime integrator. The RFS also includes instructions for submitting a proposal and criteria by which the agency will evaluate proposals and Integrator accountability terms.

The FAA will respond to questions about the RFS on a rolling basis on Sept. 9, 16 and 19, and plans to select the prime integrator on or around Oct. 31.

Details are available in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.