As professionals engaged in business aviation, each of us probably has questions about what lies ahead for our community. Will there be sufficient airspace and runway capacity to accommodate an increasing number of operations without a subsequent increase in delays? Will the ATC infrastructure be improved, and if so, whose voices will dominate the debate for designing a new system? Is it likely that enough very light jets (VLJs) will be sold for this class of aircraft to be a major factor in future airspace design and utilization? Will the government impose additional user fees? Will airlines establish a business model that lets them make money without provoking current levels of traveler dissatisfaction? Is there a bright future for business and corporate aviation?
The federal government provided some insight into answering these questions in its recently released report titled Next Generation Air Transportation System Integrated Plan. Prepared by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), which includes representatives from six government agencies as well as input from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), this document proposes eight strategies for transforming our nation’s air transportation system during the next 20 years.
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