FAA Flight PlanCharting the Path for the Next Generation

2007-2011

WE ARE THE FAA. We are 44,000 people

whose Mission is to provide the safest, most

efficient aerospace system in the world.

This is our corporate strategy, our report card, and our plan for moving forward.

Photo by Jon Ross, FAA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 7

Increased Safety 13

Greater Capacity 23

International Leadership 33

Organizational Excellence 41

Acronym Definition 52

Moving America safely. It’s what we do.

© Chris Daniels/CORBIS

OUR VISION We continue to improve the safety and efficiency of flight.

We are responsive to our customers.

We are accountable to the public.

OUR VALUES l Safety Is Our Passion. We’re the world leaders in aerospace safety.

l Quality Is Our Trademark. We serve our country, our customers, and each other.

l Integrity Is Our Character. We do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

l People Are Our Strength. We treat people as we want to be treated.

Safety...wherever you go.

© Chase Jarvis/CORBIS

© Royalty-Free/Corbis

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T he United States sets the pace for avi-ation. When it comes to performance,we lead the way. This fourth edition

of the Flight Plan is a report card of howwe got there.

Our safety record is unparalleled in the his-tory of transportation. We’ve achieved it bysystematically identifying, analyzing andaddressing each facet. The results are with-out issue. Travel aboard a commercial jet isso safe that the odds of an accident aredescribed by a fraction of a decimal.

We’ve never been content to accept the sta-tus quo and we’re still focused on making itbetter. We’ve trained our sights on the year2025 … 19 years away. The demand for airtravel could triple by that time, and theneed to fly safely and on time will notchange. But to reach that place, we’ve gotto begin laying the foundation now. We are.It’s called NextGen.

The Flight Plan is the roadmap that leadsus there. It’s especially important becauseeven though our system remains safe,events like the Comair 5191 accident pointto the need for continuous improvement.Indeed, before that crash, a record 2.7 billionpassengers flew aboard commercial jetswithout an onboard fatality. That’s ninetimes the population of this country. Ourcommitment to continuously improve thattrack record is unwavering.

We’re confident we’ll get there. When welaunched the Flight Plan three years ago,we asked our employees and stakeholdersto make sure we were on the right track.They did, and we listened. This broad buy-in has made a significant difference in ourbottom line results. In 2003, the FAA met 75percent of its annual performance goals. In2006, we met 90 percent. Still, each year,we take a fresh look at ourselves and askour employees and stakeholders the samequestions: Are we providing taxpayers witha return on the investment they make in us?And how can we do better?

What follows is a summary of major accom-plishments over the last three years. Call it areport to the shareholders.

GENERAL AVIATION AND ALASKA ACCIDENTS l

Our collaboration on training and educa-tion initiatives with the general aviationcommunity is paying off. In 2006, we’re atthe lowest accident levels ever.

CREATION OF THE AIR TRAFFIC ORGANIZATION l

The biggest step toward becoming a cus-tomer focused, cost-driven organizationcame with the reorganization of the FAA’slargest line of business, air traffic services,in 2004.

MAJOR ACQUISITIONS ON SCHEDULE AND ON

BUDGET l In FY 2004, for the first time, theFAA met its annual major acquisitionsgoal—91 percent of major acquisitions

INTRODUCTIONTaking Stock of Where We Are Today.

were on schedule and within 10 percent ofbudget. We had repeat performances in FY2005 and 2006. In FY 2006, 100 percent ofour critical acquisitions were within 10 percent of budget and 97.4 percent wereon schedule.

OFF OF GAO’S HIGH RISK LIST l Our financialmanagement was designated by theGovernment Accountability Office as a highrisk in 1999. Through our commitment andprogress in implementing new financialmanagement systems, we were removed inJanuary 2005.

SIX NEW RUNWAYS l Since October 2003, wehave commissioned six runways – all onschedule. These six runways provide52,000 feet, or over 9.8 miles, of new con-crete. This in turn provides the capability toaccommodate 1,025,000 additional opera-tions per year.

ON-TIME ARRIVAL PERFORMANCE l For twoyears, we’ve met or exceeded our targetsfor on-time arrivals and operational avail-ability. While we cannot control theweather, we have collaborated with ourstakeholders to develop tools that bettermanage the impact it has on the systemand help keep traffic moving. In addition,

we’ve ensured consistently high levels ofoperational availability of the facilities andequipment (such as radars and communica-tions systems) necessary to provide serviceto our customers.

THE FINAL FRONTIER l In the three yearssince 2003, there have been no fatalities tothe public during commercial space launchand reentry activities. In addition, on June21, 2004, test pilot Mike Melvill successfullyflew SpaceShipOne, the world’s first com-mercial manned space vehicle. The flightculminated years of work by the FAA withthe Scaled Composites Company to makethe trip possible.

EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RESPONSE l Katrinaand the hurricanes of 2005 tested our abilityto respond to emergency and disaster. AfterKatrina wreaked its havoc on the Gulf Coast,dozens of FAA employees had the systemback on-line—within 48 hours—longbefore anyone expected it could be done.

ASSISTANCE AROUND THE WORLD l Since 2004,the FAA has provided technical assistanceand training to over 76 countries aroundthe globe.

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© 1997-2006 Adam Aircraft, Inc. All rights reserved.

© Vincent Laforet/Pool/Reuters/Corbis

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS l In FY 2005,the FAA issued the first experimental air-worthiness certificate for a civilian unmannedaircraft operating in the national airspacesystem—the General Atomics ALTAIR.

FLIGHT SERVICE CONTRACT l In October 2005,we completed the largest non-military, fed-eral outsourcing competition in history. Thenation’s network of automated flight servicestations, which provide weather guidanceand aeronautical information to pilots ofsmall airplanes, will be reduced from 58 to20. We will see the first installment of costsavings—$66 million—in 2007. The initia-tive is expected to save $2.2 billion overthe life of the program.

RUNWAY SAFETY l We’ve reduced the mostserious types of runway incursions eachyear since 2003. From 2003 to 2006, wemet our goal by improving 159 runwaysafety areas—portions of ground at theends of runways that give planes extraroom to stop.

REDUCED VERTICAL SEPARATIONS l Working withthe aviation industry, and the governmentsof Canada and Mexico, we implementedDomestic Reduced Vertical SeparationMinimum—DRVSM—on January 20, 2005.By decreasing the required minimum verticaldistance between aircraft, reduced verticalseparation allows more aircraft to fly in agiven airspace, greatly increasing the totalnumber of aircraft that can fly safely at onetime. DRVSM is expected to save more than$5 billion in fuel costs for air carriersthrough 2016.

10-YEAR CONTROLLER HIRING PLAN l OnDecember 21, 2004, we sent to Congress aplan to hire 12,500 new controllers overthe next 10 years to replace the large num-ber of controllers expected to retire duringthat time. We’re on track and in 2006 weincreased our controller ranks to over 14,670.

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“LIKE A BUSINESS”

The FAA’s business is safety. To achieve the FAA’s mission to provide the safest, mostefficient aerospace system in the world, we have to get the most value from everydollar we spend. One of the ways to do that is to provide customer-focused servicesand higher value at a lower unit cost to ensure that more money is available toacquire new technologies, enhance existing safety programs, and cover essentialoperating and capital costs targeted at improving safety. By prioritizing resources andbeing accountable, we keep a razor sharp focus on the most important safety areasand on the development of innovative technologies that improve aviation safety nowand in the future.

Our safety results speak for themselves—a phenomenally low commercial fatal acci-dent rate, reduced fatal accidents in general aviation and Alaska, and an impeccablesafety record in commercial space transportation.

© Jim Sugar/CORBIS

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O ur Flight Plan sets the course towardthe future and sets our compass tomake sure we’re ready when we get

there. It sets specific, measurable perform-ance targets to achieve our goals, with allour activities aligned. These are the stepsthat chart our path to the Next GenerationAir Transportation System (NextGen).

This is the fourth edition of the Flight Plan,reflecting both continuity and change. Onemajor change this year is to strengthen our focus on reducing congestion, both at airports and in the skies, as part of aDepartment of Transportation initiativelaunched in May 2006. Bottom line: Ourcharge is to reduce aviation congestion andmanage the growth of the system, withoutcompromising safety.

A major step in reducing congestion is toexpand our support for NextGen. Congresschartered the Joint Planning and Develop-ment Office (JPDO) to develop a blueprintfor the aviation system of 2025—and moreimportantly—a plan to get there. The nextgeneration system recognizes that air trafficdemand will double to triple over the next20 years. It anticipates handling new aircraft

types, ranging from low-orbit spacecraftsuch as SpaceShipOne, to tilt-rotor aircraft,to very light jets being used as air taxis andunmanned aircraft, and all must have roomto fly.

The long and short of it is that the FAAneeds to transform the system to avert grid-lock in the sky and on the ground.NextGen takes care of both.

Through the NextGen plan, we’re develop-ing a roadmap of new technologies andprocedures such as Required NavigationPerformance (RNP) and Automatic DependentSurveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) that willtransform the National Airspace System (NAS)over the next two decades. We also canmore effectively use the largely untappedcapabilities of more than 2,800 small air-ports throughout the nation.

This Flight Plan features several major ini-tiatives that support NextGen. As you gothrough our plan this year, look for theNextGen symbol— —which signifies aNextGen initiative.

CHARTING THE PATH TO TOMORROWThe Next Generation Air Transportation System takes wing.

© David Samuel Robbins/CORBIS

O ver the last three years, the accidenttrends in both commercial and gen-eral aviation have been at all-time

lows. Commercial space transportation hasnever had a fatality, injury, or any signifi-cant property damage to the public. ThisFlight Plan continues our commitment toreduce commercial and general aviationfatal accidents. We strive to cut runwayincursions, operational errors, and haz-ardous materials incidents. We continue tostrive toward a three-year rolling averagefor our commercial airline fatal accidentrate of 0.010 fatal accidents per 100,000departures or below.

We have set the highest safety standards inthe history of aviation. Even so, our goalis—as always—to continue to improve aviation safety. We address our operationalvulnerabilities to reduce risk. We work toimprove airport infrastructure, safety man-agement systems awareness, runway safetytraining, and new procedures.

One major key to our successful safety effortsis cooperation among our stakeholders. Weconstantly work with our stakeholder groupsto meet our safety goal. Each group helps uswith technology, communications, and its ownunique expertise. In our responsibility forsafety oversight, we work with them to estab-lish their own safety management systemsthat meet the highest standards of quality.

To help reduce runway incursions, wedeployed the Airport Surface DetectionEquipment-Model X (ASDE-X) warning system at five major airports. We alsostrengthened the airfield paint markingsstandard for taxiway centerlines at 72 largeairports to alert pilots when they areapproaching hold short lines so they won’tinadvertently enter a runway without aclearance.

Our efforts also are helping controllers dotheir jobs more safely, especially when itcomes to tracking and eliminating opera-tional errors. In response to a long-standingrecommendation by the Department ofTransportation Inspector General and theNational Transportation Safety Board toimprove reports of operational errors,we’ve added a new initiative to automatedata collection. The Traffic Analysis andReview Program—known as “TARP”—is astate-of-the-art traffic analysis and playbacksystem that will improve operational erroridentification and quality assurance. We’reputting the software in place for use nextyear, with all installations complete by2011. The high fidelity, near-real time play-back feature of TARP will also supportmore effective and efficient air traffic con-troller training.

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INCREASED SAFETYOur goal is to achieve the lowest possible accident rate

and constantly improve safety.

Three operating capabilities are key to han-dling the traffic demands forecast for 2025and beyond: Navigation, Communications,and Surveillance. We have already developeddesign criteria as well as aircraft and operatorrequirements for Required NavigationPerformance approaches. We published sixspecial RNP approaches in 2005, 28 in2006, and set a goal of 25 each for FY 2007and FY 2008. We will continue to developand implement RNP procedures to reduceour already low airline fatal accident rate.

The work of the Commercial AviationSafety Team (CAST), which includes repre-sentatives from government, industry, andemployee groups, has been instrumental inusing data to drive decisions. The team’sdisciplined and focused approach to ana-lyzing accidents and incidents, identifying

precursors, and developing targeted imple-mentation strategies helped to reduce theairline fatal accident rate over 60 percent inthe last 10 years. We are also working withthis team to develop new targets to moreeffectively measure performance in com-mercial aviation safety.

Finally, we continue our work to expandthe growing field of commercial spacetransportation. In 2006, there were sevencommercial launches. We are grantingsafety approvals of commercial space launchand reentry vehicles, safety systems,processes, services and personnel. We metour commercial space launch target andcontinued improvement of internal processesand partnerships with the Air Force, othergovernment agencies, and the commercialspace transportation industry.

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THE SAFETY INDEX The Composite Safety Index was

developed as part of the FAA

Administrator’s 2005 Flight Plan.

It is intended to be a measure of

the relative risk and performance

of the U.S. civil aviation system.

The index is the three rolling aver-

age of yearly values for “Fatalities

per Person Departure.” The base

period of 1994-1996 was selected

as 1.00 and the index is calculated

as a ratio to the base period. As can

be seen from the chart the index

decreased in 2006 for the fourth

year in a row.

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Reduced General Aviation Fatal Accidents. Through efforts focused on training and education, wereduced general aviation fatal accidents to 297 in FY 2006 compared to a not-to-exceed ceilingof 337. That’s 15 percent less than the same time period last year. There were 102 accidents inAlaska in FY 2006, well below our not-to-exceed ceiling of 115.

Reduced Runway Incursions. Through September, the rate of Category A and B runway incur-sions—the most serious—is over 16 percent below its ceiling rate. Fewer runway incursionscaused by operational errors accounts for most of the improvement. We completed improvementson 39 Runway Safety Areas in FY 2006 to provide a graded area of as much as 1,000 feet at theend of runways in case of an aircraft overrun.

Required Navigation Performance Approaches. The FAA has created and implemented 28 plannedRNP approaches this year throughout the U.S. These procedures take advantage of modern flightmanagement systems that can use Global Positioning Systems (GPS), inertial navigation andother sensors to precisely contain an aircraft in a narrow corridor of airspace. With RNP, airportscan add instrument approaches to avoid hazardous terrain or restricted airspace without having toadd expensive ground-based navigation aids.

New Standardized Radar Weather Phraseology. The FAA created standardized radar weatherphraseology to provide more accurate, standardized descriptions of precipitation to pilots. Nowour air traffic controllers and flight service specialists relay weather information to pilots unam-biguously, reducing communications errors and thereby enhancing safety.

New Certifications. FAA certified two new Very Light Jets (VLJs), the Eclipse 500 and the CessnaCitation Mustang, representative of a new category of aircraft for business and personal use.

They also cost significantly less than traditional jets. FAA also certified the Adam 500 twin-engine aircraft.

Commercial Space Launches. The FAA again met its target of no fatalities, seriousinjuries, or significant property damage to the uninvolved public during licensed

space launch and reentry activities.

ISO:9001 Certification. The FAA’s Aviation Safety Organization madeanother step to continuously improve safety by achieving International

Organization for Standardization (ISO) registration. (See sidebar onp.16 for more information.)

TOP INCREASED SAFETY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© Ben LÍ/CORBIS

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OBJECTIVE 1 Reduce the commercial airline fatal accident rate.

StrategyContinue the evolution toward a perform-ance-based National Airspace System (NAS)by using a space-based navigation systemand onboard technologies. These improve-ments allow aircraft greater flexibility to

navigate airspace more safely, efficiently,and in a more environmentally sound waythan the current ground-based navigationsystem.

Initiativel Develop and implement Required Naviga-

tion Performance (RNP) approach proce-dures. Through FY 2011, we will publish atleast 200 RNP approach procedures.

Ted HuttonStaff Specialist for Airworthiness, Aviation Safety OrganizationNorthwest Mountain Region

Ted, your suggestions to assess the effectiveness of our certification and inspec-tion programs and focus on quality and compliance with safety standards arethe reasons we initiated the ISO-9001 process in the Aviation Safety Orga-nization. The ISO program will help assess the effectiveness of our processes,such as inspections. We owe the highest quality, integrity, and accountabilityto our employees and to our stakeholders. You’re keeping us honest.

“WHAT ISO STANDS FOR AT THE FAA”

ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, but to the FAA, it standsfor “continuous improvement of safety” and “consistency.” This past year, our AviationSafety Organization (AVS) achieved ISO:9001 registration. AVS is the arm of FAAthat certifies and inspects existing and new aircraft for flight and develops and revisessafety regulations. We set a very high bar for all the processes that support our safetymission. And having a systematic approach to safety that is checked and continuouslyimproved is one way to ensure that we’re working in the interest of millions of peoplewho rely on aviation day in and day out.

ISO requires that an organization establish a quality management system (QMS) thatincludes formally developed critical processes and measurement of those processes. TheAVS QMS ensures customer satisfaction, meeting customer and regulatory requirements,audit of the system, and continuous improvement. We’ve done all of the above and theachievement of this standard reflects our commitment to transparency and accountability.

ISO 9001 points to the importance of managing an organization that is ready for thefuture and all it brings. Our ability to improve processes and better integrate policieswill only increase our ability to improve safety in the aviation industry. And that’swhat counts.

l Provide third parties the ability to design,flight check, and implement RNPapproach procedures.

StrategyAddress safety concerns and issues, expandcost-effective safety oversight and surveil-lance, and continue research into the causalfactors of accidents.

Initiativesl Send critical safety rules to the Office of

the Secretary of Transportation within 90days of the planned date.

l Address the National TransportationSafety Board’s identified safety issues.

l Ensure that safety oversight keeps pacewith changes occurring in the aviationenvironment by targeting our inspectionsresources better, improving our oversightsystems, and providing training for safetycritical employees on time.

l Maintain ISO:9001 registration to certifythat FAA’s Aviation Safety Organizationmeets the same standards expected ofthose we regulate in the aviation industry.

l Continue research to identify human factorsthat may contribute to accidents. Developand implement strategies, methods, andtechnologies that reduce safety risk.

l Identify and implement activitiesdesigned to streamline and improve theNotice to Airmen process.

l Where practical, upgrade Runway SafetyAreas to meet standards.

l Implement Safety Management Systemsfor certificated airport operators.

StrategyPromote and expand safety informationsharing efforts, including FAA-industry part-nerships and data-driven safety programsthat identify, prioritize, and address risksbefore they lead to accidents.

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Photo by Laurie Zaleski, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center

Initiativesl Promote national data sharing and analysis

programs (for example, Voluntary AviationSafety Information Program (VASIP), FlightOperational Quality Assurance (FOQA),Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP),and Continued Operational SafetyProgram (COSP)).

l Continue implementing the AirTransportation Oversight System.

l Continue implementing CommercialAviation Safety Team (CAST) initiatives.

l Working with CAST, develop new targetsto measure performance in commercialaviation safety.

l Improve the safety of transporting haz-ardous materials by air.

Performance Targetl Limit the three-year rolling average fatal

accident rate to 0.010 fatal accidents per100,000 departures.

OBJECTIVE 2.Reduce the number of fatal accidentsin general aviation.

Strategy Implement technologies and systems thatwill help pilots operate aircraft as safely aspossible.

Initiativesl Continue delivery of dependent surveillance

to key sites. Provide text and graphicaldata through programs such as AutomaticDependent Surveillance-Broadcast/TrafficInformation Service-Broadcast, and FlightInformation Service Broadcast to the cock-pit through flight information services.Increase situational awareness by improv-ing the capabilities of small aircraft withintegrated displays, data-link, and trafficinformation.

l Develop and publish Wide AreaAugmentation System (WAAS) approaches.In FY 2007, we will publish 300 WAASapproaches.

Strategy Update and improve standardprocedures and guidelines forgeneral aviation operators.

Initiativesl Ensure that safety oversight

and regulatory compliancekeep pace with changes in thegeneral aviation environment.

l Continue to implementGeneral Aviation Joint SteeringCommittee initiatives.

Photo by Laurie Zaleski, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center

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l Continue research to identify human factorsthat may contribute to accidents. Developand implement strategies, methods, andtechnologies that reduce safety risk.

l Develop policies, procedures, andapproval processes to enable operationof unmanned aircraft systems (UASs).

l Working with industry, by FY 2009,develop and baseline a target rate forgeneral aviation fatal accidents to replacethe current performance measure.

StrategyExpand and accelerate implementing safetyand air navigation improvement programsin Alaska.

Initiativesl Achieve full operational capability of WAAS.

l Expand the Capstone Program as part ofthe NAS through a phased approach start-ing with Bethel and Southeast Alaska withthe goal of statewide implementation.

l Continue to optimize weather camera ben-efits and explore alternative technologies.

l Support the Medallion, Circle of Safety,and Alaska Flight Service Safety programs.

l Improve rural airports to permit 24-hourVisual Flight Rules (VFR) access.

l By FY 2009, establish an improvedstatewide public RNP/RNAV WAAS

enabled route structure.

Performance Targetsl By FY 2009, reduce the

number of general avi-ation and nonscheduledPart 135 fatal accidentsfrom the 1996-1998average of 385 per yearto no more than 319accidents per year. Thismeasure will be con-verted from a numberto a rate after FY 2009.The targets for FY

2010-2011 are under development.

l By FY 2009, reduce accidents in Alaskafor general aviation and all Part 135 oper-ations from the 2000-2002 average of 130accidents per year to no more than 99accidents per year. This measure will beconverted from a number to a rate afterFY 2009. The targets for FY 2010-2011 areunder development.

OBJECTIVE 3.Reduce the risk of runway incursions.

StrategyIdentify and reduce runway incursion collision risks.

FAA Photo

Initiative l Improve training, procedures, evaluation,

analysis, testing, and certification toreduce the risk of runway incursionsresulting from errors by pilots, air trafficcontrollers, and pedestrians, vehicle oper-ators, tug operators, and mechanicsconducting aircraft taxi operations.

StrategyModify and improve existing surface move-ment infrastructure.

Initiativesl Install Airport Surface Detection

Equipment-Model X (ASDE-X) and retrofitof ASDE-X equipment capability intoselected Airport Movement Area SafetySystem (AMASS) installations.

l Continue developing, testing, evaluating,

and deploying runway status lights atAMASS and ASDE-X airports.

Performance Targetl By FY 2010, limit Category A and B (most

serious) runway incursions to a rate of nomore than 0.450 per million operations,and maintain or improve through FY 2011.

OBJECTIVE 4.Ensure the safety of commercialspace launches.

StrategyContinue developing tools, guidance, andregulations for reducing the safety risks forcommercial space launch and reentry oper-ations, including those involving humanspace flight.

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© The Sea Launch Limited Duration Company (LDC)

Initiatives l Ensure that safety oversight keeps pace

with changes in the commercial spacetransportation environment.

l Partner with National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA) and Department ofDefense (DOD) to manage the integrationof emerging space transportation opera-tions into the National Airspace System.

l Conduct research to identify commercialhuman space flight safety requirements.

Performance Targetl No fatalities, serious injuries, or significant

property damage to the uninvolved pub-lic during licensed or permitted spacelaunch and reentry activities.

OBJECTIVE 5. Enhance the safety of FAA’s air traffic systems.

StrategyIdentify and reduce operational error colli-sion risks and influence their reduction.

Initiativesl Modify evaluations to help reduce opera-

tional errors.

l Improve measurement and analysis ofsafety performance by implementingautomated tools (Traffic Analysis andReview Program) and developingenhanced safety metrics and more effi-cient performance reporting processes.

l Provide pilots with safe access to the NASby analyzing and disseminating aeronau-tical and meteorological information topilots and controllers through innovativesystems.

StrategyDesign, develop, and implement a SafetyManagement System (SMS) that complieswith the International Civil AviationOrganization’s (ICAO) requirements andapplies a system safety approach to theFAA’s delivery of air traffic services.

Initiatives l Implement Safety Risk Management

(SRM) using a phased approach with ini-tial implementation focusing on targetedNAS changes.

l Implement SRM processes FAA-wide toassess safety risk and to monitor effec-tiveness of strategies to reduce risk.

l Improve collecting, consolidating, andanalyzing safety data to enhance report-ing and assessment.

Performance Targetsl Limit Category A and B (most serious)

operational errors to a rate of no morethan 4.27 per million activities throughFY 2008.

l By FY 2010, apply Safety RiskManagement to at least 19 significantchanges in the NAS.

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© Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis

W e must increase airport and air-space capacity to meet futuredemands on our aviation system.

The number of passengers continues toincrease each year, and we continue towork with all airspaceusers to increase thereliability and pre-dictability of air travel.Congestion causesdelays and delays costtime and money. That’swhy we’re spearheadingan initiative to combatcongestion across theentire network in con-cert with a Departmentof Transportation effortto reduce congestionacross all modes oftransportation.

In this Flight Plan, wehave made cutting congestion our first capac-ity objective. We’re part of an interagencyeffort with six cabinet-level organizationsand private industry to develop the NextGeneration Air Transportation System. Thevision of NextGen is to modernize aviation tosupport greater capacity and less congestion.

We commissioned four new runways thisyear, which will significantly increaseannual operations and reduce delays. We’reredesigning constrained airspace over NewYork, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and

Chicago. We’re also working to managecongestion where adding new or expand-ing existing runways are not options.

Every year, after thorough data analysis, weupdate the list of metropolitan areas thatwill most affect total system delays. For years,

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GREATER CAPACITYOur goal is to work with local governments and airspace

users to provide increased capacity in the United States

airspace system that reduces congestion and meets projected

demand in an environmentally sound manner.

© Russell Munson/CORBIS

we’ve had eight—New York, Philadelphia,Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington/Baltimore, Los Angeles and San Francisco.Atlanta is now off the list. In June 2006, wecommissioned a new runway there, allow-ing the airport to handle 33 percent moreoperations a year. In addition, we will opena new taxiway next year to provide evenmore efficiency.

Lastly, we added a new initiative to imple-ment environmental systems. We build andrenovate thousands of facilities to manageand maintain the NAS infrastructure.Incorporating environmentally friendlydesign concepts allows us to keep ourcommitment to build capacity while protecting the environment.

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Photo by John Rodriguez

Four New Runways. The FAA commissioned four new runways this fiscal year—Minneapolis-St.Paul on October 27, 2005; Cincinnati on December 22, 2005; St. Louis on April 13, 2006;and Atlanta on June 8, 2006. These additional miles of concrete provide the capability toaccommodate 655,000 additional operations per year.

The User Request Evaluation Tool. Software that enables controllers to assess new altitudes orchanges in course instantly is now up and running at all 20 air route traffic control centers inthe U.S. This technology offers air carriers significant fuel savings. In the Memphis area alone,airlines save almost $1.5 million per month.

Reducing the Number of People Exposed to Airport Noise. The FAA seeks to ensure that at least20,000 people a year experience reduced airport noise. Thanks to FAA regional and fieldoffices, we exceeded our performance target of 20,000 people this year—we reached 21,364.

Implementing Environmental Management Systems. This Administration is focusing on EMS tointegrate environmental concerns in daily operational decisions as set out in a PresidentialExecutive Order. The FAA has already realized significant operating improvements as a result ofimplementing EMS. The FAA Technical Center reduced air emissions fees by 90%, hazardouswaste disposal costs by $17,075, and storm water operating costs by $9,330.

On-Time Performance. For the second year in a row, we met and exceeded our goal for on-timearrivals. Our ability to meet this target is attributed, in part, to traffic flow initiatives like theAirspace Flow Program, which began in 2006.

TOP GREATER CAPACITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© BananaStock/Alamy

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OBJECTIVE 1.Increase capacity to meet projecteddemand and reduce congestion.

StrategyMeet the new and growing demands for airtransportation services through 2025through the interagency effort of the JointPlanning and Development Office.

Initiativesl Expand FAA’s existing Operational

Evolution Plan to incorporate criticalNextGen operational concepts and changes,and detailed milestones of key NAS mod-ernization programs through 2025.

l By FY 2010, operationally implementAutomatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) for air traffic servicesat selected sites.

l Strategically link funding requests withthe acquisition of research products orservices that support FAA’s transition toNextGen.

l Ensure that the environmental approachfor capacity expansion is compatible withthe road map developed by theEnvironmental Integrated Product Team(IPT) for NextGen.

l Develop the Airports Integrated ProductTeam road map to support NextGen.

Strategy Evaluate existing airport capacity levels andset investment and infrastructure prioritiesand policies that enhance capacity.

Initiativesl Work with the aviation community to

establish the most feasible policies toenhance capacity and manage congestion.

l Update the Future Airport Capacity Team(FACT) Report titled “Capacity Needs inthe National Airspace System.”

l Establish priorities for infrastructureinvestments to maintain existing capacityin a cost-effective manner.

l Support master plans for airfield improve-ments at the Ivanpah (Las Vegas) and SanDiego airports.

l Ensure that all necessary activities areaccomplished to meet new OEP runwaycapability commitments established inpartnership with stakeholders.

l Support environmental processing of air-field improvements at the 35 OEPairports including projects that supportVision 100 environmental streamlining.

StrategyImprove airspace access and modify separa-tion standards to increase capacity and allowmore efficient use of congested airspace.

Initiativesl Redesign terminal airspace and change

procedures to increase capacity.

l Implement the performance-based navi-gation roadmap by the continueddevelopment and implementation of AreaNavigation (RNAV) routes, standardinstrument departures (SIDs), and stan-dard terminal arrivals (STARs). In FY

2007, we will publish 50 RNAV SIDs andSTARs and 12 RNAV routes.

l Using the cross-organizational AirportObstructions Standards Committee (AOSC),develop recommended standards andaction plans for runway procedures, suchas end-around taxiways, and establish data-bases and data collection tools to improveairport flight operations, while maintainingan optimal balance among safety, capacity,and efficiency considerations.

l Conduct research to improve safety andincrease throughput using wake turbu-lence monitoring, operational procedures,and controller tools.

l Enhance NAS performance for 35 OEPairports through advanced engineeringand program support.

StrategyImprove bad weather departure and land-ing capacity with new technologies andprocedures.

Initiativesl Capitalize on Spring/Summer Plan data,

developed in partnership with the airlinesand other segments of aviation, toimprove traffic flow in bad weather.

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Photo provided courtesy of Denver International Airport

l Implement Precision Runway Monitor atAtlanta-Hartsfield International Airport toincrease arrival rates during inclementweather.

l Increase airport capacity through the useof Traffic Management Advisor.

l Identify and implement procedures andtechnology to improve the disseminationof weather information to pilots and con-trollers.

l Develop an FAA weather index to betterquantify and improve on-time perform-ance during good and bad weather.

Strategy Increase aviation capacity and reduce con-gestion in the seven major metropolitanareas and corridors that most affect totalsystem delay. For FY 2007, those areas are:New York, Philadelphia, South CentralFlorida, Chicago, Washington/Baltimore,Los Angeles Basin, and San Francisco Bay.

Initiativesl Monitor and maintain scheduled progress

for Environmental Impact Statements at WestPalm Beach, South Suburban (Chicago),Ft. Lauderdale, and Philadelphia Airports.

l Support master plans for airfield improve-ments at Baltimore/Washington, South Sub-urban (Chicago), and Philadelphia airports.

l Conduct regional studies for capacity andcongestion in the New York, New England,and Los Angeles metropolitan areas.

l Direct Airport Improvement Program(AIP) funding to reduce capacity con-straints of secondary and reliever airportslocated within those metropolitan areas.

l Update our projections on which metro-politan areas will have the greatestimpact on the total system for delaysover the period of the Flight Plan.

l Redesign the airspace of the seven majormetropolitan areas.

l Expand use of time-based metering at airtraffic control centers.

Performance Targetsl Achieve an average daily airport capacity

for the 35 OEP airports of 104,338 arrivalsand departures per day by FY 2011.

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Chuck DennisStrategic Planning Branch Manager, Office of Aviation Policy, Planning, andEnvironment, Washington Headquarters

You told us we need to plan better for the future and that the future isNextGen. We’ve included a number of initiatives this year to demonstrate howwhat we do over the next five years will help get us to a NextGen system.Near-term initiatives like RNP procedure development and ADS-B implemen-tation make it clear that the future is now.

l Commission six new runway projects,increasing the annual service volume ofthe 35 OEP airports by at least 1 percentannually, measured as a five-year movingaverage, through FY 2011.

l Sustain adjusted operational availability of99.7 percent for the reportable facilitiesthat support the 35 OEP airports throughFY 2011.

l Achieve an average daily airport capacityfor the seven major metropolitan areas of64,060 arrivals and departures per day byFY 2009, and maintain through FY 2011.

OBJECTIVE 2.Increase reliability and on-time per-formance of scheduled carriers.

StrategyPromote the use of automated systems thatprovide more accurate and timely informa-tion for all system users.

Initiativel Improve on-time performance and opera-

tor and passenger access to informationby using Traffic Flow Management(TFM), Traffic Management Advisor(TMA), and Collaborative Air TrafficManagement Technologies (CATMT),such as Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs).

Top left: © Royalty-Free/Corbis; top right: FAA Photo; Bottom: © Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis

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Strategy Restructure airspace to ensure efficient traf-fic flow between oceanic and domesticairspace.

Initiativesl Use new equipment and technology to

reduce en-route congestion.

l Implement high-altitude airspace redesignto reduce congestion.

l Reduce oceanic separation in the Pacific.

l Develop ocean capacity metrics and tar-gets for FY 2007 and beyond, by using acomprehensive Advanced Technologiesand Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) data col-lection and analysis capability andoceanic simulation and modeling capability.

Performance Targetl Achieve a NAS on-time arrival rate of

88.76 percent at the 35 OEP airports byFY 2011.

OBJECTIVE 3.Address environmental issues asso-ciated with capacity enhancements.

StrategyDevelop better systems, technologies, andanalytical tools to evaluate aircraft noiseand emissions, and ensure environmental stewardship.

Initiativesl Along with stakeholders, increase aircraft

noise and emissions mitigation activities atthe environmental Center of Excellence.

l Work with several airports to implementContinuous Descent Approach (CDA) fornight operations, and initiate researchinto CDA applicability to airports withgreater traffic levels, general mixed fleet,and mixed operations.

Standard flight paths, such as the one atLouisville (shown in blue) involve a series ofstepped descents. New continuous decentapproach (CDA) procedures reduce noise impacts,fuel burn, and pollutant emissions. (Adapted froma Mike Covington illustration for The [Louisville]Courier Journal.)

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.l Conduct research and develop, verify,and validate analytical tools to betterunderstand the relationship betweennoise and emissions and different typesof emissions, and to provide the costbenefit analysis capability necessary fordata-driven decision-making.

l Implement Environmental ManagementSystems to ensure that FAA operationsprotect the environment, meet statutory andregulatory environmental requirements, andimprove reliability and cost effectiveness.

Performance Targetsl Reduce the number of people exposed to

significant noise by 1 percent each yearthrough FY 2011, as measured by athree-year moving average, from thethree-year average for calendar years2000-2002.

l Improve aviation fuel efficiency per rev-enue plane-mile by 1 percent each yearthrough FY 2011, as measured by athree-year moving average, from thethree-year average for calendar years2000-2002.

© Kevin Fleming/CORBIS

© Gregor Schuster/zefa/Corbis

T he United States has establishedworld leadership in aviation with theconsistent commitment to make safety

our most important export. Our daily goalis to advance safety and efficiency aroundthe world—literally, anywhere Americansfly. We’ve continued our strong support ofPresidential safety initiatives and of keyregional aviation authorities across the globe.

Aviation is a fast-paced, dynamic sector thatthrives on innovation and new concepts,and FAA is recognized as a global leader inimplementing new procedures and tech-nologies to improve safety and capacityworldwide. In this role, FAA’s “reach” is

significant. We provide technical assistance increating infrastructure, training, developingsafety regulations and outreach to fund aviation programs. In FY 2006, we providedtechnical guidance and training to 66 coun-tries and five international organizations inall parts of the world.

We position our FAA employees across theglobe for a variety of assignments—frominstalling global positioning systems in ourclosest neighbors (Canada and Mexico) toleading the construction of air traffic man-agement facilities (Baghdad).

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIPOur goal is to increase the safety and capacity of the global

civil aerospace system in an environmentally sound manner.

FY 2006 Technical and Training Assistance Map

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The FAA continues to support Safe Skiesfor Africa, the Third Border initiative(which promotes regulatory safety in theCaribbean), and special rebuilding pro-grams in Afghanistan and Iraq. We promoteU.S. aviation environmental policies with

European partners. We also support imple-menting Required Navigation Performance(RNP) and Area Navigation (RNAV) tech-nologies in Asia and the Americas. Wecooperate with bilateral and multilateralpartners in Europe and Asia to negotiateexecutive agreements and implementationprocedures supporting the transfer of avia-tion products. During FY 2006, we openedFAA representative offices in Abu Dhabi,United Arab Emirates, and New Delhi, India.

To better reflect FAA’s safety impact on otherregions, we analyzed high growth areas torecommend proven safety enhancementstoday and in the future. China was a focusfor FY 2006, and we will continue to workwith China to help maintain its already lowaccident rate as it expands its commercialfleet and services. In the future, we will usethis approach as a model for similar work inLatin America, and elsewhere. These enhance-ments are the best approach to influencingaccident rates in areas that are experiencingsubstantial growth in operations.

Lastly, we’ve revised a strategy and severalinitiatives to extend the reach of NextGeninto the international area. We will do thisby collaborating with key international part-ners to implement NextGen technologiesglobally to improve aviation safety andcapacity. We will also increase harmoniza-tion of equipment and procedures throughour NextGen international partnerships andin our work with ICAO. We supported theICAO Required Navigation Performance(RNP) study group to develop the finaldraft of the ICAO RNP procedures designmanual. We also continue to assist withPerformance Based Navigation (RNAV andRNP implementation) activities in Asia,South America, Central America, and Mexico.FAA is proposing a cooperative agreementwith European aviation organizations toparticipate in each other’s air traffic manage-ment modernization programs to harmonizeoperations. These efforts are essential toseamless operation of aircraft.

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FAA Photo

Rebuilding Infrastructure in War-Torn Countries. With civilian volunteers and military servicemenand women, the FAA is helping rebuild war-torn aviation systems in Iraq and Afghanistan. TheFAA is guiding efforts to rebuild airports, radars, towers, runways, and terminals. A team ofexperts is also helping these countries redesign their airspace.

Raising Safety Levels. We’ve done intensive work and technical reviews of the civil aviationauthorities of Argentina, the Eastern Caribbean States, and Venezuela. As a result, each author-ity achieved or maintained International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASA) program Category1 status, which means these countries have adhered to safety standards for aircraft operationand maintenance set by ICAO.

External Funding. The FAA has secured FY 2006 funding commitments of $33 million to sup-port international aviation infrastructure projects. This includes $25 million from the U.S.Agency for International Development for funding aviation assistance programs in Afghanistan.

GPS-Based Technologies. The FAA met its Flight Plan goal for FY 2006 to expand GlobalPositioning System-based technologies by installing two Wide Area Augmentation Systems(WAAS) reference stations in Mexico and Canada. Both stations will help create a NorthAmerican regional WAAS capability.

Harmonizing Safety Standards. Under the Safe Skies for Africa program, we assisted Tanzaniaand Uganda in harmonizing their draft civil aviation regulations with those of Kenya. This har-monization is a critical step in meeting international safety standards regionally.

Assistance Around the Globe. This past year, the FAA helped aviation authorities in Asia, Africaand the Americas improve and sustain their safety oversight capabilities. Among these were theEast African Community (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda), the Central America Agency forAviation Safety (ACSA), the Regional Safety Oversight System in the Caribbean (RASOS), andthe Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC).

TOP INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© nagelestock.com/Alamy

OBJECTIVE 1.Promote improved safety and regu-latory oversight in cooperation withbilateral, regional, and multilateralaviation partners.

StrategySupport the continued development ofcompetent authorities worldwide.

Initiativesl Provide technical assistance and training

and strengthen mutually beneficial part-nerships with key civil aviationorganizations in Asia and the Americas.

l Implement civil aviation safety programsto support the Administration’s initiatives.

l Support creating government-industrypartnerships to help transfer aeronauticalproducts, services, and technologies tokey developing regions.

l Provide technical assistance and trainingin creating at least four regional aviationauthorities or organizations capable ofmeeting globally accepted safety and effi-ciency standards.

Strategy Work with key international partners toimplement safety enhancements that will

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improve worldwide aviation safety whileenabling the transfer of aeronautical prod-ucts, technologies, and services.

Initiativesl Establish an effective partnership with the

European Union and the EuropeanAviation Safety Agency (EASA) to ensurethe highest level of cooperation for avia-tion safety and an efficient exchange ofproducts, services, and technologies.

l Establish coordinated safety agendasthroughout the world to improve aviationsafety.

l Negotiate and conclude bilateral agree-ments for safety, certification, andapproval systems that enable technologytransfer with global aviation partners.

Strategy Support ICAO and other internationalorganization initiatives.

Initiativesl Provide U.S. technical participation and

leadership in ICAO meetings to achieveU.S. objectives.

l Strategically influence international avia-tion safety, capacity, and efficiency bypromoting FAA recommendations andpolicies at key international venues.

l Increase recruitment of qualified U.S.technical personnel to fill positions atICAO.

l Reduce the number of filed U.S. differ-ences with ICAO Standards andRecommended Practices (SARPs) andprovide leadership in developing newSARPs, including those associated withthe ICAO Universal Safety OversightAudit Program (USOAP) review of theU.S. in FY 2008.

l Work at ICAO to foster international envi-ronmental standards, recommendedpractices, and guidance materials that aretechnically feasible, economically reason-able, provide a measurable benefit andconsider interdependencies between thevarious emissions and between emissionsand noise.

StrategySecure external funding for global safetyinitiatives.

Initiativel Increase international aviation develop-

ment funding to strengthen the globalaviation infrastructure.

Michelle CappelleInternational Specialist, Office of International Aviation, Washington Headquarters

Michelle told us that being prepared for ICAO’s upcoming audit of the U.S.civil aviation oversight system is important and should appear in the FlightPlan. We agreed. We’ve highlighted the Universal Safety Oversight AuditProgram as a crucial milestone in FY 2008.

StrategyWork with global partners and industry todevelop and implement technologies andprocesses that enhance safety.

Initiativel Seek global harmonization of fractional

ownership regulatory policy.

Performance Targetsl Work with the Chinese aviation authori-

ties and industry to adopt 27 provenCommercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST)safety enhancements by FY 2011. Thissupports China’s efforts to reduce fatalaccidents to a rate of 0.030 fatal accidentsper 100,000 departures by FY 2012.

l Conclude at least eight (new orexpanded) bilateral safety agreementsthat will facilitate an increase in the abil-ity to exchange aviation products andservices by FY 2011.

l Secure a yearly increase in internationalaviation development funding tostrengthen the global aviation infrastruc-ture. Achieve a 100% increase of the FY2007 baseline target of $12 million in $3million annual increments for an FY 2011target of $24 million.

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© WorldFoto/Alamy

OBJECTIVE 2. Promote seamless operationsaround the globe in cooperationwith bilateral, regional, and multi-lateral aviation partners.

Strategy Collaborate with strategic global partners toimplement Next Generation AirTransportation System (NextGen) perform-ance-based systems and concepts to ensureharmonization with corresponding interna-tional modernization efforts.

Initiativesl Work with the international

civil aviation community toadopt enabling systems,such as the GlobalNavigation Satellite System(GNSS) and AutomaticDependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), toimprove safety of flightoperations.

l Develop and implementcapacity enhancing applica-tions, such as PerformanceBased Navigation (PBN),embracing current opera-tional capabilities to themaximum extent possible.

l Improve global interoper-ability and harmonization ofsystems, concepts, automa-tion tools and operationalprocedures in support offuture seamless global oper-ations.

l Develop and implement an internationalstrategy to support the NextGen GlobalHarmonization IPT and work with civilaviation and interagency partners toimplement the strategy.

Performance Targetl By FY 2011, expand the use of Next

Generation Air Transportation System(NextGen) performance-based systems tofive priority countries.

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Air traffic control in the NextGen system—ADS-B—will use signals fromsatellites to keep planes at a safe distance from one another, instead of

using radars on the ground as we do now. Graphic: FAA.

FAA Photo

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ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCEOur goal is to ensure the success of the FAA’s mission

through stronger leadership, a better-trained and safer

workforce, enhanced cost-control measures, and improved

decision-making based on reliable data.

T he FAA’s power is its people. Tobuild a next generation air trans-portation system, we need to train

our people, provide them vision and sup-port, and lead them in ways that gain themost value from their efforts. We needleaders who focus on the mission, cutwaste and duplication, collaborate toachieve our mutual goals, and reward qual-ity and performance. We also need leaderscommitted to eliminating barriers to equalopportunity. Fairness and diversity aresources of our strength.

We have refined our focus on human capitalmanagement and workforce planning inconcert with the President’s ManagementAgenda. We updated our 10-year Air TrafficController Workforce Plan to make sure wehave the right number of controllers in theright places at the right time as controllersretire. We have also completed competencyassessments for leaders and informationtechnology professionals, and are conductingworkforce analyses for human resourcepersonnel and engineers. We will analyzeother mission-critical occupations to ensurethat our Nation’s aerospace system continuesto operate safely, reliably, and efficiently.

We are controlling our costs and usingresources more efficiently to achieve ourmission and give the taxpayers a full returnon their investment. To that end, all FAAorganizations are required to develop andtrack a cost control activity or a measure ofoperating efficiency. We are prioritizingFacilities and Equipment needs to modernizethe airspace system; operating, maintaining,and training people to use these new capitalassets; and addressing Congressional andGovernment Accountability Office (GAO)concerns. We use these cost savings andcost avoidances to absorb budget shortfallssuch as unfunded pay raises.

A key to controlling costs will be the pas-sage of effective programmatic and financingreauthorization legislation in 2007. We areworking with the Administration, the Con-gress, and our stakeholders to seek finan-cial reform that provides a stable source offunding for the FAA and a means of financingthe air transportation system of the future.

As our response to Hurricane Katrina proved,the FAA is a leader in emergency securityand disaster response efforts. We will improveour emergency preparedness tools to sus-tain essential services and provide support

for our employees in the affected areas.This Flight Plan includes a new objectivewith supporting strategies and initiatives torespond rapidly and effectively to securityrelated threats and natural disasters.

Finally, the FAA is working with the aero-space community and our schools to assurethat students have essential knowledge and

skills they will need to be successful intomorrow’s aviation workforce. ThroughFAA’s partnerships with educational institu-tions, educators, and the aerospace com-munity under the Aviation and SpaceEducation Outreach Program, we leveragethe FAA’s resources and expertise to helpteach aviation and related curricula.

Photo by Laurie Zaleski, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center

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GAO Points to the FAA as ‘Leading Edge’ in Providing Congress What It Needs for Oversight. AGAO study found that the FAA is a model across the Federal sector for making available on itswebsite much of the information and analysis that Congress needs to conduct its oversight.GAO cited the FAA’s Flight Plan, Performance and Accountability Report, business plans, andbudget documents as valuable tools to help Members of Congress and congressional staff toconduct oversight.

CEAR (Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting) Award. For the third year in a row,the Association of Government Accountants has given one of its top honors to the FAA for theagency’s 2005 Performance and Accountability Report.

Leading the Implementation of Earned Value Management. The FAA has become a recognizedleader among civilian agencies in implementing Earned Value Management. “EVM” is a criticalmanagement tool used to prevent, detect, report, and correct problems in acquiring major sys-tems. We use it to assure major programs are within cost and schedule targets (both of theseare Flight Plan goals).

Cost-Saving Initiatives:l The FAA created a consolidated Office of Workers Compensation Programs Division and has

been migrating Regional OWCP offices to headquarters. FY 2006 cost avoidance was $7 million. l We cut layers of management in our Air Traffic Organization and implemented a cost

accounting system to cut wasteful spending, reduce operating costs, and better link financialperformance to mission objectives.

l We consolidated nine accounting operations into a single Finance Center in Oklahoma City. l We created an Office of Financial Controls to ensure that the $1.3 billion in contract serv-

ices are invested wisely, avoid duplication of effort, and do not include excessive labor rates. l We removed 227 obsolete and redundant navigation aids, surpassing our goal of 100 in FY 2006.

Early Dispute Resolution. In FY 2006, the FAA’s new Center for Early Dispute Resolutionreceived 120 requests for assistance, serving 270 employees. Clients rated different aspects of the process and reported an overall satisfaction rate approaching 100 percent.

Pandemic Avian Flu Planning. FAA drafted plans that will enable us to respond efficiently if apandemic flu event or other similar disaster occurs, while maintaining essential services for ourcustomers, employees, and stakeholders. This effort also improves our ability to respond toother significant incidents or disasters.

Air Traffic Controller Hiring. The FAA hired 1,116 new controllers this fiscal year, keeping us ontarget for the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Plan goal for FY 2006.

TOP ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

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OBJECTIVE 1.Make the organization more effectivewith stronger leadership, increasedcommitment of individual workersto fulfill organization-wide goals,and a better prepared, better trained,safer, diverse workforce.

Strategy Use workforce planning to identify and ful-fill current and future human capital needsto meet FAA’s mission.

Initiativesl Sustain and improve agency human capital

planning and measurement processes.

l Implement the hiring, training, staffing analy-sis, and management recommendations ofthe Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan tosupport FAA’s safety mission and meetexternal stakeholder requirements. Updateand report annually on agency progress.

StrategyBuild stronger leadership to achieve strate-gic goals, manage people and resourceseffectively, and drive continuous improvement.

Initiatives l Implement corporate policies to improve

how we select managers and strengthenprobationary requirements for managers.

l Establish corporate managerial trainingprograms that ensure we use resourceseffectively, align with agency goals, drivecontinuous improvement.

l Establish a corporate, senior leadershipdevelopment process to build executive-level competencies.

Strategy Implement corporate systems, policies, pro-grams, and tools to build a results-oriented,high performance workforce.

Initiatives l Undertake a timely and effective corpo-

rate approach to conflict management.

l Monitor and evaluate Employee AttitudeSurvey (EAS) Action Plan results.

StrategyMake strategic people investments and pro-vide a professional, safe and secure work

Todd A. SmithAir Traffic Systems Specialist, Air TrafficOrganization, Western-Pacific Region

Richard InghamManagement & Program Analyst, Office ofFinancial Services, Washington, DC Headquarters

Employees like Todd and Rich had no problem pointing out areas where the Flight Plan could be improved—from dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s to the aggressiveness of our performancemeasures. Thanks for speaking up and making the FAA’s plan your plan.

environment to attract, acquire, and retain ahighly skilled workforce.

Initiativesl In external recruitment efforts, implement

corporate strategies that expand the appli-cant pool to ensure equal opportunity toall applicants and result in attracting highquality candidates to the FAA.

l Establish corporate employee trainingprograms to build leadership competencewithin the FAA workforce, support pro-fessional development, and promotecontinuous learning.

l Evaluate using high fidelity simulation toimprove air traffic controller training forlocal facilities.

l Integrate cockpit and tower cab simula-tion facilities to design and develop newequipment, procedures, and training forair traffic controllers.

l Reduce workplace injuries to enhanceFAA worker safety.

l Provide our employees with a secureenvironment by identifying measures toprotect our employees, our facilities, andour critical infrastructure.

FAA Photos

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Strategy Improve and upgrade aviation related sci-entific, technical, engineering, andmathematical skills in the emerging andfuture aviation workforce.

Initiativel Refocus and refine the Aviation and

Space Education Program to integrateaerospace applications into existing sci-entific, technical, engineering andmathematical (STEM) curricula.

StrategyImprove labor management relations whiledelivering quality service.

Initiativesl Monitor labor relations service level

agreements to ensure the requirements oflines of business and staff offices are met.

l Develop and provide labor relations train-ing for agency supervisors and managers.

l Using the Grievance Electronic TrackingSystem (GETS), reduce grievance process-ing time compared to the baselinemeasure.

Performance Targetsl Increase the score of the Employee

Attitude Survey measure for the areas ofmanagement effectiveness and accounta-bility by at least 5 percent, over the FY2003 baseline of 35 percent by FY 2010.

l By FY 2011, reduce the time it takes tofill mission-critical positions by 7 percent(to 51 days) over the FY 2006 baseline of55 days.

l Reduce the total workplace injury and ill-ness case rate to no more than 2.44 per100 employees by the end of FY 2011,representing a cumulative 3 percent annualreduction from the FY 2003 baseline (3.12)set in the Safety, Health and Return toEmployment (SHARE) Presidential Initiative.

l Reduce grievance processing time by 25percent by FY 2010, and maintain thereduction through FY 2011.

l Maintain the air traffic control workforceat or up to 2% above the projectedannual totals in the Air Traffic ControllerWorkforce Plan.

Photo courtesy of FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) FAA Photo

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OBJECTIVE 2. Improve financial management whiledelivering quality customer service.

Strategy Develop and implement an agency-widecost control and cost reduction program.

Initiatives l Each FAA organization will develop, track,

and report quarterly on a comprehensivemeasure of its operating efficiency orfinancial performance. These measureswill include:– Cost per controlled flight– Research, Engineering, and

Development (RE&D) ManagementStaff Efficiency Measure

– Grant Administration Efficiency Measure

l Implement line of business-specific cost efficiency as well as agency-wideinitiatives to reduce costs or improve productivity.

l Improve the overall management of cost-reimbursable contracts through theDefense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)audit process.

l Improve management of FAA’s real property assets.

Strategy Improve financial performance.

Initiatives l Maintain and improve business processes

and systems in order to provide timelyand reliable financial information to FAAorganizations.

l Comply with the Office of Managementand Budget (OMB) guidance by perform-ing routine testing of internal controls toimprove the quality of financial information.

l Reduce improper payments.

l Continue integrating performance infor-mation into budgetary decision-makingand presentation.

l Improve the timeliness and accuracy offinancial transactions related to capitaliza-tion of assets, management of suspenseaccounts, and reconciliation of accounts.

StrategyWork with Congress to get new legislationenacted that furthers accomplishment of theFAA mission, provides stable, adequatefunding, and supports cost control andreduction.

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Initiativesl In partnership with the aerospace com-

munity, reform the way FAA is financedto provide stable, adequate funding moreclosely tied to FAA costs, services, andperformance.

l Develop a legislative proposal to reautho-rize the FAA.

Performance Targetsl Close out 85 percent of eligible cost reim-

bursable contracts during each fiscal year.

l Organizations throughout the agency willcontinue to implement cost efficiency ini-tiatives including, but not limited to:– 10-15% savings for strategic sourcing

for selected products and services;

– Consolidating facilities and services,such as service areas, real propertymanagement, and web services;

– 3% reduction in help desk operatingcosts through consolidations;

– Eliminating or reducing obsolete tech-nology; and

– $15 million reduction in InformationTechnology operating costs

l Obtain an unqualified opinion on the agency’sfinancial statements (Clean Audit with nomaterial weaknesses) each fiscal year.

Photo by Jon Ross, FAA

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OBJECTIVE 3. Make decisions based on reliabledata to improve our overall perform-ance and customer satisfaction.

Strategy Better prepare managers to use cost andperformance data in making decisions.

Initiativesl Provide training to all current executives

and managers on using FAA cost data, asderived from FAA’s acquisition, costaccounting, accounting, and payroll andpersonnel systems, to make managementdecisions.

l Monitor and report progress on FlightPlan targets and initiatives and establishthe appropriate linkages and accountabil-ity in each line of business and staffoffice with annual Business Plans.

StrategyEliminate the reasons FAA is on the Gov-ernment Accountability Office’s High RiskList for Air Traffic Control Modernization byFY 2008.

Initiativesl Develop, document, and use investment

criteria to manage major capital pro-grams.

l Implement and improve program man-agement processes to remain withinacquisition cost and schedule baselines.

Strategy Improve customer communication andweb-based business processes.

Initiativesl Communicate the goals of the Flight Plan

to the FAA employees and the aerospacecommunity and gain feedback that helpsthe FAA meet their needs. Give employeesa clear line of sight from their jobs to thegoals of the Flight Plan.

l Review customer requirements annuallyand measure customer satisfaction morebroadly for FAA services.

l Standardize FAA websites making themmore useful for exchanging informationand conducting business.

Strategy Improve the security of our data.

Initiativesl Protect FAA’s information infrastructure

using advanced cyber defense strategies.

l Enable enterprise-wide conformance to infor-mation technology enterprise architecture.

Performance Targetsl By FY 2008, 90 percent of major system

acquisition investments are within 10 per-cent of annual budget and maintainthrough FY 2011.

l By FY 2008, 90 percent of major systemacquisition investments are on scheduleand maintain through FY 2011.

l Increase agency scores on the AmericanCustomer Satisfaction Index which sur-veys commercial pilots.

l Achieve zero cyber security events thatdisable or significantly degrade FAA services.

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OBJECTIVE 4. Enhance our ability to respond tocrises rapidly and effectively,including security-related threatsand natural disasters.

StrategyContinue to build and improve emergencyplans and preparedness tools that enableus to sustain essential services and providefor employee well-being during crisis events.

Initiatives l Develop web-based emergency operation

information-sharing tools that create acommon operational picture and supporteffective decision-making.

l Standardize regional crisis response procedures.

StrategyStrengthen operational coordination, com-munication, and command and controlcapabilities needed to prepare for, respondto, and recover from crises.

Initiativesl Improve the use and functionality of

operational and corporate crises responsestructures such as specialized hurricanecoordination cells and continuity of oper-ations programs.

l By October 1, 2008, develop performancetargets that measure improvement inthree outcome areas: readiness; providinga framework for effective decision-mak-ing; effective response.

Darrell Koewler, Great Lakes Region; Cara Flores, Southwest Region; Chris Stock, Great Lakes RegionAirway Transportation Systems Specialists, Air Traffic Organization

You were not left out. We admit it—everything we do is not captured in the Flight Plan—butDarrell, Cara, and Chris—your work contributes to our success in meeting the Flight Plan goal forOperational Availability. By making the NAS more reliable and efficient, your work supports theachievement of several other capacity goals as well. We are working with our managers to bettercommunicate your role and reinforce that message through our performance management system.

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“LINE OF SIGHT”

If we’re going to achieve the goals of this Flight Plan, FAA employees need to knowhow they fit in and what they’re asked to do. Telling them should be easy, but in alarge organization, it’s often not. So an employee from our Air Traffic Organization’sTechnical Operations service unit wrote, “I found no reference to Airway Transporta-tion System Specialists or Technical Operations. How do we fit into the plan?”

The answer is easy. How can we hope to increase safety or gain greater capacity ifthe air traffic control system doesn’t work? There’s a lot in this plan about con-trollers, improving their tools, and planning to replace retiring controllers—but theTech Ops folks are just as important. Without them, controllers can’t do their jobs.

Employees, however, want to see the whole chain. Nick Sabatini, FAA’s AssociateAdministrator for the Aviation Safety Organization (AVS), gave a good example of thechain for an aerospace engineer in Aircraft Certification (AIR), working in the South-west Region (ASW), who had been asked to help certificate the Eclipse Very Light Jet(VLJ). The chain went like this:

l The expectations and requirements for certification project leaders are outlined inASW Directorate Performance Standards.

l ASW tracks project performance in its plan, which has an activity on certificatingthe Eclipse.

l That certification project is incorporated as a priority activity in the AIR Perfor-mance Plan, and is tracked by the Aircraft Certification Management Team.

l The certification project is also listed as an activity in the AVS Business Plan, tosupport the operation of VLJs in the NAS.

l Linking this activity to the Flight Plan: it directly supports the Increased Safety ini-tiative to ensure that safety oversight and regulatory compliance keep pace withchanges in the general aviation environment (p. 18), and the strategy to establishstandard procedures and guidelines for general aviation operators, and the generalaviation objective and performance target to reduce fatal general aviation accidents(VLJs used as unscheduled air taxis are general aviation). Chain complete.

In fact, every FAA employee can point to one or more of the four Flight Plan goalsand say, “I do work that supports that.” How? Every employee has performance stan-dards and at the top of each standard are the FAA goals and objectives your standardsupports. Every organization has a detailed Business Plan that describes how theorganization supports the Flight Plan with both strategic and day-to-day activities andresponsibilities. Every employee is covered by this Flight Plan. So our employees,working with their supervisors, should be able to define exactly where they fit andwhat they are being asked to do to support the FAA mission.

ACRONYMSADS-B Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast

AIP Airport Improvement Program

AMASS Airport Movement Area Safety System

ASAP Aviation Safety Action Program

ASDE-X Airport Surface DetectionEquipment-Model X

CAEP ICAO Committee on AviationEnvironmental Protection

CAST Commercial Aviation Safety Team

CEDR Center for Early DisputeResolution

COSP Continued Operational Safety Program

EAS Employee Attitude Survey

EASA European Aviation Safety Agency

FOQA Flight Operational Quality Assurance

FY Fiscal Year

GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

ICAO International Civil AviationOrganization

JPDO Joint Planning and Development Office

NAS National Airspace System

NextGen Next Generation AirTransportation System

OEP Operational Evolution Plan

PMA President’s Management Agenda

PRM Precision Runway Monitor

RNAV Area Navigation

RNP Required Navigation Performance

SIDs Standard Instrument Departures

SRM Safety Risk Management

SMS Safety Management System

STARs Standard Terminal Arrival Routes

TFM Traffic Flow Management

TMA Traffic Management Advisor

UAS Unmanned Aerial System

VASIP Voluntary Aviation Safety Information Program

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System

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© NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

OUR TRACK RECORD

MEASURE (Location) TARGET

Actual Data Data Index Range -- Green INCREASED SAFETY (FAA) -- 2 Green TGT: Airline Fatal Accident Rate (FAA) 0

349 Green TGT: GA & Nonsched 135 Fatal Accidents (FAA) 340 125 Green TGT: Alaska GA & 135 Accidents (FAA) 99 40 Green TGT: A&B Rwy Incursions (FAA) 28 18 Green TGT: Injuries From Turbulence (FAA) 8 3 Green TGT: Single Index 2006 (FAA) 3 0 Green TGT: Fatalities or Injuries to Public (FAA) 0

$0 Green TGT: No Property Damage (FAA) $0 629 Red TGT: A&B Op Errors (FAA) 637 -- Green GREATER CAPACITY (FAA) --

95.67% Red TGT: Airport Arrival Efficiency (FAA) 95.03% 51,332 Green TGT: Airport Arrival Capacity (FAA) 51,587

3 Green TGT: Annual Service Volume (FAA) 3 99.00% Red TGT: % Operational Availability (FAA) 98.95%

21,290 Red TGT: Capacity in Metro Areas (FAA) 21,233 82.10% Red TGT: On-Time Arrivals (FAA) 79.07%

2% Green TGT: Noise Exposure (FAA) 23.00% 1% Green TGT: Aviation Fuel Efficiency (FAA) 4.51% -- Green INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP (FAA) --

6 Green TGT: Technical Assistance (FAA) 50.0 2 Green TGT: # New Bilaterals (FAA) 3

20% Green TGT: Intellectual & Financial Assistance (FAA) 177% 3 Green TGT: Techniques & Procedures (FAA) 3

85% Green TGT: RVSM in North America (FAA) 90% 3 Green TGT: Global Environmental Standards (FAA) 3 -- Green ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE (FAA) -- 3 Green TGT: Perf Plans Aligned (FAA) 3

79 Green TGT: Hire Mission Critical Positions (FAA) 58 10% Green TGT: Fund Flight Plan (FAA) 10.00%

180 Red TGT: Cost Reimbursable Contracts (FAA) TGT: Critical Acquisitions on Sched & Budget (FAA)

135 80% Green 91% 63 Green TGT: Cust Satisfaction Scores (FAA) 65

90% Green TGT: Agency Infosec Plan (FAA) 100%

FY 2004 (24 OUT OF 30)

MEASURE (Location) TARGET

Actual Data Data Index Range INCREASED SAFETY 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 06S1 Commercial Air Carrier Fatal Accident Rate (FAA) 0.020 0.018 Red 06S2 General Aviation Fatal Accidents (FAA) 297 337 Green 06S3 Alaska Accidents (FAA) 102 115 Green 06S4 Runway Incursions (FAA) .458 .551 Green 06S6 Commercial Space Launch Accidents (FAA) 0 0 Green 06S7 Operational Errors (FAA) 4.090 4.270 Green 06S59 Safety Risk Management (FAA) 4 3 Green GREATER CAPACITY 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 06C1 Avg Daily Airport Cap (35 OEP Airports) (FAA) 101.949 101.191 Green 06C2 Avg Daily Airport Capacity (8 Metro Areas) (FAA) 68,750 69,700 Green 06C3 Annual Service Volume (FAA) 4 4 Green 06C4 Adjusted Operational Availability (FAA) 99.78% 99.50% Green 06C5 NAS On-Time Arrivals (FAA) 88.33% 87.40% Green 06C6 Noise Exposure (FAA) 27.00% 4.00% Green

06C7 Aviation Fuel Efficiency (FAA) 8.23% 5.00% Green INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 06I2 Aviation Safety Leadership (FAA) 0.000 .599 Green 06I3 Bilateral Safety Agreements (FAA) 4 2 Green 06I7 External Funding (FAA) $33.00 $23.4 Green 06I23 GPS-Based Technologies (FAA) 1 1 Green ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 06E1 Employee Attitude Survey (FAA) 34.4 38.0 Red 06E2 Cost Control (FAA) 3 3 Green 06E3 Critical Acquisitions on Budget (FAA) 100.00% 85.00% Green 06E4 Critical Acquisitions on Schedule (FAA) 97.40% 85.00% Green 06E5 Information Security (FAA) 0 0 Green 06E6 Customer Satisfaction (FAA) 70 65 Green 06E9 Cost Reimbursable Contracts (FAA) 102% 85% Green 06E61 Mission Critical Positions (FAA) 19.75% 10% Green 06E102 Reduce Workplace Injuries (FAA) 2.21 2.85 Green 06E104 Clean Audit (FAA) 1 3 Red 06E107 Grievance Processing Time (FAA) 3 3 Green 06E108 Air Traffic Controller Hiring Plan (FAA) 1,116 1.129 Green

FY 2006 (27 OUT OF 30)

MEASURE (Location) TARGET

Actual Data Data Index Range INCREASED SAFETY 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 05S1 Airline Fatal Accident Rate (FAA) 0.017 0.023 Green 05S2 GA Fatal Accidents (FAA) 350 343 Red 05S3 Alaska Accidents (FAA) 128 120 Red 05S4 Runway Incursions (FAA) 29 36 Green 05S5 Composite Safety Index (FAA) 3 3 Green 05S6 Space Launch Accidents (FAA) 0 0 Green 05S7 Operational Errors (FAA) 681 637 Red 05S8 Safety Risk Management (FAA) 3 3 Green GREATER CAPACITY 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 05C1 Airport Avg Daily Capacity (35 OEP) (FAA) 101,463 99,892 Green 05C2 Airport Avg Daily Capacity (8 Metro Areas) (FAA) 44,324 43,080 Green 05C3 Annual Service Volume (FAA) 3 3 Green 05C34 Oceanic En-route Change Requests (FAA) 75.86% 75.00% Green 05C4 Operational Availability (35 OEP) (FAA) 99.76% 99.00% Green

05C5 FAA On-Time NAS Arrivals (FAA) 88.44% 87.40% Green 05C6 Noise Exposure (FAA) 27.00% 3.00% Green 05C7 Aviation Fuel Efficiency (FAA) 5.84% 2.00% Green INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 05I1 Environ. Standards & Practices (AEP) (FAA) 3 3 Green

05I2 Aviation Safety Leadership (FAA) 3 3 Green 05I23 NAS Technologies (ATO) (FAA) 1 1 Green 05I3 Bilateral Agreements (Products & Services) (FAA) 2 2 Green 05I7 Intellectual & Financial Assistance (FAA) 3 3 Green 05I8 Support ICAO (FAA) 3 2 Green ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 05E1 Employee Attitude Survey (FAA) 37.0 36.5 Green 05E2 Cost Control Program (FAA) 3 3 Green 05E3 Acquisition Cost (FAA) 97.00% 80.00% Green 05E4 Acquisition Schedule (FAA) 92.00% 80.00% Green

05E5 Information Security (FAA) 0 0 Green 05E6 Customer Satisfaction (FAA) 66 64 Green 05E61 Mission Critical Positions (FAA) 35.00% 6.00% Green 05E8 Performance Plans (FAA) 3 3 Green 05E9 Cost Reimbursable Contracts (FAA) 170% 85% Green

FY 2005 (28 OUT OF 31)

AcknowledgmentsThis Flight Plan is the result of the hard work and sustained

commitment of everyone involved in the planning process.We wouldlike to acknowledge and convey our sincere thanks to all of ouremployees, Members of Congress

and their staff, our industry partners, and stakeholders.

FAA Flight Plan800 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20591

www.faa.gov

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Journey to the horizon © Russell Munson/CORBIS