FlightCentral

The FAA's Air Traffic Organization is now operating under a Safety Management System. This enables the FAA to manage the risks associated with changes in the National Airspace System that include installing, modifying and removing equipment, as well as modifying and implementing procedures and airspace changes.

"An effective safety management system lets us manage both the risks and the challenges of introducing new technology into the National Airspace System," said Randy Babbitt, FAA Administrator. "Practically speaking, SMS is as important as the new technology itself. We're able to assess risks with a standardized approach. SMS will be a huge boost for NextGen."

The Safety Management System serves as a framework to allow the FAA to identify, assess and manage safety risks associated with changes to the National Airspace System (NAS). For example, as NextGen technology is introduced into the airspace system, an air traffic safety team will conduct a risk analysis and document the technology's safety impact on the NAS. The FAA conducted this type of review for the Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) technology before it became operational in the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2004, the FAA initiated a plan to implement an agency-wide Safety Management System, in accordance with requirements the International Civil Air Navigation Organization (ICAO) has established. Four main components make up the Safety Management System: safety policy, safety assurance, safety risk management, and safety promotion. Safety policy defines the safety management system philosophy, how implementation is carried out, and functions, processes, and responsibilities. Safety assurance measures the safety of the NAS through reviews, evaluations, audits, inspections, investigations, and data tracking and analysis. Safety risk management identifies hazards and mitigations to safety risks. Safety Promotion includes training and communication of lessons learned, which contribute to promoting a positive safety culture.

"I am extremely pleased at the dedication and hard work of safety professionals across the Air Traffic Organization that has led to the approval of the Safety Management System," Babbitt said.

The FAA's Aviation Safety and Airports offices will also establish Safety Management Systems by the end of fiscal year 2010.

All specified years are fiscal years (October 1 through September 30).

2009 Summary: Economic Activity and Air Travel

• U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased 2.8 percent; world GDP fell 2.3 percent.
• Domestic mainline yields decreased 8.6 percent while international yields fell 12.9 percent. In real terms (adjusted for inflation), domestic yields decreased 8.4 percent and international yields decreased 12.6 percent.
• Domestic enplanements on mainline and regional air carriers fell from 681.3 million in 2008 to 631.3 million (-7.3 percent) in 2009. Domestic mainline carrier enplanements dropped 8.5 percent while domestic regional carrier enplanements fell 3.4 percent. International enplanements on mainline and regional air carriers decreased from 77.8 million in 2008 to 72.7 million (-6.6 percent) in 2009. Mainline carrier international enplanements were down 5.6 percent while regional enplanements fell 27.2 percent.
• U.S.commercial air carriers (including passenger and cargo) reported an operating profit of $755 million in 2009, compared to an operating loss of $2.0 billion in 2008. Operating revenues decreased 16.1 percent in 2009, while operating expenses decreased 17.4 percent.
• In 2009 total landings and takeoffs at combined FAA and contract towers were down 10.4 percent from 2008. Air carrier activity decreased by 6.9 percent while commuter/air taxi activity decreased by 13.8 percent. General aviation activity dropped 11.7 percent while military aircraft activity rose 2.2 percent.

Economic Assumptions for FAA Forecasts

• U.S. Real GDP is forecast to increase from $13.0 trillion in 2009 to $22.4 trillion in 2030, an average annual rate of 2.6 percent. World GDP is forecast to grow at a faster pace of 3.2 percent over the same 21-year period, from $49.0 trillion to $94.6 trillion.

• Inflation is projected to increase 1.4 percent in 2010 and remain moderate over the remaining 20 years of the forecast period, averaging 1.9 percent annually.

Aviation Activity Forecasts

Mainline Air Carrier and Regionals

• Total mainline air carrier and regional enplanements are forecast to increase from 704.0 million in 2009 to 1.21 billion in 2030, an average annual rate of 2.6 percent. Domestic enplanements are projected to increase 0.4 percent in 2010 and then grow an average of 2.5 percent per year during the remaining 20-year forecast period. International enplanements are forecast to increase 0.9 percent in 2010 and then grow an average of 4.1 percent per year for the rest of the forecast period. Total system enplanements are expected to reach one billion in 2023.

Mainline Air Carriers

• U.S.mainline carrier domestic enplanements are forecast to decrease 0.9 percent in 2010. For the remaining 20 years of the forecast period, enplanements grow at an average annual rate of 2.4 percent, reaching 760.9 million in 2030.

• Total passengers to/from the United States (U.S. and foreign flag carriers) are projected to increase 3.3 percent in 2010. The average annual rate of growth between 2009 and 2030 is 4.2 percent, with passengers increasing from 147.1 million to 347.9 million.The fastest growing region is Asia/Pacific at 5.1 percent per year, followed by Latin America (4.3 percent per year), Atlantic (3.9 percent per year) and Canadian Transborder (3.4 percent per year).

• Domestic mainline passenger real yield (adjusted for inflation) is forecast to increase from 11.96 cents in 2009 to 12.15 cents in 2010 (up 1.6 percent). Thereafter, domestic mainline carrier real yield declines at an average rate of 1.0 percent dropping to 10.01 cents in 2030. International mainline real yield is forecast to increase from 11.69 cents in 2009 to 12.05 cents in 2010. Thereafter, international real yield declines at a rate of 0.7 percent annually, falling to 10.45 cents by 2030.

• U.S.mainline air carrier passenger jet fleet increases from 3,666 aircraft in 2009 to 5,342 aircraft in 2030, an average annual increase of 1.8 percent. The fleet is projected to shrink by 0.5 percent in 2010 (17 aircraft), with most of the decrease attributed to the grounding of less fuel-efficient aircraft during a period of reduced demand.

Regional Carriers

• Regional carrier enplanements are forecast to increase 4.6 percent to 163.4 million in 2010, and grow 2.9 percent a year thereafter, reaching 289.3 million in 2030.

• The regional carrier passenger aircraft fleet increases from 2,612 aircraft in 2009 to 3,401 aircraft in 2030, an average annual increase of 1.3 percent.The fleet is projected to shrink by 4.3 percent in 2010 (113 aircraft).
  • Regional jets increase from 1,710 aircraft in 2009 to 2,441 aircraft in 2030, an annual increase of 1.7 percent. All of the increase is attributed to jet aircraft in the 70-90-seat category.

Cargo

• Total air cargo Registered Ton Miles (RTMs) (freight/express and mail) increase from 30.8 billion in 2009 to 86.6 billion in 2030 - up an average of 5.0 percent a year; domestic RTMs increase 2.1 percent a year; international RTMs increase 6.3 percent a year.

• The cargo fleet increases from 854 aircraft in 2009 to 1,531 aircraft in 2030, an average increase of 2.8 percent a year.

General Aviation

• The general aviation fleet increases from 229,149 aircraft in 2009 to 278,723 in 2030, growing an average of 0.9 percent a year.
  • Fixed-wing turbine aircraft grow at a rate of 3.1 percent per year, fixed-wing piston aircraft grow at a rate of 0.1 percent per year, and rotorcraft grow at a rate of 2.8 percent per year.
• General aviation hours flown are forecast to increase from 23.3 million in 2009 to 38.9 million in 2030, an average annual growth rate of 2.5 percent a year.
  • Fixed-wing turbine aircraft hours flown grow at a rate of 4.6 percent per year, fixed-wing piston aircraft hours flown grow at a rate of 1.0 percent per year, and rotorcraft hours flown grow at a rate of 3.0 percent per year.

FAA Workload Forecasts

Operations at Airports with FAA Traffic Control and Contract Tower Service

• Total operations are forecast to decrease 2.7 percent to 51.5 million in 2010, and then grow at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent for the remainder of the forecast period, reaching 69.6 million in 2030. The average annual growth rate for the entire 21-year forecast period is 1.3 percent.
  • Commercial operations decrease 2.2 percent in 2010, and grow at a rate of 1.9 percent thereafter, reaching 32.0 million in 2030.
  • General aviation operations decrease 3.1 percent in 2010, and grow at a rate of 1.3 percent thereafter, totaling 35.1 million in 2030.

Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Operations

• TRACON operations are forecast to decrease 1.1 percent to 39.0 million in 2010, and then grow at an average annual rate of 1.7 percent for the remainder of the forecast period, reaching 54.4 million in 2030. The average annual growth rate for the entire 21-year forecast period is 1.5 percent.
  • Commercial TRACON operations decrease 1.7 percent in 2010, and grow at a rate of 2.1 percent thereafter, reaching 34.1 million in 2030.
  • General aviation TRACON operations decrease 0.3 percent in 2010, and grow at a rate of 1.2 percent thereafter, totaling 17.9 million in 2030.

Aircraft Handled at Air Route Traffic Control Centers

• Instument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft handled at FAA air route traffic control centers are forecast to decrease to 39.4 million (-1.6 percent) in 2010 and then grow 2.5 percent a year over the remaining 20 years of the forecast period, reaching 64.1 million in 2030.
  • Commercial IFR aircraft handled decrease from 30.8 million in 2009 to 30.3 million in 2010 (-1.6 percent).Thereafter commercial IFR aircraft handled grow at an average annual rate of 2.9 percent, reaching 53.8 million in 2030.
  • General aviation IFR aircraft handled decrease 2.7 percent during 2010. Thereafter, general aviation IFR aircraft handled grow at an average annual rate of 0.9 percent, reaching 7.3 million in 2030.

March 9-The FAA's forecast underscores the need for the Next Generation
Air Transportation System and continued investment in airport infrastructure projects.

• FAA Aerospace Forecasts FY 2010-2030
• Administrator Babbitt's Speech
• Fact Sheet
• Press Release

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Good morning, and thank you, Mr. Secretary [LaHood] for those insights. And thank you, Nancy [LoBue], for putting me on the schedule right before lunch time.

For those of us who've been in this business any length of time, we know two things with a great deal of certainty. Number 1, whatever the forecast numbers may be - however rosy or iffy the projections are - it's important to recognize that aviation is hyper-cyclic. Whatever is happening in the economy, aviation reflects it; magnifies it. When the down-times hit, they have a larger impact on aviation. If the economy catches a cold, the aviation industry gets pneumonia. But when things are flying high, so indeed are we.

Point two is that forecasts over the years are a clear indication that aviation is resilient. It took centuries to overcome the laws of gravity. And the business of aviation has bounced back from every obstacle since then. For the moment, we're not bouncing back as fast or as high as some would like, but it would be foolish to think that aviation is down for the count.

With that as context, I believe that this aviation forecast is a major point in a very strong business case for NextGen. If you're thinking that because the numbers are down, there's no need for NextGen or airport improvements, I would counter that it is unwise to make long-term decisions with short-term information.

Aviation teaches us again and again the importance of getting ahead of the curve, and it will punish you if you don't. It's just flat-out wrong to contend that sluggish economic growth, high unemployment or even higher oil prices in the near term are an occasion to ease up on our plans for modernization.

Empty seats are harder to find, and that's a sign that carriers are getting better at matching supply and demand. Commercial operations growth will continue at major airports like Dulles, Houston, Las Vegas and Orlando. The total forecast increase in commercial operations at the busiest airports between now and 2030 is 60 percent. That tells me that the system will continue to be busy. Of course, when you're tenth in line to take off, growth rates are of little interest to you. The people in this business know that unless we keep NextGen in gear, you'll long for the day where you were lucky enough to be tenth in line.

NextGen addresses the trifecta of safety, efficiency and the environment head on. The good news about this plan, the most dramatic and far-reaching overhaul of the National Airspace System, is that many NextGen projects address all three at the same time. There's a misconception out there that there's not much more to NextGen than ADS-B. That's not even close to accurate. While ADS-B gets more than its share of publicity when it comes to NextGen, the modernization plan contains many other programs that will have a considerable impact on how we fly. Each one of them is both a smart and necessary investment and they are interdependent.

Take the case of Data Communications. Every time pilots receive voice communications from controllers, there are opportunities for misunderstandings. Aviation can't afford that kind of leeway. Communications must be precise and exact. NextGen's data communications package all but eliminates the potential for misunderstanding due to poor radio performance, English language difficulties and incorrect read-backs.

But data comm isn't just a boost for safety. It allows the uploading of complex instructions that can be accepted by the pilot and sent directly to the flight management system of the aircraft - eliminating another opportunity for errors from incorrect data entry. That sets the domino in motion for more direct routes, which results in shorter distances flown. You save time, money, fuel and emissions. It almost eliminates the need for voice communications, resulting in reduced controller and pilot workloads.

Satellite navigation and procedures are going to enhance situational awareness for the pilot and controller. Operating behind the scenes with just as much impact is something called SWIM - system-wide information management. SWIM is going to be one of the hallmarks of NextGen. It provides a common picture of the aviation system all the way around, to controllers, pilots, airline ops centers, DoD, and DHS.

It will give us relevant, real-time information and help us distribute it in a way that's easier, less costly, and more efficient to the groups that need it, so that they can make better, more informed decisions. Unless everybody's looking at the same picture at the same time, things have the potential to start dropping through the cracks.

We're also looking to tackle how we manage the weather. In my experience, both as a pilot and in the last month with a snow shovel, Mother Nature just about always has the upper hand. But NextGen is aiming to reduce the weather impact with improved forecasts and getting that information to the people who need it when they need it and where they need it.

In the past, when I filed a flight plan, I was looking at a weather map. By the time I got to the cockpit, that flight plan was based on a weather picture that was already out-dated. When I was in the air, it could be several hours old. Through a project we call the "4D Weather Cube," NextGen will improve safety by giving everyone a continuously updated weather picture. Imagine controllers, air traffic operations and pilots all using the same, accurate weather picture. As a pilot, the thought of weather updates coming into the cockpit automatically, giving me recommendations to amend the flight plan, that's safety, efficiency and the potential for lower fuel burn all in the same package. Better weather reporting also means better route adjustments and fewer ground delays.

The NextGen vision also has at its heart tackling the environmental protection and energy challenges to allow for sustained aviation growth. Aircraft and aircraft engines have become dramatically more efficient over the last 40 years, resulting in a 70 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. The airlines want to go another 30 percent by 2025. Historically most reductions in aviation's noise and emissions impacts have come from new technologies. However, we'll need to do more if we are to realize fully the benefits that the NextGen system can offer.

To build on that record and shrink aviation's environmental footprint we have established CLEEN, the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise program. CLEEN's goal is to accelerate the development of the good ideas and promising new technologies and get them into the civil fleet as quickly as possible.

We are also seeking to change the equation for both energy use and costs with the development and deployment of sustainable alternative fuels. CAAFI, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, is a partnership with the airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, fuel producers, suppliers, academia and other government agencies. We've got more than 300 participants, sponsors like ACI, AIA, ATA. They're working to identify fuels that have safe and practical utility for aircraft. The requirements include a secure supply, being cost-effective and being green. We've achieved the first new fuel standard in 20 years, a 50 percent synthetic blend, and we're on track to approve a 50 percent bio-blend fuel by early next year.

With respect to continuing to move forward and providing a more efficient air traffic system, the NextGen technology and procedures are working.

You're already aware of the benefits we're getting from continuous descent, required navigational performance and RNAV routes. At Hartsfield, it's 6.9 million dollars and 2.5 million gallons. Almost 90 percent of commercial operators are equipped to fly RNAV routes and procedures.

According to UPS, the continuous descent advisor at Louisville shows a 30 percent reduction in noise around the airport. They're telling us that nitrous oxide emissions are cut by a third below 3,000 feet, and they're saving as much as 69 gallons of fuel per arrival. The new separation standards we just announced for the East Coast oceanic region increases the available routes by 40 percent. These give controllers the flexibility to offer more efficient altitudes which gets you where you're going much more quickly.

I don't want you to think this is all for the commercial fleet. The wide area augmentation system is making a difference in GA. There are more than 1,975 localizer performance vertical guidance approaches in place at 1,050 airports. 32,000 aircraft already are equipped with avionics to take advantage of the procedures. We published 411 LPV approaches in 0-8, and more than 500 in 0-9.

NextGen is worth the investment, and it's a big part of the on-going discussions on reauthorization. With that back on the table and ratcheting up I expect the dialogue to increase. Certainly, equipage is among the issues, and incentivizing equipage is of interest to each of us. We're doing our part, and we need the entire community to step forward. A properly managed and effective mix of FAA and stakeholder participants is needed to ensure implementation of NextGen capabilities. This involvement will be instrumental in developing local applications of emerging "best-equipped/ best-served" principles to stimulate even greater levels of aircraft equipage. Needless to say, there's more to come.

In considering the forecast as a whole and what it means to NextGen, I think that all of these numbers are hard to walk away from. With NextGen, we're safer, we're more efficient, and we're a whole lot more green than we are right now. Pick any one of those, and the business case for NextGen stands on its own. All three together are a slam dunk.

NextGen is a symbol of this administrations commitment to the American people. The President is behind this. In a time of austerity, it says something to all of us that the investment in NextGen is increasing. From where I stand, NextGen is a commitment to investing tax dollars wisely. It's a commitment to continue to be a leader in aviation innovation. Most of all, it's a commitment to provide the air transportation system that meets the needs of the American people in the years ahead. The investment is under way, and it needs to stay in high gear. I am confident that's just what we're doing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is forecasting that key airspace safety and efficiency modernization efforts will play a vital role in spurring long-term sustained growth in air travel and the nation's overall economic health. This forecast, which comes after a short-term period of slow growth in aviation activity, underscores the need for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and continued investment in airport infrastructure projects.

"A safe, efficient and vibrant aviation system is vital to our nation's economic health," said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "We must find long-term solutions that will keep the U.S. aviation industry competitive and moving forward into the future."

The FAA's 20-year forecast for Fiscal Years 2010-2030 predicts domestic passenger enplanements will increase by 0.5 percent in 2010 and then grow an average of 2.5 percent per year during the remaining forecast period. Total operations at airports are forecast to decrease 2.7 percent to 51.5 million in 2010, and then grow at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent reaching 69.6 million in 2030. At the nation's 35 busiest airports, operations are expected to increase 60 percent from 2010 to 2030.

The FAA predicts that U.S. airlines will reach one billion passengers a year by 2023, and the number of passengers on U.S. airlines domestically and internationally is forecast to increase from 704 million in 2009 to 1.21 billion by 2030 (For more forecast details visit http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=10457).

"This forecast makes a very strong business case for NextGen," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "Without NextGen, we won't be able to handle the increased demand for service that this forecast anticipates."

NextGen is transforming air traffic control from the ground-based radar system of today to a satellite-based system of the future. These advancements are already showing safety, efficiency and environmental benefits. NextGen technologies and procedures will increase capacity and safety and reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions and noise by providing more efficient air routes and procedures. Other innovations include improved weather forecasting, data networking and digital communications. Hand in hand with these state-of-the-art technologies are airport improvements that are beginning to give pilots and controllers a more precise picture of the location of aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways. More information on NextGen can be found at:http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=10261.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides significant infrastructure improvements to meet growing airspace needs. It has provided $1.1 billion to airports nationwide. To date, 326 grants for over 360 projects have been distributed to airports that support passenger and cargo service as well as general aviation. Recovery Act grants are being used at both urban and rural airports to fund a variety of different modernization efforts including facility construction, safety enhancements and the rehabilitation of runways, taxiways and other infrastructure.

Today's FAA forecast was unveiled at an annual aviation conference in Washington that brings members of the aviation community together to discuss how the forecast projections may affect policies and plans for aviation.

The 2010 NextGen Implementation Plan provides an overview of the FAA's ongoing transition to NextGen.

March 5 - March 4, 2010 marked a significant milestone in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) efforts overseeing the safety of the nation's commercial space transportation industry with the 201st FAA licensed commercial rocket launch. The vehicle carried into orbit an environmental satellite to improve weather forecasting and help monitor environmental events. FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation safety inspectors were present to monitor operations of the Delta IV booster.

Beginning in the late 1980s, all of FAA's licensed launches have been completed without any fatalities, serious injuries, or significant property damage to the uninvolved public. This spotless record, spanning over two decades, underscores the total commitment to safe operations throughout the FAA's full range of activities.

"With, the retirement this year of NASA's Space Shuttle, the nation will now look to the commercial space industry to take on added responsibilities, including commercial human space flights and replenishing equipment and technologies at the International Space Station," said FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation George Nield. "Americans can feel confident that FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation will be on the job monitoring and overseeing the safety of these new and exciting activities," he added.

Good morning and thank you for that kind introduction. On behalf of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, I would like to begin by thanking the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI for providing the opportunity for me to address this important international conference.

Before I start, I would like to introduce several of my FAA colleagues. I am pleased that Jeri Alles, the FAA's Director for the Asia Pacific region, was able to join us here this week. Many of you already know Aaron Wilkins, the Senior FAA Representative in New Delhi. Aaron does a great job of keeping our cooperation with India moving forward.

I would also like to introduce Peggy Gilligan, the FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety. She will be speaking on the Session Four panel this afternoon. While we will be addressing different topics, you will hear a common theme from both of us - and that's safety. We are also fortunate to have with us today Jim White from the FAA's Office of Airports and Chris Carter who works for Peggy in the International Aircraft Certification office.

I am going to begin my remarks with a challenge to everyone in the audience today. My challenge is a global call to action on aviation professionalism. This is one of Administrator Babbitt's highest priorities, and one with a clear and direct correlation to aviation safety.

That said, professionalism is certainly not something new to aviation. Let's turn back the pages of our aviation history books to 1951. On June 13 of that year, a pilot walked across the tarmac right here in Hyderabad and climbed into the cockpit of a Deccan Airways DC-3 aircraft. Now, on any ordinary day in the early fifties, a pilot preparing to fly a Douglas DC-3 would not make front page news. But, this was no ordinary day, it was Prem Mathur's day. She had achieved her dream of becoming India's first woman commercial pilot.

I pulled this page from Indian history because it speaks to professionalism. Just think what it took for Prem Mathur to be accepted as a commercial pilot in that era. She started flying in 1948, and then spent the following three years honing her skills to be a commercial pilot. She knew that she had to do everything the right way and be the best pilot she could be.

Today, when we speak of professionalism, most people look to our aviation leadership. That's not my point. When it comes to aviation leaders such as Director General Zaidi and Administrator Babbitt, there's no question that they are true professionals. What we need to focus on is promoting professionalism throughout our respective aviation organizations - top to bottom. This starts by making sure that everyone has a direct line of sight to their organization's mission and a clear understanding of their role in improving aviation safety and efficiency.

Whether in the cockpit or the fuel truck, the CEO's office or the mail room, each person plays a role in the safety mission. Each one of us needs to focus on being the best we can be, regardless of our position. Part of our job as aviation leaders is to instill in each of our employees a sense of purpose and pride in accomplishing our mission.

At the FAA, we often refer to this as the human in the loop, and it should be a top priority for all of us.

Now here is where this gets more interesting. The human in the loop is also about machines. I'm not talking about robotics. What I mean is that we also need to make sure that we have the right technologies in the loop. Given the global nature of our industry, it is more important than ever that we focus on international cooperation and harmonization. We all recognize the need to modernize our systems in order to achieve greater safety and efficiency. To achieve a truly seamless system, we need to ensure that our systems can communicate with each other.

In the United States, our technologies in the loop are found in NextGen - the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Through our work on NextGen strategies, we have developed a vision of what our National Airspace System should look like by 2025. We have gained this vision, not by gazing into a crystal ball, but rather by looking for enabling technologies that can serve as a springboard to our system of the future.

Those of you familiar with NextGen know that we are working with a promising set of technologies and procedures, many of which are ready to implement today. Let me mention a few examples of these enabling technologies.

There's no question that ADS-B implementation will be key to our success. The FAA has already implemented ADS-B in the Gulf of Mexico, and we have a contract in place under which 794 ground stations will be installed by 2013. ADS-B promises to greatly enhance situational awareness for pilots and provide highly accurate information to air traffic controllers. This is changing the way we fly.

System Wide Information Management - or SWIM - is another important element in our NextGen toolbox. This will provide a more efficient and robust interface between the many IT systems that support our National Airspace System.

I'm sure you have heard the saying that everyone likes to complain about the weather, but no one does anything about it. Not so with NextGen. We are working toward Network Enabled Weather. Using the SWIM as a pipeline, we will share the most up-to-date weather tools with our aviation stakeholders. This will enhance our capabilities in terms of both reacting to and predicting weather situations.

Airports also factor importantly into our plans for NextGen. From 1995 through 2008, commercial transport aircraft worldwide were involved in a total of 1,429 accidents involving major or substantial damage. Of those, 431 accidents - 30 percent - were runway-related. That explains why this is such an important focus area for the FAA. Through technologies and programs such as Runway Status Lights, Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Engineered Materials Arresting Systems and others, we are already making major improvements.

I should also add that protecting our environment is an important component of NextGen. Any new technologies and procedures we employ must help in protecting our planet. Reducing aviation noise and emissions is a global problem that calls for global solutions.

The 20 largest countries in terms of aviation traffic, account for a combined 93 percent of the world's emissions. This is where we need to focus our efforts going forward. ICAO has made a new commitment to work with member states to explore more ambitious goals in the medium and long terms, including carbon neutral growth and absolute reductions. We can do this, but it will take a renewed commitment to work together through ICAO.

There can be no discussion of anyone's aviation systems of the future without underscoring the need for global harmonization. Anyone of us - whether from India, the United States, or Europe - can build sophisticated technologies and design optimal procedures - but they'll be no better than simple cardboard boxes if they can't work with each other over every inch of airspace around the globe.

I hope many of you have visited the air show and seen our FAA Partners in Progress exhibit in Hall A. If so, you probably saw the NextGen gate-to-gate video, which provides a comprehensive perspective on what we hope to achieve through NextGen. Our exhibit will be open through Sunday, so please stop by to see the video and talk with us about our growing partnership with India.

If Prem Mathur could be with us today, just think how interesting it would be to get her thoughts on aviation systems of the future. While it would be difficult for her to keep up with us on topics such as satellite navigation and the carbon footprint of her DC-3, she could probably teach us a thing or two about professionalism.

This is something all of us can take away from India Aviation 2010. If each of us strives to be our best as aviation professionals, it will help all of the pieces fall into place.

We have what we need to get the human in the loop. We have what we need to get the right technologies in the loop. It's now up to each of us to make sure that we get all of our global partners in the loop. And, this is what we can achieve through international cooperation.

Thank you.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Aviation Administration announced today that two employees at John F. Kennedy Airport Tower are on administrative leave following an incident last month when a child was permitted to talk with pilots on an air traffic control frequency.

"This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA's own policies, but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. "We have an incredible team of professionals who safely control our nation's skies every single day. This kind of behavior does not reflect the true caliber of our workforce."

The two JFK Tower employees, a supervisor and an air traffic controller, are on administrative leave pending the outcome of an official FAA investigation into the incident which is already underway.

In addition, all unofficial visits to FAA air traffic control operational areas, such as towers and radar rooms, will be suspended during the investigation. The FAA Administrator has directed a team to conduct a full-scale review of air traffic control policies and procedures related to facility visitors.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is holding its 35^th Annual Aviation Forecast Conference, "Looking Ahead in Aviation: Rational Rebound or Irrational Instability." The FAA will release its Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2010-2030, which provides the latest data about activity and growth in aviation products and services, as well as future estimates.

The first day of the conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will feature remarks by Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Babbitt starting at 12:00 Noon. American Airlines Chairman, President and CEO Gerard J Arpey will keynote the luncheon at 1:00 p.m. The latest agenda including a list of panels cane be found at:http://www.faa.gov/news/conferences_events/aviation_forecast_2010/agenda/

Media wishing to attend the conference should RSVP to Hank Price, hank.price@faa,gov.

March 1 - Starting with the March/April 2010 issue, FAA Aviation News is changing its name to FAA Safety Briefing. "We're changing the name to more accurately reflect the magazine's mission: safety," said John Allen, Director, FAA Flight Standards Service. "As for the word briefing," Allen added, "briefings are used in health care, in the military, and in aviation, and are essential to get crucial information before the flight. That's the point of FAA Safety Briefing: Providing pilots, aviation maintenance technicians, and more across the general aviation community with valuable safety information."

FAA Aviation Newsstarted in 1961 as a newsletter and expanded to a magazine format in 1962. In 1976, it sharpened its focus on general aviation. "Through this bimonthly print and online publication we strive to make the GA community aware of FAA resources, help readers understand safety and regulatory issues, and encourage continued training," said Editor Susan Parson. FAA Safety Briefing is available free of charge on the FAA Web site at: www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing. Check out the March/April 2010 issue, which features the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) and its role promoting safer skies through outreach, training, and education.

Remarks as prepared for delivery

As we look back across the last few decades in aviation, it's easy to spot the events that made us stand up and take notice of what's going on in our business. The TWA 800 and ValuJet headlines come to mind right away. Those lapses galvanized our response and our resolve in terms of preparedness, in terms of a willingness to do whatever it takes to prevent a recurrence.

With hindsight providing crystal clarity, looking at smaller events is, I think, the best way to spot the larger safety issues. Lately, we've had a string of events in our system that have given me some pause, that have been a cause for concern. I'm talking primarily about the lack of professionalism that seems to be rippling through our system. In my opinion, our vigilance needs to be stepped up. America holds us to a very high standard. We have to get it right first time and every time.

For several years, we've been beating the drum about the safety of this system. In truth, we went more than two years without a fatal commercial crash. More than 2 billion passengers flew during that time. Our runways have never been safer. Our international partnerships have never been more rock-solid.

But now, the more I see, the more I realize that the moment there's a crash, all of the safety numbers, while impressive, are history; and history isn't any reassurance when things go bad. We're in the same spot that any surgeon finds him or herself. 999 successful operations in a row might help put the patient at ease, but it's the procedure happening right now that's really of primary concern to the patient on the table. Track records are important, but, well, this job is the one you want to see get done right.

I'm not signaling that I think a string of accidents is around the corner. In fact, far from it. I have high regard for the pros in this business at each an every level. But we have to focus everyone's attention to the never-ending need to do everything we can for safety. As a pilot, I feel the same way. And as a passenger, let's face it, there's no wiggle-room here. What I ask is that everyone in this business take a big step up.

And I don't mean just for next week or next month. No, we need to climb and maintain a higher level of safety in this industry.

This system, our system, is made up of many parts of people with many different jobs, and each one of them has a role in safety. All of us have to be involved in to detecting unsafe trends before they result in an accident.

This industry is absolutely the safest of the safe because we have taken so many preventive steps. The very fact that we have so few accidents is the very reason we have to identify these situations in which an accident did not actually occur but it could have. We know that most accidents are simply a collection of poorly timed errors. To keep stopping those errors we have to pay attention to all of them, however small.

I'm here today to say in no uncertain terms that professionalism is our primary weapon against the possibility of minute lapses that could develop along the way. When you see something wrong, you raise your hand, and you speak up. There's not a person in this room who'd want to live with the regret of wishing that you'd said something about a sterile cockpit, about a maintenance lapse, about a corner that you're pretty sure is being cut.

We have safety rules in place to make sure that corners don't get cut. When things get moving very fast, that's the precise time you need to bear down on that checklist. We can't taxi with our heads down to make for an on-time takeoff. That's a genesis of an incursion in which lots of people could get hurt. When the budgets get tight, that's the very moment in which you as CFO, CEO or baggage handler - it doesn't matter to me - that's the time you need to stop, think, then ask, "Does this look like the procedure that's been error free, or are we pushing so hard that it doesn't even resemble our standard operating procedure?"

As I've said before, I can't regulate the person who's just going to flat out do the wrong thing. I can't write a rule that's going to work if I'm dealing with a person who's going to ignore it. Our training now is so sophisticated, so realistic that it's hard to imagine a scenario that can't be recreated in a virtual world. But no training, no matter how good is going to help someone who thinks that situational awareness is a slogan that we only use during check rides. The right thing to do is always the right thing to do.

For my part, the goal is to push the envelope in terms of stepping things up in every aspect of our business, especially on professionalism, particularly mentorship as the foundation of professionalism. Aviation safety is all about taking care of the small details, watching for trends before they become a problem. The seasoned professionals among us have to teach the less-experienced among us how to spot these trends.

Forensic science is necessary to understand the causes of individual accidents and is the first step in the route to preventing accidents. Everyone recognizes that the future route to success is in risk-free, non-punitive incident reporting, knowing that you're not going to get punished for pointing out a problem. This will get us much further along as we try to eliminate accident causes. Electronic databases like FAA's ASIAS system aggregates millions of data points received through anonymous, non-punitive incident safety reporting programs such as ASRS, ASAP, and FOQA. This type of data allows us to review the information with experts and implement safety enhancements before an accident occurs.

As you know, I'm also pushing very hard to revise and update pilot flight, duty and rest time rules. Back in D.C. during the snowstorm, road crews were trying to clear 24 inches. One driver who'd been on the job for 18 hours straight stopped everything dead in its tracks by trying to make it through an underpass with the rear part of his rig raised in the air. Everyone agrees that there some things a dump truck driver just should not do but when you're too tired, you make mistakes you normally wouldn't.

Let me give you the snapshot of where we stand with our flight and duty time rule. I convened an aviation rulemaking committee specifically to make recommendations on flight time, rest and fatigue. I invited industry and labor to work with us to wade through the science and design a practical approach to fatigue management. While the timetable is still not as fast as I'd originally wanted, we are issuing a proposal this spring. As I said recently during testimony on Capitol Hill, I take exception to the suggestion that nothing's happening here. As rulemaking efforts go, this one was at Mach 2.

In addition to pushing through some tough safety reform and pushing for data-sharing that heads off accident causes at the pass, I'm pushing for safety solutions, big or small. A week ago, I was with Senator Rockefeller in Charleston, West Virginia, at Yeager Airport. As most of us know it sits atop a big mountain. In January, we had a tremendous save there, when US Airways flight 2495 skidded off the runway and came to a complete stop because of EMAS, the engineered material arresting system. It's a system made of pliable concrete that breaks up kind of like ice, bringing an aircraft to a stop with minimal damage. In my view, it's the least expensive safety net you're ever going to find. And I can find a couple of pilots and a few dozen passengers who will shake their heads vigorously in agreement. It's now been used six times at different airports with six successful saves.

On the high-tech front, I'm also making sure that our efforts to launch NextGen stay in high gear. NextGen is changing the aviation landscape for the better. Its power and flexibility enables us to look at equipment and facilities in ways that we've never been able to. Consider ADS-B, which really has the potential to turn the concept of radar-based control on its ear. As you know, we've been able to get ADS-B up and running in the Gulf and in Louisville. Philadelphia and Alaska will follow thereafter.

ADS-B is the satellite era coming to aviation. In the Gulf, where there's no radar at all, we go to the separation standards that we've come to expect. That's quite a departure from the World-War 2 radio procedures that had been in place there. It's in the initial operating stages, small first steps but the payoff in safety and efficiency is enormous. This is a technological leap on the same order of magnitude as radar itself; maybe bigger. The Gulf is known for a lack of weather reporting, position reporting and communications. ADS-B can close that chapter for good. As a pilot, I know ADS-B is going to change the way we fly.

These aren't inexpensive technologies we are talking about but the safety, efficiency and environmental benefits make the business case.

There's more coming on line with NextGen. As a foundation for future NextGen capabilities, the latest in air traffic control software, which we call ERAM, is showing that it can handle 24-hour testing in Salt Lake. ERAM replaces the backbone of the NAS with a system that was designed to support future NextGen capabilities. Performance-based navigation is saving fuel, reducing delay, and cutting emissions at many airports across the country. With all of these innovations and technological advances, we can't forget one really important factor: us.

As long as there are humans in this loop, as long as humans must interact with machines, there is a chance for error. We must take a hard look at human factors in aviation. We must be equally tough in our assessment of training. Technology is moving along so fast we have to redouble our efforts to ensure the human keeps up. .

The larger question must be asked and answered: Have we created a safety culture? That's the linchpin here, because safety is a shared responsibility - shared by FAA and the manufacturers and the carriers and the pilots alike; shared by all of us in the aviation community. Total perfection is not realistic but we can make it the norm not the exception.

And that should not stop us from striving to climb to that next level of safety or professionalism. As members of the aviation community we have a shared responsibility to make that happen.

That responsibility is what drives me as FAA Administrator and that's why I am asking all of you to renew your commitment to helping us reach this goal.

Thank you.

The Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, is the transformation of the ground-based air traffic control system of today to a satellite-based system of the future. This transformation is essential in order to safely accommodate the number of people who fly in the U.S. The already astronomical cost of delays will only increase if nothing is done.

New, satellite-based technologies will significantly improve safety, capacity and efficiency on runways and in the nation's skies while providing environmentally friendly procedures that reduce fuel burn, carbon emissions and noise.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is leveraging existing technologies and expanding their capabilities to bring the benefits of NextGen to the flying public today. In order to make the NextGen concept more easily understood, this fact sheet will take you through the different phases of flight, describing some of the technologies being used as the foundation for NextGen. A list at the end shows the most recent of the many industry partners - including airlines, manufacturers, state, local and foreign governments, universities and associations - that are joining forces with the FAA to help us transform our airspace system.

Before Take Off

The safe transportation of any air traveler begins on the ground. The FAA has different systems that allow air traffic controllers to see the location of aircraft and vehicles on airport runways and taxiways and keep them safely separated. One of these systems, called Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), gets its information from a variety of surface surveillance sources, including radar, automatically transmitting the most accurate targets to monitors in the tower. The biggest improvement over systems driven solely by radar, which might show false targets during bad weather, will be the introduction of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite-derived locations of both aircraft and surface vehicles. ASDE-X is fully operational at 22 airports.

A software tool called Surface Management uses ASDE-X to extend airport surface monitoring beyond runways and taxiways to the ramp areas. This extended coverage will improve common situational awareness between the airport control tower, the airline ramp management towers and the airline operations centers.

After Take Off

Aircraft flying in the U.S. today are tracked, for the most part, by radar. A new system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) uses GPS satellite signals to more accurately identify the aircraft's location throughout the flight. In the near future, controllers will be able to safely reduce the separation standards between aircraft, which will provide increased capacity in the nation's skies. The FAA first rolled out ADS-B in Alaska, a site chosen because the rugged terrain severely limits radar coverage. Aircraft were equipped with ADS-B avionics, including a cockpit display. This display provided the pilot with the aircraft's location, the location of other aircraft, and graphical and textual weather information on a moving map. The fatal accident rate for aircraft equipped with ADS-B avionics, which gives pilots a cockpit display showing where they are in relation to bad weather and terrain - dropped by 47 percent.

ADS-B now covers the Gulf of Mexico, where the FAA, in partnership with the Helicopter Association International, has installed a network of ADS-B ground stations on oil platforms and the surrounding shoreline. This brings air traffic surveillance services, more precise aircraft locations and weather data to both low-altitude helicopters servicing the platforms and high-altitude commercial flights operating beyond radar coverage in the Gulf.

The FAA is also rolling out ADS-B in Louisville, where United Parcel Service (UPS) voluntarily equipped 107 of its aircraft with ADS-B avionics in order to save time, fuel and carbon emissions on flights to and from its Louisville hub. The system will soon be deployed for surveillance in Philadelphia and Juneau.

Pilots flying in aircraft equipped with ADS-B avionics in South Florida now receive free traffic and weather information on their cockpit displays. This marks the first time that pilots are able see the same traffic information that's seen by air traffic controllers. The display of traffic information (called Traffic Information Service-Broadcast, or TIS-B) and weather information (Flight Information Service-Broadcast, or FIS-B) was made possible by the installation of 11 ground stations in South Florida by ITT Corp. The ground stations transmit satellite signals showing aircraft locations to pilots and controllers. Flight information now being broadcast free to pilots includes graphical displays of bad weather tracked by the National Weather Service and essential flight information, including special-use airspace and temporary flight restrictions.

The entire nation will have ADS-B coverage in 2013.

A new software tool called Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) helps controllers sequence aircraft through high altitude airspace and into the airspace around major airports by calculating their precise routes as well as the minimum safe distances between aircraft. TMA is deployed at all 20 of the nation's en route centers in the continental U.S. and 33 of the top 35 airports.

The computer used by controllers at the en route centers, called the Host, is being replaced by the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) computer. In addition to processing flight radar data for controller screens, ERAM provides safety alerts, including altitude and conflict warnings. All 20 centers will have ERAM by the end of the year.

Over the Ocean

Procedures used by controllers to manage flights over the ocean are being modernized by Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP). This satellite-based system takes advantage of cockpit digital communications, rather than the voice communications used today. Satellite data link communication significantly reduces the manual workload for controllers, improving their ability to handle requests from airlines for more efficient routes over the ocean. ATOP is now used at the three en route centers that handle oceanic traffic - New York, Oakland and Anchorage.

On flights over the Atlantic, the FAA and its partners (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research Program, or SESAR; European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP), aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Airbus, and commercial airlines) are testing Oceanic Trajectory Based Operations (TBOs), which allow aircraft to operate the most efficient routes and altitudes. Seven test flights in May saved 330 gallons of fuel and 6,730 pounds of carbon dioxide. Tests this fall will also include Air France.

On Approach

The FAA has developed a toolbox of procedures to safely bring aircraft to their destination airport as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Beginning about 200 miles out, a software tool called Tailored Arrivals allows controllers to look over an aircraft's flight path and tailor it to avoid certain conditions that might otherwise slow it down, such as bad weather and restricted airspace. Over 250 Tailored Arrivals have been flown into San Francisco by 747 and 777 aircraft, saving an estimated 27,350 gallons of fuel.

As your aircraft gets closer to your destination airport, a Continuous Descent Arrival (CDA) will keep it at the most efficient altitude for as long as possible before it begins a continuous approach to the airport. The smooth descent - rather than the stepped-down approach required by current procedures - saves time and money while reducing carbon emissions and noise. Delta saved an estimated 200 to 1,250 pounds of carbon and 10 to 60 gallons of fuel per arrival into Atlanta during flight trials.

CDAs optimize satellite-based approaches called Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP), which provide precise approaches to runways. The FAA has published 341 RNAV and 205 RNP procedures. Both RNAV and RNP, like the other tools in the toolbox, allow aircraft to safely land as quickly and efficiently as possible.

NextGen Advanced Technologies

Controllers and pilots communicate today largely by talking back and forth. Data Communications will improve safety and efficiency by replacing voice communications, which are labor intensive and susceptible to error. NextGen communications between controllers and flight crews will be handled by Data Comm transmissions, relieving radio frequency and allowing complicated instructions to be provided automatically.

All of the FAA systems in NextGen will need to speak to each other - as well as to the systems used by other parts of the aviation community, including the airlines, the military and the Department of Homeland Security. System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is an information platform that will allow this to take place. SWIM is an essential part of NextGen, since the safe and efficient use of airspace depends on how well the different parts of the airspace system communicate with each other.

Weather accounts for 70 percent of all delays. NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW) will improve aircraft operations over the nation's skies by reducing the impact of weather. NNEW will provide better weather forecasts, particularly for severe conditions such as convective storms and icing. This will allow FAA air traffic managers and those who use the system to better manage traffic flow in bad weather.

Other Places Where NextGen is Being Rolled Out

In addition to the technologies and procedures mentioned above, a NextGen test bed in Florida allows the agency to evaluate integrated technologies and procedures for nationwide NextGen deployment. The test bed features RNAV routes between Florida airports (including Miami, Orlando and Daytona) and New York area airports (Teterboro, JFK, LaGuardia and Newark). The precision allowed by RNAV routes improves the efficiency of operations along the crowded East Coast corridor, saving time and money for airlines serving those routes and reducing delays for passengers. Continuous Descent Approaches and Tailored Arrivals are being used in Miami. Both operational maneuvers allow aircraft to descend in a more direct alignment with runways, increasing predictability while reducing emissions and fuel burn.

The FAA is also using JFK and Memphis to test new Surface Management programs in order to facilitate better aircraft flow on the ground. This will enhance runway safety and reduce delays, while also lowering emissions and fuel burn.

The FAA has also entered into agreements with international partners across the Atlantic and Pacific to accelerate the deployment of NextGen technologies and procedures to improve aviation safety, efficiency and capacity while reducing the environmental footprint during all phases of flight. The Atlantic agreement, reached between the FAA and the European Union, is called the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIIRE). The Pacific agreement, reached with Australia and New Zealand, is called the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE).

Industry Partners

NextGen is a collaborative effort between the FAA and partners from the airlines, manufacturers, government agencies, state, local and foreign governments, universities and associations. The FAA has entered into numerous agreements to accelerate the deployment of NextGen. Some of the more recent agreements include:

• A partnership with the Helicopter Association International, platform/helicopter companies, platform owners and helicopter operators allowed the FAA to introduce satellite surveillance coverage to the Gulf of Mexico. The absence of radar coverage over water severely restricts capacity due to the separation procedures needed to maintain safety. Under the agreement, valued at $100 million, the platform owners provided space for the FAA to installed ground stations. Helicopter operators provide transportation to and from the platforms and have equipped some of their fleets with ADS-B avionics.
• An agreement with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University assists with the development and demonstration of SWIM.
• An Aviation Research and Technology Park (ARTP) is being built near the FAA's Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., to provide a central location for partners in academia, industry, and other state and federal government agencies to work on NextGen under a MOA with the agency. The park, which is being built with no direct cost to the FAA, has amassed $3.5 million in grant funding. The formal arrangement with the FAA will take the form of a lease with a MOA.

Chairman Dorgan, Senator DeMint, Members of the Subcommittee:

Thank you for inviting me here today to provide you with an update on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Call to Action on airline safety and pilot training. There is no question that the FAA's job is to ensure that we have the safest aviation system in the world. The aviation safety record in the United States reflects the dedication of safety-minded aviation professionals in all parts of our industry, including the FAA's inspector workforce. In an agency dedicated to aviation safety, any failure in the system, especially one that causes loss of life, is keenly felt. When accidents do happen, they reveal risks, including the tragic Colgan Air accident. Consequently, it is incumbent on all parties in the system to identify the risks in order to eliminate or mitigate them. As Administrator Babbitt noted when he appeared before you in December, history has shown that we are able to implement safety improvements far more quickly and effectively when the FAA, industry, and labor work together on agreed upon solutions. The fastest way to implement a solution is for it to be done voluntarily, and that is what the Call to Action was intended to facilitate. On January 27, the FAA issued a report that describes the progress made toward fulfilling commitments made in the Call to Action and offers recommendations for additional steps to enhance aviation safety. I would like to use this opportunity to review the issues the Administrator identified in December and let you know where we stand on them.

Pilot Flight Time, Rest and Fatigue:When Administrator Babbitt was last here he told you that the aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) he convened for the purpose of making recommendations on flight time, rest and fatigue, consisting of representatives from the FAA, industry and labor organizations, provided him with recommendations for a science-based approach to fatigue management in early September. While we were extremely pleased with the product provided, the ARC did not reach a consensus agreement on all areas and was not charged with doing any type of economic analysis. Consequently, in spite of the Administrator's direction for a very aggressive timeline in which to develop a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), his hope that a rulemaking proposal could be issued by the end of last year was not realized. The complexities involved with these issues are part of the reason why the FAA has struggled to finalize proposed regulations on fatigue and duty time that were issued in the mid-1990s. However, with the Administrator's continued emphasis on this topic, we hope to issue an NPRM this spring. Although this is slightly later that we originally hoped, it is still an extremely expedited schedule, and I can assure you the FAA team working on this is committed to meeting the target.

One of the issues contributing to fatigue that I know is of interest to many of you is that of pilots who commute by air to their job. I would like to describe some of the emails and letters the Administrator has been receiving on the issue of commuting from pilots who choose to commute by air to their job. As you can imagine, those pilots who commute responsibly are understandably concerned that they could be forced to relocate because of the irresponsible actions of a few. Should some sort of hard and fast commuting rule be imposed, it could result in families being separated, people being forced to sell homes at a loss, or even people being forced to violate child custody agreements. It is important to keep in mind these personal accounts because, to people not familiar with the airline industry, the issue of living in one city and working hundreds of miles away in another does not make sense. But in the airline industry, this is not only a common practice, it is one airline employees have come to rely on. So we want to emphasize these issues are complex and, depending on how they are addressed, could have significant impacts on people's lives.

Focused Inspection Initiative:From June 24, 2009 to September 30, 2009, FAA inspectors conducted a two-part, focused review of air carrier flight crewmember training, qualification, and management practices. The FAA inspected 85 air carriers to determine if they had systems to provide remedial training for pilots. The FAA did not inspect the 14 carriers that have FAA-approved Advanced Qualification Programs (AQP) because AQP includes such a system. Seventy-six air carriers, including AQP carriers, have remedial training programs. An additional 15 air carriers had some part of a remedial training program. There were eight air carriers that lacked any component of a remedial training program that received additional scrutiny and have since instituted some component of a remedial training system. Since we started, all carriers have implemented some component of a remedial training program. The FAA inspectors also observed 2,419 training and checking events during the evaluation. In the few instances we observed regulatory non-compliance, we took corrective action.

Training Program Review Guidance: Based on the information from last summer's inspections, the FAA is drafting a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) with guidance material on how to conduct a comprehensive training program review in the context of a safety management system (SMS). A complementary Notice to FAA inspectors will provide guidance on how to conduct surveillance. SMS aims to integrate modern safety risk management and safety assurance concepts into repeatable, proactive systems. SMS programs emphasize safety management as a fundamental business process in the same manner as other aspects of business management. Now that we have completed our data evaluation and drafting, both guidance documents are in internal coordination.

Obtain Air Carriers' Commitment to Most Effective Practices: To solidify oral commitments made at the Call to Action, Administrator Babbitt sent a letter to all part 121 operators and their unions and requested written commitments to adhere to the highest professional standards. Many airlines are now taking steps to promote the larger airline's most effective safety practices at their smaller partner airlines. The Air Transport Association's Safety Council is now including safety directors from the National Air Carrier Association and the Regional Airline Association in their quarterly meetings. Several large air carriers are conducting periodic meetings with those with whom they have contract agreements to review safety information and we are encouraged by these efforts.

In addition, I am pleased to say that since July 2009, after the Call to Action, the FAA approved 12 new Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs. Three air carriers that had no Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) have now established them. Four more air carriers have established new ASAP programs for additional employee groups. All of this supports the contention that the Call to Action did make a difference.

Professionalism and Mentoring: Last week, the FAA met with labor organizations to discuss further developing and improving professionalism and transfer of pilot experience. In the interim, these organizations have answered the Call to Action and support the establishment or professional standards and ethics committees, a code of ethics, and safety risk management meetings between the FAA and major and regional air carriers. We also believe that labor organizations can explore some of the ideas raised in the Call to Action road shows, such as establishing joint strategic councils within a "family of carriers," use of professional standards committee safety conferences, and mentoring possibilities between air carriers and university aviation programs, with the goal of coming up with concrete ideas on mentoring. These ideas merit further discussion and the FAA looks forward to continuing to work with these organizations on these concepts.

Crew Training Requirements: As the Administrator explained during his last appearance before this Committee, the FAA issued a rulemaking proposal in January 2009 to enhance training programs by requiring the use of simulation devices for pilots. More than 3,000 pages of comments were received. The FAA is now developing a supplemental proposal that will be issued in the coming months to allow the public to comment on the revisions that were made based on the comments that were submitted.

One of the things that the Call Action has shone a light on is the issue of varying pilot experience. The FAA is attempting to address this issue with an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in which we can consider possible alternative requirements, such as an endorsement on a commercial license to indicate specific qualifications. We know some people believe that simply increasing the minimum number of hours required for a pilot to fly in commercial aviation is appropriate. As Administrator Babbitt has stated repeatedly, he does not believe that simply raising quantity - the total number of hours of flying time or experience - without regard to the quality and nature of that time and experience - is an appropriate method by which to improve a pilot's proficiency in commercial operations.

The ANPRM requests recommendations from the public to improve pilot performance and professionalism; specifically on whether existing flight crew eligibility, training and qualification requirements should be increased for commercial pilots engaged in part 121 operations. The FAA is requesting comments and recommendations on four concepts for the purpose of reviewing current pilot certification regulations. The four concepts are: (1) requirement for all pilots employed in part 121 air carrier operations to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate with the appropriate aircraft category, class and type rating, or meet the aeronautical experience requirements of an ATP certificate; (2) academic training as a substitute for flight hours experience; (3) endorsement for air carrier operations; and, (4) new additional authorization on an existing pilot certificate. The FAA has also asked for recommendations from industry and the public on any other concepts they may wish to offer. The ANPRM was published in the Federal Register on February 8.

Pilot Records: While Congress is working to amend the Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996 and the FAA amends its guidance to airlines, Administrator Babbitt asked that air carriers immediately implement a policy of asking pilot applicants to voluntarily disclose FAA records, including notices of disapproval for evaluation events. The airlines agreed to use this best practice for pilot record checks to allow for a more expansive review of records created over the course a pilot's career. The expanded review would include all the records the FAA maintains on pilots in addition to the records airlines already receive from past employers. Of the 80 air carriers that responded to the FAA on this issue, 53 air carriers, or 66 percent, reported that they already require full disclosure of a pilot applicant's FAA records. Another 15 percent reported that they plan to implement the same policy.

As the Administrator stated when he appeared before you in December, the core of many of the issues facing the air carrier industry today is professionalism. It is the duty of the flight crew to arrive for work rested and ready to perform their jobs, regardless of whether they live down the street from the airport or a thousand miles away. Professionalism is not something we can regulate, but it is something to which we must encourage and urge pilots and flight crews to aspire. The conversations we have been having, in part because of the Call to Action, help emphasize the importance of professionalism in aviation safety.

In conclusion, our efforts will not stop or even slow down just because the final report on the Call to Action was issued. We have been gratified with the response to this effort. We believe that the collective efforts of FAA, the airlines, labor unions and, of course, Congress, will continue to result in implementing best practices, transferring pilot experience, and achieving an overall improvement in safety. Safety is at the core of the FAA's mission, and we will always strive to make a safe system safer.

Mr. Chairman, Senator DeMint, Members of the Subcommittee, this concludes my prepared remarks. I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Chairman Costello, Ranking Member Petri, Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the challenges icing conditions pose to flight operations and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) efforts to mitigate the safety risks posed by icing. For more than a decade, the FAA has been working to better understand the hazards posed by icing conditions and to improve regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe airplane operation. Still, research into the complicated phenomenon of icing continues to yield new insights and mitigation measures.

Today, I want to highlight some of the known icing threats and mitigation measures as well as our icing program approach and a number of our recent efforts that have been crucial to further decreasing the risk associated with aircraft icing. First, however, it is important to understand the framework within which we work to address icing risks.

As the agency charged with setting the standards for safe aircraft operations, we establish the standards for operations during all types of meteorological conditions, including those that might result in icing on the ground or in flight. Aircraft manufacturers and operators meet these standards through a variety of means depending on where the icing risk occurs (on the ground or in flight), and the aircraft's system capabilities and intended usage. Our standards for operations in icing conditions encompass both operational and aircraft certification requirements. Operational requirements include standards and aircraft specific operating procedures for icing encounters and pilot and dispatcher training. All pilots engaged in commercial operations must receive training on identification of, safe operation in, and how to avoid and exit icing conditions. They must also be trained on deicing system operation and capabilities of the particular aircraft they operate.

An aircraft design approval - what we call a "type certificate" - provides the design specifications that an aircraft must be built to, in order to meet the FAA's standards for safe design. Aircraft must also comply with operation requirements, as set forth by the rules under which the airplane is being operated. Design and operation requirements must both be met in order to satisfy the FAA's standards for safe operation. In order for an aircraft to be certificated for operations in icing conditions, the aircraft's manufacturer must be able to demonstrate that the aircraft can safely operate within the icing conditions specified by FAA regulations. We know today that these specified conditions represent 99% of all known atmospheric conditions that result in icing. For the remaining 1%, we are conducting research and are working to translate our findings into certification standards. I want to emphasize that airplanes are prohibited from operations in known icing conditions unless they meet the certification standards for operations in those conditions and at no time may any aircraft continue to operate in severe icing conditions.

Aircraft Icing

Unmitigated icing presents risks to aircraft. The accumulation of ice on an aircraft's wing changes the shape of the wing, and hence the aerodynamic capabilities of the wing to generate lift. For this reason, ice accumulation on an aircraft on the ground may impact the aircraft's ability to takeoff, while ice accumulation in flight has the potential to raise the minimum speed at which the wing is capable of creating sufficient lift, and potentially causing the aircraft to stall.

Ground icing: Ground icing is, as the name implies, the accumulation of ice, snow or frost on the aircraft while it is on the ground. This form of icing is both common and meteorologically predictable. During the winter months, the conditions in which ice accumulation on an aircraft is possible become more prevalent and vigilant action becomes necessary to ensure planes are properly deiced and cleared of snow and ice prior to takeoff. Winter precipitation poses a threat to aviation operations because airplane performance is predicated upon the wings being free of contamination. The accumulation of ice, snow, or frost has an adverse effect on the wing's ability to produce lift, potentially limiting an airplane's ability to takeoff and climb.

Currently, the FAA prohibits takeoff unless the airplane's critical surfaces are completely clear of wintry precipitation. As many of you have likely seen, this is typically achieved by applying deicing or anti-icing fluids to the critical surfaces of the airplane. To provide for a safe takeoff, it is important that a deiced airplane not remain on the ground for an extensive period after deicing during precipitation. At the start of this winter season, as in years past, the FAA issued its annual winter "hold over times" and list of approved anti ice and deicing fluids. "Hold over times" govern the amount of time that may elapse between deicing and takeoff. In the event that the aircraft exceeds the amount of wait time permitted between deicing and takeoff, FAA regulations require the aircraft to be reinspected for adhering contamination or exit the takeoff queue and be deiced again prior to departure. These holdover time tables are revised annually. Some of the reasons for the annual update include improvements in the effectiveness of deicing and anti-icing fluids, reduction of environmental impacts and new information learned through FAA fluid research.

In-flight icing: Unlike ground icing, in-flight icing knows no season and can be difficult to predict. In-flight icing results from atmospheric conditions that can occur at anytime of the year, regardless of the weather conditions on the ground. According to FAA regulations, any pilot who finds himself or herself in icing conditions while operating an aircraft that is not approved for operations in icing must immediately exit the icing conditions. This means redirecting the aircraft to a different altitude or route, or landing.

There are multiple atmospheric conditions that can result in the build-up of ice on an aircraft during flight. To mitigate the risk of ice build-up during flight, aircraft that are certificated to operate in icing conditions are equipped with devices that shed ice from the aircraft, such as expandable pneumatic boots, or prevent the formation of ice through the use of heat. A pilot's ability to recognize icing conditions and activate deicing and anti icing systems in a timely manner is critical to those systems' effectiveness. Because of the pilot's critical role in managing flight in icing conditions, we have used both our rulemaking and advisory authorities, to provide pilots with the latest information on how to identify icing, to require early and systematic use of deicing systems and to require exit from icing conditions under certain circumstances.

Some aircraft are also equipped with ice detection systems. Ice detection systems assist the flightcrew with ice detection and timely activation of the ice protection system. These systems automatically detect ice accretion and annunciate the presence of ice accretion to the flightcrew. Some ice detection systems are designed to automatically initiate the operation of the aircraft deicing systems while others are what we call "advisory" and require the flightcrew to ensure ice protection systems are activated at the first sign of ice accretion on the airplane.

Although our current regulations address the vast majority of all known icing conditions, we have steadily worked to address two types of in-flight icing phenomena outside of the existing icing certification envelope: supercooled large droplets (SLD) and ice crystals. SLD icing can occur in freezing rain and freezing drizzle conditions - turning water to ice upon contact with the airframe, which can lead to larger accumulations or build up on areas of the wing and tail aft of the protected area. We expect to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to address this small area of vulnerability, by incorporating atmospheric conditions that are associated with SLD icing into our certification criteria. In the interim, we have taken immediate steps through our airworthiness directive authority to ensure that pilots can identify severe icing which may be produced by SLD conditions and execute exit procedures.

Ice crystals are also a newly identified threat. We now believe that flight into certain types of storm clouds can cause ice to build up deep inside the core of jet engines and cause temporary shutdowns. Understanding this threat has been particularly challenging because, typically, by the time an aircraft lands, the affected engine has restarted and there is no evidence for us to evaluate. We are currently working with industry and other governmental research partners on developing ways to recreate the atmospheric conditions in which ice crystals form and learn all that we can about how to mitigate the threat of this phenomenon. Although there is research that still needs to be done in this area, we are closely monitoring the condition and its possible causes. To mitigate the risk, the FAA issued Airworthiness Directives (ADs) requiring operational changes when in or near convective weather and engine design changes to make jet engines more tolerant of ice crystal conditions.

Icing Safety Actions

Safety concerns about the adequacy of the icing certification standards were brought to the forefront of public and governmental attention by a 1994 accident in Roselawn, Indiana, involving an Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 series airplane. The NTSB attributed this accident to what we now call SLD-an icing phenomenon that, at the time, was not fully understood. Shortly after this accident, the FAA initiated a review of aircraft safety in icing conditions to determine what could be done to increase safety. This review resulted in our current icing program.

As meteorologists will attest, simply understanding some of these icing phenomena are difficult and complex. Determining how to address these complex phenomena to support safe aircraft operations takes additional time and extensive research. That is why we tackle the dangers of icing with a multi-prong approach. To address those threats that are clearly understood or for which immediate mitigation is available, we take immediate safety action. In the meantime, concurrent research and development and rulemaking efforts are underway. To date, our icing program includes seven rulemaking initiatives-three have been adopted as final rules, while others are in various stages of development. Additionally, we have issued over 200 ADs on 50 different aircraft models, and have undertaken other operational training and mitigation initiatives.

Immediate Actions: The FAA's icing program addresses the immediate icing safety concerns for the current fleet of aircraft through the use of ADs. The FAA has the authority to issue an AD if we determine that some aspect of flying in icing conditions on a particular airplane model creates an unsafe condition that puts the flying public in immediate danger. ADs carry the same force as a regulation and are targeted to specific aircraft makes and models. ADs must be complied with in order to continue operating a covered airplane. As described above, the FAA has been aggressive in issuing ADs when we determine they are needed. These ADs cover safety issues ranging from crew operating procedures and training, to design changes that have significantly reduced the icing risk to the overall fleet.

For example, with our AD authority, we require that pilots of airplanes equipped with deicing boots activate those boots at the first sign of icing conditions. We have also issued numerous ADs that direct the crews of certain airplane designs on how to monitor and detect early signs of the onset of severe icing and to exit the area immediately. Other ADs require stall warning systems of certain airplanes to be modified to provide an earlier warning of a potential stall in icing conditions and mandate changes to address any susceptibility to stalling of the horizontal tail in icing conditions. These ADs serve as effective safety measures for the current fleet.

Longer Term Actions: The FAA's icing program also includes a number of longer term actions to further improve the safety of flying in icing conditions both for the current fleet and for future airplane designs. These actions include rulemaking, issuing safety bulletins, developing improved training material, drafting new or updating existing Advisory Circular guidance material, and further research. We recognize that fast action is an important goal for implementing any safety improvement. We also acknowledge that some actions, such as rulemaking, take longer than others. Rulemaking is a deliberative process that must involve the input of those stakeholders who are affected by the rules.

Also, in some cases, developing and implementing rules depends on extensive research to understand the particular phenomena and its effect on safety, and to develop appropriate risk mitigations.

For example, in order to understand SLD icing sufficiently to identify an appropriate set of requirements that airplane manufacturers could comply with, a significant amount of research had to be done. We needed to learn how to characterize SLD, then reproduce it, and finally, understand its effect on airplane operations and designs. For these reasons, at the same time that we tasked the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) to develop certification criteria for the safe operation of airplanes in SLD icing conditions, we also began supporting research efforts by NASA and Environment Canada to gather additional SLD data. Using existing and new SLD data and analysis, the ARAC completed the majority of the work defining the SLD icing envelope. But even after the SLD icing envelope was defined, we continued to learn more about the complexities of SLD, which led us to focus analysis of the impact of SLD on aircraft engines and determine that new standards for smaller aircraft should be considered in a separate rulemaking. The process took time, more time than we anticipated and more time than we wanted, but once we had a sufficient understanding of the science and the technical solutions, we moved forward with the SLD rulemaking. I am pleased to report that the SLD NPRM is now in executive coordination within the Department.

In the meantime, we formed and tasked an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to review the proposed regulations applicable to transport category aircraft for SLD, mixed phase, and ice crystals and recommend how they should be modified for smaller aircraft. The SLD research we conducted for the transport category SLD rulemaking provides the basis for our scientific understanding of SLD, upon which we can develop additional technological solutions for smaller aircraft.

In addition to the intensive efforts to understand and revise our regulations to address SLD and ice crystals, since 2007, FAA has completed three icing rules and just this week closed the comment period on an additional NPRM. The completed icing rules include:

• Performance and Handling Qualities in Icing Conditions for Transport Category Airplanes, adding new airworthiness requirements that require designers to demonstrate specific airplane performance and handling qualities for flight in icing conditions.
• Activation of Airframe Ice Protection System for Transport Category Airplanes, requiring either the automatic activation of ice protection systems or a method to alert pilots when they should be activated. Further, after the initial activation, the ice protection system must operate continuously, automatically turn on and off, or alert the pilots when the system should be cycled.
• Removal of Airplane Operating Regulations Allowing Polishing of Frost on Wings of Airplanes, effectively prohibiting all aircraft from taking off with polished frost on the wings.

The NPRM, for which the comment period just closed, would require certain scheduled airlines either to retrofit their existing fleet with ice-detection equipment or make sure the ice protection system activates at the proper time. For those aircraft with an ice-detection system, the FAA proposes that the system alert the crew each time they should activate the ice protection system. The ice protection system would either turn on automatically or pilots would manually activate it. For aircraft without ice-detection equipment, the crew would activate the protection system based on cues listed in their airplane's flight manual during climb and descent, and at the first sign of icing during cruise.

We are also evaluating the comments received in response to an additional NPRM that included proposed changes to training and checking requirements for pilots operating flights under part 121. In addition to many other revisions, this NPRM proposed changes that would further specify training requirements for icing operations.

I want to acknowledge that throughout our ongoing and comprehensive effort to mitigate the risks presented by airplane icing, the National Transportation Safety Board icing recommendations have been instructive. Although we are not always able to take the exact action the Board recommends, we value and fully analyze their recommendations and benefit from their investigations of icing-related accidents. We firmly believe that our actions meet the intent of the vast majority of the Board's icing recommendations.

Although we have made significant advancements in our understanding of icing since the tragic 1994 Roselawn accident, icing related threats continue to be a focus of the FAA's safety experts. The total number of accidents related to environmental icing of airplanes has been decreasing steadily, year after year, for the last 13 years. This safety achievement is the direct result of our intensive focus on improving our understanding of complex icing phenomenon and the best methods for avoiding and mitigating icing conditions. The FAA is proud of this growing safety record and is committed to expanding it.

Mr. Chairman, Congressman Petri, Members of the Subcommittee, this concludes my prepared remarks. I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have.