Aircraft
NextGen Committee Recommends Aircraft Equipment
A high-level U.S.
JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger (l) and FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta chair the May 19 meeting of RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee at JetBlue Hangar 81 in New York. (Photo: RTCA)
JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger (l) and FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta chair the May 19 meeting of RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee at JetBlue Hangar 81 in New York. (Photo: RTCA)

A high-level U.S. industry and government committee has recommended to the FAA that three capability areas requiring operators to equip their aircraft–automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), required navigation performance (RNP) and data communications–be prioritized in rolling out the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

The RTCA NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) also recommends an incremental approach to NextGen deployment that would require nearly all air carrier and general aviation operators to attain a minimum capability level, in the process becoming eligible for operational or financial incentives. Rather than a blanket approach, it said the FAA should deploy infrastructure and procedures supporting ADS-B, RNP and data comm regionally, where the benefits can be realized in the near term.