ATC
Government enlists industry input on future of NextGen
After many months of apparent silence, there is action on the NextGen front.

After many months of apparent silence, there is action on the NextGen front. But the program is progressing in a way that is different from most previous FAA initiatives. On January 30, the agency released its NextGen Implementation Plan, covering the “mid term” from 2012 to 2018. The FAA stated the plan had two purposes. First, it would broadly outline the system’s architecture and, second, it would “provide a springboard for a new level of engagement with the aviation community on NextGen equipage. This dialogue will be critical for achieving benefits and return on investment for both the community and the government.”

The plan avoids examining NextGen’s immensely complex architecture and instead aims at answering five fundamental questions: