Group Suggests First Implementation Of NextGen To Be In Congested NY Area

An unprecedented array of airline, business, travel, and tourism industry leaders joined the Port Authority in New York City last month, urging full funding for NextGen initiatives to overhaul the country's air traffic control system and finally put an end to delays that plague the nation's air travelers. 

The Port Authority and co-host, The University Transportation Research Center - Region II, asked a panel of experts to home in on the importance of NextGen technologies as a key component of capacity enhancements and, ultimately, global competitiveness. The panel included representatives from the Air Line Pilots Association, EUROCONTROL, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Partnership for New York City, and the Regional Plan Association.

The newly formed National Alliance to Advance NextGen, composed of nearly 100 organizations representing millions of people, calls for an FAA Reauthorization Bill that includes the funding necessary to advance, install and operate NextGen technology as quickly as possible – and to do so in the New York metropolitan region first, as studies have shown that 75 percent of the nation's air traffic delays have their genesis at one of the region's airports.

A statement published by the Port Authority of NY & NJ said, "We urge Congress and the Administration to implement NextGen at our nation's airports, starting with the nation's most congested airspace, such as the New York metropolitan region.

"An antiquated air traffic control system that is dependent on ground-based radar technology is threatening efficiency of our airports and stifling economic growth. The Federal Aviation Administration's Next Generation Air Transportation System - called NextGen - will alleviate delays at the nation's most congested and delay-prone airports, but is years away from full implementation."

Specifically, the Alliance advocates the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill that includes NextGen initiatives in the Bill; full funding for NextGen initiatives in Appropriation bills; the FAA's establishment of a timeline for delivering NextGen technologies and benefits; technologies that are compatible with Canadian, European and Asian partners; and FAA deployment of NextGen technologies in the nation's most congested airspace, like the metropolitan New York area.

FMI: www.panynj.gov/nextgen/index.cfm, www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/nextgen/