The FAA is now officially testing the waters to determine the shape of its reimagined air traffic control system. It issued a Request for Information Friday that will help determine the form of the new system. Specifically, it’s asking those who think they know how all this should work to answer a series of questions about how they would bring ATC under a single automated platform, to be known as the Common Automation Platform (CAP). It wants to replace its existing main systems, the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) and the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), under a single system that pushes all the right buttons. It says it’s open to hearing from anyone qualified to have an opinion on how all this should work but it’s not interested in proposals nor will it pay for the submissions.
“The FAA is open to new ideas, new technologies, new procurement strategies, new implementation structures, and any other considerations that will enhance the Common Automation Platform solution,” the FAA says in its Request for Information. “In particular, the FAA is open to an Enterprise Re-Architecture approach that extends and re-architects existing FAA automation assets (e.g., ERAM and STARS) as well as an Operationally Proven Platform approach based on a platform with documented operational use by other ANSPs in domestic or international ATC environments; responses that describe both approaches separately or hybrid solutions that combine elements of both approaches are acceptable. The FAA is seeking responses from vendors that can deliver the majority of the operational capability already provided today across its en-route, and terminal domains.” The full Request for Information appears below.
Nice of the FAA to be asking but the request seems to be open ended, to say the least. 10 yrs later . . . . . .
More importantly, the blatant “name-dropping” at the very top of the announcement tells us all we need to know about whose knob is getting polished. This effort is is not for us pilots, its just an RFP for another ballroom.
The one thing we can count on is that non-commercial “affordable flying” will become less so, and more constrained.
With this, I just don’t see Duffy’s idea of having all those facilities and equipment issues replaced by his statement of 2028.
Curious how the Center and Tracon systems were different to being with. How did ERAM and STARS come about? Seems obvious they should have been the same to start with.
ERAM is a nationwide system that was desparately needed to replace the former Host system that utilized modified IBM System 360 computers dating back to the early 1970s. STARS was implemented one TRACON at a time over a period of 18 years beginning in 2003. That they were not better integrated from the beginning is probably a matter of the FAA’s difficulty in planning past the next budget cycle.
Should a replacement integrated system make extensive use of AI?
Ain’t no way to say it except, “you got to be sh===ing me!” I just read the entire request for info. Who in the hell was able to consider all those questions? And who in the hell has any answers between now and the December date to provide realistic answers? Reading it, I felt like I had time warped back into my FAA, where the more BS you can state gets you the greatest number of points and recognition. Or maybe this is the answer??????? 2028…..you ain’t gonna happen!
More likely by 2038, considering that the government (AKA Congress) will all want to have some of the money funneled to their districts, so will insist on their part of the plan to be included. When there are tens of billions of dollars involved, every representative and senator will be vying for their share.
“What do you think are the FAA’s top three obstacles in achieving the stated goal
of a CAP and how would you propose to overcome them? ”
1 – The President
2 – The Transportation Secretary
3 – The fact that the current administration is a clown-show with incompetent leadership intent on grift, not solutions.
Actual leadership at the FAA could hold a conference or blue-sky session with key *intelligent* people in the key fields of IT, Air Traffic, Pilots, Data Analysis, and yes, Human Resources.
Pull these people in and tell them they have a clean slate, no budget constraints, and two week to create a via framework to build on. They have to consider two points
Conversion of data from legacy to modern systems
parallel testing
Since there is nothing relating to good leadership at the FAA this could not happen since egos would have to be stroked over possible good solutions.
Without a clear strategy regarding the modernization, standardization, competent manufacturing, and funding (meaning legitimate bidding without built in cost and production overruns) of new hardware for ATC, there is no way to get out of a 20%+ deficit of qualified controllers. It is clear that few citizens and politicians care about controller mental and physical health. As long as no aircraft are trading paint, controllers work their assigned 60+ hour work week because we have normalized it for decades. The aviation community rightly abhors and preach against normalization of deviancy in the cockpit, but it is permissible in the “cab” keeping manned and unmanned aircraft separated. Modern equipment will go a long way in relieving controller stress, burnout, and help facilitate more accurate projections of future staffing needs. It would help make being a controller a sought after career vs a job that will potentially kill you well before 65 because of accumulated physical and mental stress suffered over decades.
Asking for outside “suggestions” from the public sector after decades of use of 70’s technology at the expense of the controllers overall health tells me there is no plan for modernization. This question(s) posed by the FAA, is nothing more than a PR stunt to make the masses happy the skies are safe, keep booking one’s trips, your FAA has it all under control with or without funding. We will see another government shutdown at the end of January 2026 to leverage another opportunity to divide this country between blue and red ahead of mid-terms that may or may not happen with all the chicanery our government is involved with today and already planned for tomorrow. The next shutdown will leverage Easter/spring break travel season, at the expense of the controllers once again. Worked during Thanksgiving 2025, our government is confident it will work in the spring of 2026.