People say the sky's the limit.
But for the Federal Aviation Administration, the sky is just the beginning.
And we have a vision for airspace
that will lead us to 2035 and beyond.
But first, a little background on the FAA and our mission
to provide the safest, most efficient airspace system in the world.
From commercial flight crews,
to private pilots, to cargo carriers, to the flying public,
One thing is clear.
We all depend on the Federal Aviation Administration.
It's part of the fabric of our culture.
These are some mind boggling numbers.
Our 46,000 employees safely
and efficiently oversee the NAS. By setting rules,
defining standards and coordinating flights.
That's 44,000 flights transporting
two and a half million passengers per day.
Many improvements have been made through NextGEN.
An ongoing program designed to modernize our national air space.
One of those advancements is continuous descent. A procedure
that allows for a more efficient and fuel saving descent to the runway.
Procedures like these create positive environmental benefits,
lessening the amount of pollution and noise in our airspace.
The airspace industry has
seen tremendous growth and innovation in recent years.
New players have taken flight.
Many are more energy efficient, utilizing new battery and solar technologies.
But they also present a new set of challenges.
Because fast or slow, big or small.
They will all need to share the national air space system.
So how do we safely accommodate all these new vehicles
without disrupting existing air traffic?
Luckily, through innovation, there are many exciting
new opportunities.
What will the NAS look like in 2035?
The FAA is already planning for the future by focusing on three key areas.
The first is operations.
We'll set rules for airspace use
and standard procedures for the varying types of operations.
Participants will benefit from a seamless exchange
of information supporting cooperation and safety.
This federated information allows for more operator-focused decision making.
Future flight paths will be proposed, adjusted and confirmed based on these rules.
This enables fast and efficient response to stay better
informed about other flights.
Trajectories are calculated to identify potential conflicts
or optimize individual flight paths.
These optimized efficiencies provide both fuel and environmental benefits.
Each participant will have full access to the big picture,
helping coordinate daily operations and relieve issues with bottlenecks.
Updates will be made moment-to-moment,
ensuring everyone stays informed through each and every flight.
It's this collection and
dissemination of data that allows us to make more useful predictions.
In addition to location, speed and altitude, the system will have access
to performance information like aircraft weight and fuel consumption.
All this data is organized to make it useful for operational decisions.
The information is made available
based on each participant's needs and access level.
This federated model of cooperative decision making distributes
information enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions at the right time.
Over time, this historical data allows us to look back at congestions
and bottlenecks and improve future planning.
Plus, we can put all that data
to work, integrating it system wide with machine learning.
Hypothetical scenarios like increased flight density,
proposed routes and changes to rules can all be tested
for safety concerns – resulting in more informed decisions.
Another innovation is the concept of agile systems.
That's when many small applications work together to create flexibility.
This systems of applications approach creates a web of connected technologies
that benefit the whole network, while keeping the flexibility of each subsystem.
at the core, the safety critical services
necessary for the safe functioning of the national airspace.
With the advances made in machine learning and analytics,
we'll be equipped to make more accurate long-term predictions and more effective
short-term adjustments.
The second area of focus, is our infrastructure.
Nearly all the world surface has communications coverage.
With the advent of inexpensive modular equipment, gaps can be filled in.
Continuous connectivity has obvious advantages for navigation,
communications and surveillance.
Plus, saving this historical data allows big data analytics.
This makes real time safety analytics possible.
This redundant, overlapping
web of communication technologies is more resilient and robust,
able to paint a more complete picture and also withstand outages.
With a diverse range of satellites and ground services,
this paradigm could withstand outages without going offline.
And improvements can be added without rebuilding the whole system.
With all innovation, there are unforeseen technological developments.
We've planned for that, too, inviting a range of diverse
technologies from public and private partners.
And as technologies expand or fade away,
the FAA will be there early without risking large investments.
And finally, the third area of focus: Safety assurance
That means maintaining our national airspace system as the safest in the world.
One way is through flexible flight rules, tailoring
vehicles' capabilities to ensure safe and efficient use of shared airspace.
Another way is through interoperability.
That means utilizing a rich diversity of technologies, enabling each vehicle
to talk to each other and perform in harmony.
And lastly, will employ machine learning
and artificial intelligence into real-time micro decisions.
Participants and systems will have more risk management checks in more locations,
more often - safely accommodating, changing needs as they arise.
And that means safer airspace for everyone.
As you can see, changes in the air
with a whole new set of unique complexities.
But everyone at the FAA is ready to meet those challenges
and usher in an exciting new era in aviation.
We have a vision of vibrant and connected framework for the NAS
that will open the skies to novel aircraft, new markets
and state of the art services.
The future of the NAS starts here.
A future that builds on a proud legacy of mutual cooperation
and propels us all into a bright new tomorrow.
Because the sky is not the limit, it's just the beginning.