Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

NextGen air traffic management technology will be less transformational than originally promised, according to a&nbsp;<a href=" https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/library-items/FAA%20NextGen%20Status%20Report_4.30.24.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">report</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). Under Section 502 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the OIG was tasked with reporting on the FAA’s progress in implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), which is a massive investment in modernizing the aging U.S. air traffic system.
According to the OIG report, the FAA claimed in its Section 502 NextGen report that “all major NextGen systems will be in place by 2025.” However, the OIG noted, that full deployment will take longer because the “FAA plans to deploy each major system to at least one location by 2025.” According to OIG's analysis and&nbsp;other stakeholder reports, the NextGen infrastructure will be less transformational than originally promised.
The FAA 502 report projected $100 billion in benefits by 2030 “even though [the] FAA had previously acknowledged that this amount was not achievable within that timeframe," concluded the report. “In addition, [the] FAA reported that the agency remains committed to working with industry on NextGen programs, but industry representatives stated that transparency and collaboration with the agency declined starting in 2018.”
The OIG report acknowledged that the FAA has closed all but three of the more than 200 recommendations the Department of Transportation made between 2005 through 2022.&nbsp;

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

DOT Office of Inspector General Report Faults FAA NextGen Program Progress

U.S. NextGen air traffic management may not be as transformational as originally promised

The Office of Inspector General was tasked with reporting on the FAA’s progress in implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

DOT Inspector General Report Faults FAA NextGen Progress

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

Hanneke Weitering

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Honeywell-led consortium to consider advanced air mobility integration

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Wisk Tests 1:3 Supervisor Ratio for Autonomous Flight

Amy Wilder

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

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NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Modern Skies Coalition Urges $20B More for ATC Upgrades

Funds would build on $12.5 billion approved last year

FAA Taps L3Harris To Modernize Surveillance Network

Contract covers more than 700 ground stations nationwide

FAA’s Wilbur To Improve Flight Delay Data Efficiencies

FAA completed an audit to strengthen NAS operations related to flight delays and cancellations

FAA Commissions First of New Indra Radars

The initial radar is installed in Putnam, Oklahoma

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