"The Capacity To Allow Travelers To Choose How, Where, And When They Travel"

A plan to help the Nation meet the demands of a future aviation system that someday could include air taxis, micro-jets and commercial space vehicles, was unveiled today by Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and officials from NASA and others, who called it "a blueprint that will lead to the transformation of America’s air transportation network."

Joined by Undersecretary of Transportation for Policy Jeffrey N. Shane, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, and NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Technology Dr. J. Victor Lebacqz, Secretary Mineta detailed the government’s Integrated National Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System. He said that the Nation now has a framework in place to help "deliver a system with the capacity to allow travelers to choose how, where, and when they want to travel while making their experience as safe, secure, and hassle free as possible."

The plan also envisions a system flexible enough to support new private-sector business models and a more dynamic set of services for air travelers, such as micro-jets, more fractional ownership possibilities, and other on-demand services that could shorten curb-to-curb travel time and allow the consumer greater choices in air transportation services, Mineta said.

"It won’t be long before the nation’s airspace will be filled with more aircraft of all kinds, like air taxi services, new commercial jetliners, on-demand micro jets, and commercial space vehicles," said Mineta. "This plan sets the course as we begin our journey into the second century of aviation."

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said, "NASA is proud to participate in this first-of-its-kind multi-agency effort. Nothing is as important to the future of our economy and our quality of life as transforming the Air Transportation System to meet future needs."

The Plan

The Integrated National Plan is a long-term strategic business plan, laying out goals, objectives, and requirements in eight specific areas: airport infrastructure development, security, the air traffic system, information technology, safety management, environmental stewardship, weather forecasting, and global collaboration. Additionally, the development of innovative public-private partnerships is a key component to the entire effort.

Under the direction of Secretary Mineta and an executive-level policy committee, six government agencies and representatives from the private sector will work to direct and coordinate research, identify and resolve critical policy issues and invest in necessary infrastructure and technology with 2025 in mind. A Joint Planning and Development Office has been established by FAA and NASA to carry out the transformation effort.

In 2003, Congress established a charter to create the Next Generation Air Transportation System by the year 2025 and established a multi-agency committee to carry out the plan to include the Department of Transportation and its Federal Aviation Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

FMI: www.jpdo.aero