But Agency Says ADS-B Out Requirement Will Not Be Changed

The FAA may allow some U.S. Airlines to delay full implementation of NextGen for as long as five years, but insists that all aircraft must be ADS-B out equipped by January 1, 2020.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the FAA could exempt some airlines from the requirement to upgrade GPS receivers that will take full advantage of NextGen. The agency says that it will consider requests to allow airlines to delay upgrading their aircraft to as late as 2025. Without such exemptions, airlines say large portions of their fleets could essentially be grounded until the upgrades are complete.

Commuter airlines, the military, and private pilots may also request the delays, according to the report.

But the FAA is still sticking by its January 1, 2020 deadline for requiring ADS-B Out capability on all aircraft. An FAA spokeswoman said that the exemptions would only allow “minor degradation in GPS performance” from the required mandated reliability and accuracy levels. The spokeswoman told the paper that no airline has yet applied for an exemption.

The FAA is hoping to maintain airline support for implementation of NextGen, and this move is part of that strategy, according to industry officials and other analysts.

An industry group told the FAA that the required GPS equipment will not readily available by the time the 2020 deadline is reached, and "Multiple retrofits would be an expensive, disruptive and wasteful outcome.”

FMI: www.faa.gov