DAB To Be Testbed For NGATS Technologies

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University received quite a stocking stuffer, just a few days before Christmas.

On December 20, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced ERAU will receive just under $2 million in grant funding from the FAA to establish the "Airport of the Future" at Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB).

The annoucement came just a few days before the one-year anniversary of a Christmas 2006 tornado that caused extensive damage to the university's campus at DAB.

"Embry-Riddle is the leading aeronautical institution in U.S. aviation, and its 'Airport of the Future' project at Daytona Beach is a national model for safety," Mica said. "By testing advanced aviation technologies, and developing safer ground management practices, this project will change the aviation industry for the better and truly bring our aviation industry into the 21st century."

The objective of the Embry Riddle "Airport of the Future" is to create a national and major airport-based testing site for the Next Generation Air Transport System technologies, that will hopefully lead to needed safety and security improvements, and reduce congestion at the nation’s airports.

Through the public-private partnership, Embry-Riddle, the FAA, and Daytona Beach International Airport will pool resources and expertise to demonstrate the practical integration of available and emerging technologies for airport safety, security, and efficiency.

"Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a runway safety study which points to technology as one of the keys to seeing further improvements in runway safety," Mica said. "The 'Airport of the Future' focuses on both on-board technology and ground management technology. This is a much-needed project at exactly the right time."

So far, Embry-Riddle’s "Airport of the Future" project has attracted nearly $4 million in private investment from the industry. Daytona Beach International Airport and Embry-Riddle have agreed to partner in this high-technology approach to improving airport operations and safety.

"Thanks to innovative projects like the ‘Airport of the Future,’ the US will remain the leader in world-wide aviation," added Mica.

FMI: www.house.gov/mica, www.erau.edu