Modernized System Provides Basis For NextGen Efforts

The new Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) network at the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ became operational June 18, according to the agency.

Originally located at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, MA, the system tracks, anticipates and manages the flow of air traffic throughout US airspace, integrating real-time weather and flight data from multiple sources.

The new system provides the architecture needed to build the agency's much-ballyhooed Next Generation Air Transportation System. The modernized TFMS uses a state-of-the-art, open-architecture platform that increases development bandwidth, facilitates integration with other domains, and improves TFM performance and capacity.

A great deal of preparation has taken place to ensure that all users of the national airspace system know what to expect with the transition. That preparation will provide a smooth transition for airlines, general aviation, military, and the international community to connect to the new system.

The third and final phase of the TFMS modernization is expected by August 2009, when the remaining legacy hardware and software components are upgraded.

FMI: www.faa.gov