800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20591
www.faa.gov 

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION FLIGHT PLAN 2004-2008 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION                    Page  1

INCREASED SAFETY                Page  4
The Goal: Achieve the lowest possible accident rate and constantly improve safety. 

GREATER CAPACITY                Page 12
The Goal: Work with local governments and airspace users to provide capacity in the United States airspace system that meets projected demand in an environmentally sound manner. 

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP        Page 17
The Goal: Increase the safety and capacity of the global civil aerospace system in an environmentally sound manner. 

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE       Page 21
The Goal: Ensure the success of the FAA's mission through stronger leadership, a better trained workforce, enhanced cost-control measures, and improved decision-making based on reliable data.
 
ACRONYMS                        Page 24



INTRODUCTION

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) EMPLOYEES MAINTAIN, O P E R ATE, AND OVERSEE THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPLEX AVIATION SYSTEM IN THE WORLD, WITH A SAFETY RECORD THAT IS SECOND TO NONE. WE NOT ONLY SET THE REGULATORY AND OPERATIONAL 
STANDARDS FOR THE UNITED STATES, WE EFFECTIVELY SET THE BAR FOR AVIATION SAFETY AROUND THE WORLD-AND HAVE FOR ALMOST A HALF-CENTURY. 

AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, ONLY VISIONARIES IMAGINED AIR TRAVEL AS A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND PHENOMENAL ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT BY CENTURY'S END, AVIATION WAS A KEY CATALYST FOR FUELING ECONOMIC GROWTH. NOW AS WE ENTER THE 21ST CENTURY, AVIATION FINDS ITSELF FACING THE EFFECTS OF TERRORISM, STRUCTURAL CHANGE, AND A WEAK GLOBAL ECONOMY. 

THE FAA IS ALSO AT A CROSSROADS. 

We are confronted with the challenges of reducing an already low commercial accident rate, building an air traffic control system capable of efficiently meeting future demand, and modernizing our own organization. 

The FAA has met many challenges in the past. From 1926, when President Calvin Coolidge started federal oversight of air safety in the United States by signing the Air Commerce Act, to the creation of the FAA in 1958, to our modern-day role in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the FAA and the aviation community have grown together. We've shaped an industry that-like shipping and rail before it-conquered distance, lowered transportation costs, and created new opportunities that transformed the way the world does business. 

Today, the challenges facing aviation demand nothing less than transforming the system. Securing safe air travel, navigating industry uncertainties, and managing new technologies require that we embrace change as never before. Our Flight Plan is how we propose to do this. 

The Flight Plan lays out the following four goals: 

Increased Safety 

Safety is not only a top public-interest priority; it is also an economic necessity. People will fly only if they feel safe and will return to the skies only if they trust the system. 

Greater Capacity 

Aviation capacity is the backbone of air travel. Aviation can grow only if capacity grows. As we increase capacity, we will make sure we do so in an environmentally sound manner. 

International Leadership 

Aviation safety is a vital national export. We will enhance America's leadership role by sharing our expertise and new technologies with our international partners. 

Organizational Excellence 

To fulfill our mission, the FAA must be a world-class organization. This requires greater fiscal responsibility, stronger leadership, more cooperation, and performance-based management. With the right tools and training, our employees will bring this Flight Plan to life. 

MANAGING THE PLAN 

The Flight Plan is linked to the FAA's budget requests for 2005-2008. It will be used along with detailed business plans from all FAA organizations to align performance and ensure accountability at all levels of the agency. 

Senior management will regularly review progress against the performance measures contained in the plan. These measures may evolve over time as we work with our employees and external stakeholders to develop new ways to measure our actions. Our website, www.faa.gov, contains detailed explanations of the performance measures contained in this plan. 

LOOKING AHEAD 

The Flight Plan charts our course to 2008. Beyond that, the Operational evolution Plan, our current, ten-year rolling plan to increase capacity, sets out the aviation community's strategy to increase capacity by 31% by 2010. Looking farther into the future, the aviation community needs to develop a shared vision for the future of aviation. This is the assignment of the FAA's Joint Planning Office, which is currently developing a national plan through the year 2025 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Commerce (DOC). 

CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION 

Successful implementation of the Flight Plan is dependent on many factors, some of which are outside the control of the FAA. They include: 

The Economic State Of The Industry 

The financial difficulties facing airlines and manufacturers affect their ability and willingness to equip aircraft with new technologies to increase safety and capacity. The financial difficulties facing the industry also affect the FAA, which is funded primarily by the Aviation Trust Fund from taxes on airline tickets, fuel, and airfreight. As long as airline travel remains depressed, so too will the revenues available to the FAA. 

The Fiscal Priorities Of The Nation 

Large capital investments in facilities, infrastructure, and staff will in part depend on the ability and willingness of Congress to fund those investments. 

Cooperation With State, Local, and International Agencies 

The FAA's ability to increase safety and expand capacity also depends in part on authorities at the local, state, and international levels collaborating with the FAA to build new airports, to expand runways, and to implement new technologies. 

National Security

The FAA works closely with and supports agencies such as DOD, DHS, and its Transportation Security Administration (TSA), that address security risks. We will coordinate closely with TSA and key stakeholders on security issues and activities related to aircraft design and operations. The FAA will also work to ensure that the roles of FAA, TSA, and DOT, along with other government and industry stakeholders, are clearly understood. Should new threats arise, priorities may need to shift to counter them. We, at the FAA, recognize that there are many potential challenges to implementing the Flight Plan and we will do everything we can to meet them. 

READY FOR TAKEOFF 

This Flight Plan lays out the steps we will follow to maintain and improve the safety of the aviation system and increase capacity, without hindering the aviation industry's recovery. Our goals are not easy to attain, but then, we have a long history of meeting big challenges. The safety record and the air travel system that the FAA and the aviation community have built together are not only the envy of the world, but also a model for our collective future. Working together, we will exercise leadership in setting standards and expectations so the global aviation industry can flourish. 

The FAA's Goals Support DOT's Strategic Plan
 
DOT has consistently won awards for strategic plans developed under the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). The FAA's goals support DOT's 2003-2008 Strategic Plan. We share safety as the top priority. For its surface modes, DOT's goal is mobility, while the FAA adds capacity for the more efficient movement of people and products. The Department identifies the environment as a priority, and the FAA addresses environmental concerns in its capacity goal. DOT aims for global connectivity, while the FAA strengthens its international leadership by promoting safety and efficiency around the world. We also share organizational excellence as a goal. The Department's security goal is interwoven across FAA's activities and objectives. 


INCREASED SAFETY

GOAL: To achieve the lowest possible accident rate and constantly improve safety. 

O V E RV I E W 

Safety is the FA A's primary mission. It is a responsibility we have to the people of America. Our continued dedication to keeping the skies safe is also the single most important commitment we can make to help revive an economically troubled industry. If passengers do not feel safe-if they do not have confidence in the system-they will not fly. 

While aviation accident rates are at their lowest levels ever, the FAA understands that complacency will undermine our gains and will prevent future progress in safety. Continuous improvement is not just a good approach; it is essential. 

The FAA will continue to develop technologies that will utilize the United States' airspace in safer, more efficient, and more environmentally sound ways. We will improve our risk management practices by collecting and analyzing data to identify problems and prevent accidents from occurring. We will continue to partner with industry to reduce the commercial accident rate, improve runway safety, and extend the excellent safety record of commercial space transportation. 

We are also making a special commitment in Alaska, where heavy reliance on air transportation in a difficult operating environment has led to an unacceptably high aviation accident rate. For this reason, we are targeting innovative safety solutions that will reduce the number of accidents. Success in Alaska will lead to safety improvements throughout the national airspace system.
 
The FAA is also committed to moving the United States from a ground-based navigation system to one located within the aircraft itself. Through the use of onboard technology, pilots will be able to navigate aircraft to any point in the world using only geographical coordinates.
 
Required Navigation Performance (RNP) is an important step in this direction. Because it can establish a high degree of precision, RNP allows for more efficient use of the airspace. In addition, RNP will assist in the development of constant angle descent approaches, increasing safety during approach and landing. Simply put, RNP will allow us to fly more planes, closer together, more safely than ever before. 

The FAA will continue to improve our oversight of air carriers, manufacturers, and airport operations, while enforcing our safety regulations with a targeted focus on those areas that pose the greatest risk to safety. Within the FAA, we will implement a Safety Management System that will help reduce operational errors and improve the safety of FAA's air traffic systems. 

We will also refine and implement a prototype index to help measure the overall safety of the U.S. civil aviation system. This safety index will measure aviation fatalities and injuries in all segments of civil aviation. Once finalized, this new, composite tool will serve as a vital indicator of trends, helping us assess the effectiveness of many of our safety initiatives.
 
Safety will remain the FA A's top priority as the aviation industry readjusts itself to a world transformed by terrorism and economic challenges. Safety is the key to public confidence in the system; it is the key to the future of aviation. 

OBJECTIVES 
1: Reduce the commercial airline fatal accident rate. 
2: Reduce the number of fatal accidents in general aviation. 
3: Reduce accidents in Alaska. 
4: Reduce the risk of runway incursions. 
5: Reduce cabin injuries caused by turbulence. 
6: Measure the safety of the United States civil aviation system with a composite index. 
7: Ensure the safety of commercial space launches 
8: Enhance the safety of FAA's air traffic systems. 

OBJECTIVE ONE: REDUCE THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINE FATAL ACCIDENT RATE. 

STRATEGY 
Continue the evolution toward a performance-based National Airspace System (NAS) by using onboard technologies that allow aircraft greater flexibility to navigate airspace more safely, more efficiently, and in a more environmentally sound way than the current ground-based navigation system. 

Initiatives 
1. Set up the RNP program office.
2. Implement the RNP road map, including Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS), Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), and Precision Approach Implementation (PAI). 

STRATEGY 
Expand FAA-industry partnerships and data-driven safety programs that prioritize and address 
risks before they lead to accidents. 
 
Initiatives 
 1. Implement Phase II of the Fuel Tank Safety Assessment for SFAR 88.
 2. Promote cooperative and voluntary disclosure programs, such as Flight Operational Quality 
Assurance (FOQA), Aviation Safety Analysis Program (ASAP), and Continued Operational Safety Program (COSP). 
 3. Continue implementing the Air Transport 
Oversight System (ATOS). 
 4. Continue implementing Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) initiatives and pursuing joint identification and analysis of safety issues within CAST.
 5. Take all actions necessary to resolve open National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 
recommendations.
 6. Ensure that safety oversight keeps pace with the dynamic changes occurring in the aviation environment by better targeting our inspection resources; improving our oversight systems, especially for repair stations, and providing training for safety-critical employees in a timely and efficient manner.
 7. Using data-driven approach to identify high-risk areas, pursue a targeted enforcement and oversight program that focuses the agency's limited resources in these areas.
 8. Share hazardous materials data with DOT to prioritize and coordinate inspections and outreach visits and to assess and identify needed changes to policies and rules.
 9. Continue research to identify human factors that may cause accidents and develop strategies, methods, and technologies that will reduce those accidents.
10. Develop and implement airport design standards, surface movement strategies, surface movement procedures, infrastructure, and training that enhance the efficiency of aircraft movement and the risk of commercial aircraft collisions.
11. Where practical, upgrade runway safety areas to meet standards.

PERFORMANCE TARGET
Reduce the airline fatal accident rate by 80% from the 1994-1996 baseline by fiscal year (FY)2007 and maintain this low rate in FY2008.

Vi Lipski 
Manager, Transport Airplane 
Directorate, Northwest 
Mountain Region 
Any time big commercial planes need a safety upgrade, Vi's team goes into action. Under Vi's leadership, the Transport Airplane Directorate works with companies like Boeing and Airbus to make sure planes meet new standards, whether that means new technologies or safer fuel tanks. These developments are helping reduce the airline fatal accident rate. 

OBJECTIVE TWO: REDUCE THE NUMBER OF FATAL ACCIDENTS IN GENERAL AVIATION. 

STRATEGY
Implement technologies and systems that will help pilots operate aircraft as safely as possible. 

Initiatives
1. Provide Visual Flight Rule (VFR) pilots with Instrument Flight Rule- like (IFR) environments by achieving full operational capability of WAAS and delivery of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B/TIS-B) at key sites. 
2. Provide text and graphical data (for example, weather, wind shear alerts, temporary flight restrictions, and notices to airmen) to the cockpit through flight information services broadcast (FIS-B) on an ADS-B link. 
3. Increase situational awareness by improving the capabilities of small aircraft with integrated displays, WAAS, data-link, and ADS-B/TIS-B aircraft position.

STRATEGY
Establish stand procedures and guidelines for general aviation operators.

Initiatives
1. Ensure that safety oversight and regulatory compliance keeps pace with changes in the general aviation environment.
2. Publish RPN/Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches.
3. Continue to implement General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (JSC) initiatives and pursue joint identification and analysis of safety issues within JSC.
4. Continue applied human factors research to identify human factors in accidents and develop strategies and methods for reducing such accidents.
5. Develop and implement airport design standards, surface movement strategies, surface movement procedures, infrastructure, and training to enhance the efficiency of aircraft movement and to reduce collision risk
6. Develop policies, procedures, and approval processes to enable operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). 
7. Develop streamlined processes for certifying and approving communications navigation surveillance (CNS) equipment, basic cockpit displays, electronic flight bags (EFB), and other safety related flight technologies. 

Craig Harryman  
Controller, Oklahoma City, 
Southwest Region- 
Outstanding Flight Assist Award for 2002  
Reducing accidents in general aviation is critical to improving overall safety in the national airspace system. Craig guided a pilot whose plane had caught fire to a nearby Oklahoma highway for an emergency landing. The plane had two passengers in the back seat, including a six-year-old. All survived thanks to Craig's quick judgment. 


STRATEGY 
Improve general aviation flight training while maintaining or lowering cost. 

Initiatives 
1. In partnership with general aviation associations and the training community, develop and implement FAA and Industry Training Standards (FITS). 
2. Improve the quality of the pilot examiner program. 

PERFORMANCE TARGET 
By (FY)2008, reduce the number of general aviation and nonscheduled Part 135 fatal accidents to no more than 325 (from 385, which represents the average number of fatal accidents for the baseline period of 1996-1998). 

Mark Petersen 
Controller, Seattle, 
Northwest Mountain 
Region-Outstanding Flight Assist Award for 2002 
Mark coached a nervous pilot who was low on fuel to a safe landing. The pilot was only qualified for visual flight rules but found himself on top of a cloud layer. Mark helped reorient the pilot, resulting in a safe landing at Wakonda Beach State Airport. Controllers like Mark and new technologies will continue to help reduce general aviation accidents in the future. 

OBJECTIVE THREE: REDUCE ACCIDENTS IN ALASKA.

STRATEGY
Expand and accelerate the implementation of support the development of an improved safety and air navigation improvement programs in Alaska. 

Initiatives 
1. Achieve full operational capability of WAAS. 
2. Expand the Capstone Program through a three-phase approach starting with Bethel, Southeast Alaska, and finally the entire state. 
3. Expand the use of weather cameras and explore alternative technologies to provide similar data and real time images to air carriers and general aviation pilots. 
4. Strengthen the Medallion and Circle of Safety programs. 
5. Approve RNP avoinics for small aircraft that support the development of an improved en-route and approach infrastructure.
6. Where practical, continue improving rural airports by building standard runways and safety areas and improving airport lighting.

PERFORMANCE TARGET
Reduce accidents in Alaska for general aviation and all Part 135 operations by 20% by FY2008 (from the 2000-2002 average of 130 accident per year to no more than 104 accidents per year)

Nancy K. Schommer 
Capstone Program 
Coordinator, Alaska Region 
Alaska presents unique challenges for pilots, including rough terrain and extreme weather. Through Capstone, Nancy makes sure Alaskan pilots and passengers benefit from new and emerging technologies. In addition, Nancy coordinated the first International Advanced Aviation Technologies Conference, which drew 150 people from seven countries last year. 

OBJECTIVE FOUR: REDUCE THE RISK OF RUNWAY INCURSIONS.

STRATEGY 
Continuously evaluate, analyze, test, and improve procedures, training, and certification. 

Initiatives 
1. Improve training, procedures, evaluation, analysis, testing, and certification to reduce the risk of runway incursions resulting from errors by pilots, air traffic controllers, and airport authorized pedestrians, vehicle operators, tug operators, and mechanics conducting aircraft taxi operations. 

STRATEGY 
Modify and improve existing surface movement infrastructure. 

Initiatives 
1. Finish installing Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X) and retrofit of ASDE-X equipment capability into selected Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) installations. 
2. Finish developing, testing, evaluating, and deploying runway status lights at AMASS and 
ASDE-X airports. 

STRATEGY
Use advance modeling and simulation tools to design and develop new equipment, procedures, and training.

Initiatives
1. Develop a proof of concept that leads to a prototype ground-movement safety infrastructure to provide direct warning capability to pilots, drivers, and controllers.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of airport design simulations and improve operational performance of future runways and taxi projects.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of air traffic tower simulation training to help air traffic controllers recognize errors, take corrective action, and communicate with pilots.
4. Evaluate potential runway safety enhancements to pilot performance by integrating cockpit and tower cab simulation facilities.
5. Finish developing, testing, evaluating, and deploying a model for categorizing runway incursion risk.
6. Develop and evaluate runway and taxiway risk modeling tools that integrate aircraft arrival and departure risk modeling tools.

PERFORMANCE TARGET 
Reduce the number of most serious runway incursions (Categories A and B) at towered airports by at least 48% by FY2008 (from the 2000-2002 baseline average of 52 per year to no more than 27 per year).

Steve Jarrett 
Coordinator, System Support 
Center, Central Region 
Steve helps implement new radar surveillance systems that make sure air traffic controllers know where planes and vehicles are moving on runways at busy airports. With a systems specialist background, Steve brings a thorough understanding of how new technologies, such as ASDE-X, can be well maintained in order to successfully reduce runway incursions. 

OBJECTIVE FIVE: REDUCE CABIN INJURIES CAUSED BY TURBULENCE. 

STRATEGY 
Encourage and expand the use of best practices to prevent turbulence injuries. 

Initiatives 
1. In partnership with air carriers, ensure the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reduce cabin injuries caused by turbulence. 
2. Improve training in SOPs to reduce injuries. 
3. Improve dissemination of pilot reports and timeliness of weather forecasts to identify air turbulence areas. 

STRATEGY
Develop and evaluate new technologies that will lessen the impact of turbulence and other weather-related issues. 

Initiative 
1. Continue to evaluate new airborne weather radar and other technologies. 

Performance Target 
Reduce serious injuries from turbulence accidents by 33% by FY2008 (from the FY1996-2000 average of 18 serious injuries per year to no more than 12). 

Denise Hudson 
Cabin Safety Inspector, 
Certification, Standardization and Evaluation Team, 
Northwest Mountain Region 
Denise is part of a new workgroup charged with finding the best ways to reduce turbulence-related injuries to all cabin occupants, passengers, and crewmembers. She originated the idea of a brochure to discourage unruly passenger behavior, which was adopted by United Airlines in a joint government-industry campaign. 

OBJECTIVE SIX: MEASURE THE SAFETY OF THE U.S. CIVIL AVIATION INDUSTRY WITH A COMPOSITE INDEX. 



STRATEGY
Develop an aviation safety index that measures the relative risk and performance of the U.S. civil aviation system. 

Initiative 
Build consensus with representatives from academia, the aviation industry, and government. 

PERFORMANCE TARGET
By FY2006, implement a single, comprehensive index that provides a meaningful measure of the safety performance of the U.S. civil aviation system.

THE SAFETY INDEX 
The prototype safety index is an emerging approach to assessing risk. By measuring the frequency and outcome of all civil aviation accidents, the safety index surveys the entire civil aviation system and quantifies the risk to people onboard aircraft, as well as on the ground. This tool complements other measures and may help provide a more robust indicator of the state of U.S. civil aviation safety. The current calculation includes: 
1. Commercial accident rates 
2. GA accidents 
3. Injuries caused by turbulence 
4. Injuries to aviation and ground personnel 
5. Cabin injuries 
6. Runway incursions 

The following graph indicates the trend in the safety index as currently calculated. (information is provide as year to year and 'Relative Risk Per Hour')
83-85
84-86
85-87
86-88
87-89
88-90
89-91
90-92
92-93
93-95
94-96
95-97
96-98
97-99
98-00
99-01
00-02
(End Safety Index data)

"How are we doing?" FAA is taking a large step towards asking and answering that question with its new safety indicator. The statistic will in essence summarize recent death and injury risks over various forms of aviation. Of course, no one indicator is perfect: Some up-and-down movements over time will reflect little more than sheer luck, while some growing menaces might elude the statistic because they have not yet caused any accidents. But, while the indicator isn't everything, is there any other place to start a serious appraisal of system safety besides a clear "bottom line" statement about how well we're doing now? Happily, FAA thinks not, and thus we will be gaining a more penetrating view of what has been achieved and what remains to be done. 
Arnold I. Barnett 
George Eastman Professor of Management 
Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sloan School of Management 

Bob Matthews 
Safety Analysis Team Leader
Office of Accident 
Investigation, Headquarters 
It's not easy to measure and understand overall trends in the safety of the airspace system. Bob, though, helped bring all the variables together to create the Safety Index. 

OBJECTIVE SEVEN: ENSURE THE SAFETY OF COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCHES.

STRATEGY 
Continue developing tools, guidance, and regulations for reducing the safety risks for commercial space launches. 

Initiatives 
1. Issue a licensing and safety requirements rule for launches from non-federal and federal launch sites. 
2. Issue guidance on acceptable ways to verify safety methods for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs). 
3. Improve methods for determining likely launch vehicle failure rates and resulting casualties. 
4. Complete a mishap investigation agreement with the United States Air Force and the NTSB to ensure that the commercial space community identifies and understands factors that may lead to launch accidents. 

PERFORMANCE TARGET 
1. No fatalities or serious injuries to the uninvolved public during commercial space launch or reentry activities. 
2. No significant damage to property that is not associated with the flight during commercial Lockheed Martin space launch or reentry activities. 

Shelia Helton-Ingram 
Industry Analyst, Commercial 
Space Transportation, 
Headquarters 
Shelia works with proposed launch site developers to ensure that safety is never compromised in commercial space launches. She uses her past experience in aircraft testing and missile launches to help the FAA maintain a zero accident rate in this area. 

OBJECTIVE EIGHT: ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF FAA'S AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEMS. 

STRATEGY
Reduce air traffic control operational errors by implementing initiatives in the Three-Year Plan  
for Operational Error Prevention. 

Initiatives 
1. Utilize the JANUS technique, developed by the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, to better 
understand the causes of operational errors and to facilitate development of appropriate training. 
2. Develop and implement Performance Enhancement Based Training. 
3. Conduct Airspace Complexity Studies at selected, high-incidence facilities to identify measures of airspace complexity and develop recommendations to reduce errors. 

STRATEGY 
Design, develop, and implement a Safety Management System (SMS) that complies with ICAO requirements and applies a system safety approach to the FA A's delivery of air traffic services. 

Initiatives
1. Implement a safety risk-management program within Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisition (ARA) for selected new system acquisitions (through FY2008).
2. Implement SMS using a phased approached with initial implementation focusing on targeted NAS changes.
3. Introduce SMS processes FAA-wide to assess risk and to monitor effectiveness of risk-mitigation strategies.
4. Expand the collection, consolidation, and analysis of safety data to enhance reporting and assessment.
5. Expand SMS to include all safety-significant changes to the NAS.

PERFORMANCE TARGET
1. Apply safety risk management to all significant changes in the NAS.
2. Reduce the number of most serious air traffic control operational errors (Categories A and B) by 15%, to no more than 563 by FY2008.

Joseph Souza 
Course Manager, Mike 
Monroney Aeronautical 
Center, Oklahoma City 
The building blocks for a comprehensive Safety Management System start with ideas from people like Joseph Souza. Joe thought safety courses should be opened to more than just aviation safety inspectors, so he pushed to open the course to the airline community. An American Airlines official lauded his efforts, saying, "The System Safety Course provided a clear understanding of the FAA's renewed focus on enhancing overall system safety." 

GREATER CAPACITY

GOAL: Work with local governments and airspace users to provide capacity in the United States airspace system that meets projected demand in an environmentally sound manner. 

OVERVIEW 
Capacity, like safety, is both a priority and a necessity. Air travel will continue to grow only if the aviation system's capacity grows with it. Passengers will seek to travel by air only if they can move through the system safely, seamlessly, and efficiently. Increased capacity is the vital link to meeting their demand and realizing the full power and potential of aviation. Over the past few years, air travel demand has decreased, and current industry forecasts suggest that it will not fully rebound until at least 2006 at the earliest. 

While the airlines struggle to reinvigorate their industry, the FAA will use this window of opportunity to prepare for a return to heavy demand. We will work with local governments and airspace users to improve the design and performance of both aircraft and ground systems to ensure that they meet the capacity demands of the future. These improvements will accommodate more traffic while easing delays; increase safety and security while addressing noise and air quality; and foster efficient, predictable, and flexible domestic and international air travel. 

More specifically, the FAA will ease congestion over eight metropolitan areas; improve overall capacity at the nation's top 35 airports by 30 percent; to allow an increase in the number of flights build new runways; enhance access to reliever airports for general aviation operations; and increase traffic coordination and communication by using new technologies. By 2006, the FAA, with industry, intends to create further collaborative measures that enhance on-time performance and increase our ability to predict and minimize disruptions to the system. The result will be a national aviation system that is more efficient, more cost-effective, safer, and meets projected demand in an environmentally sound manner. 

OBJECTIVES 
1: Increase airport capacity to meet projected demand. 
2: Make air traffic flow over land and sea more efficient. 
3: Increase or improve airspace capacity in the eight major metropolitan areas and corridors that most affect total system delay: New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington/Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles Basin, and San Francisco. 
4: Increase on-time performance of scheduled carriers. 
5: Address environmental issues associated with capacity enhancements. 


OBJECTIVE ONE: INCREASE AIRPORT CAPACITY TO MEET PROJECTED DEMAND. 

STRATEGY 
Evaluate existing capacity levels and set investment and infrastructure priorities. 

Initiatives
1. Complete an evaluation by December 2003 of the 35 OEP airports to determine whether they will meet future demand levels. 
2. Establish priorities for infrastructure investments to maintain existing capacity in a cost-effective manner. 
3. Establish financial benchmarks to evaluate whether initiatives are successful. 
4. Support new runway construction and airfield improvements to permit increased use of airports in IFR conditions. 

STRATEGY 
Improve access to existing capacity through operational and procedural changes. 

Initiatives
1. Create an intra-agency team to coordinate standards, procedures, and policies to improve airport capacity. 
2. Improve the quality of updates to airport air traffic acceptance rates to ensure the most efficient use of existing capacity. 
3. Increase access to high-demand metropolitan areas for non-scheduled operations by adding new routes.

STRATEGY
Improve bad-weather departure and landing capacity with new technologies.

Initiatives
1. Capitalize on Spring/Summer Plan data to improve traffic flow in bad weather.
2. Develop and implement RNP/WAAS approach to procedures to increase airport and runway use when visibility is restricted.
3. Develop technology and procedures to increase the use of parallel runways in adverse weather conditions (for example, RNP, Precision Runway Monitor (PRM), ADS-B/CDM and FMA)
4. Increase airport capacity under IFR conditions through the use of Traffic Management Advisor (TMA).

PERFORMANCE TARGETS
1. Achieve an airport efficiency rate of 96% at the 35 OEP airports by 2008.
2. Increase the Airport Arrival Capacity at the 35 OEP airports for 50,550 arrivals per day the 2000-2002 baseline, to at least 53,600 per day by 2008.
3. Open as many as nine new runways, while increasing the annual service volume (ASV) of the 35 OEP airports by at least 1% annually, measured as a five-year moving average, through 2008.
4. Sustain operational availability at 99% for the reportable facilities that support the 35 OEP airports.

Rob Williams & Debbie Rooney 
Automation Systems 
Program Managers, 
Free Flight, 
Headquarters
New technology and advances in software can mean big increases especially at the nation's busiest airports. Rob and Debbie lead the launch of the traffic management advisor (TMA), which will smooth the flow of airport operations at these high volume locations. 


OBJECTIVE TWO: MAKE AIR TRAFFIC FLOW OVER LAND AND SEA MORE EFFICIENT. 

STRATEGY 
Restructure airspace to ensure efficient traffic flow between oceanic and domestic airspace. 

Initiatives 
1. Redesign the airspace of eight major metropolitan 
areas: New York, Philadelphia, Washington/Baltimore, Boston, San Fr a n c i s c o , 
Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles Basin. 
2. Use new equipment and technology to reduce en-route congestion. 
3. Implement high-altitude airspace redesign to reduce congestion. 
4. Provide communication infrastructure to make airspace restructuring feasible. 

STRATEGY 
Modify separation standards and procedures to allow more efficient use of congested airspace.

Initiatives
1. Implement time-based metering at air traffic control centers in Los Angeles, Oakland, Miami, and Houston.
2. Implement real-time use of special use airspace.
3. Enhance VFR flight operation to improve the ability of general aviation flights to gain greater access to metropolitan area and other constrained airspace.
4. Redesign oceanic airspace to improve capacity.
5. Implement new oceanic procedures for greater access to requested altitudes and routes. 
6. Implement Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM). 
7. Increase arrival and departure rates through wake turbulence monitoring, operational procedures, and controller spacing tools. 

STRATEGY 
Improve technologies and procedures to make traffic flow more efficient during periods of adverse weather. 

Initiatives 
1. Develop and implement enhanced systems and techniques to improve Collaborative Decision-Making (CDM). 
2. Analyze and disseminate weather information to controllers and pilots through new automated systems.

PERFORMANCE TARGET
1. Maintain average en-route travel times among the eight major metropolitan areas. 
2. Beginning in FY2005, increase to 80% the number of oceanic en-route altitude change requests that are granted through the end of FY2008.

John McCarron  
Product Team Leader,
Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures,  
Headquarters 
John has worked with centers in New York, Oakland and Anchorage to modernize oceanic air traffic management systems for international flights. This groundbreaking technology results in more efficient routes that save both fuel and time. 

OBJECTIVE THREE: INCREASE OR IMPROVE AIRSPACE CAPACITY IN THE EIGHT MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS AND CORRIDORS THAT MOST AFFECT TOTAL SYSTEM DELAY: NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, BOSTON, CHICAGO, WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE, ATLANTA, LOS ANGELES BASIN, AND SAN FRANCISCO. 

STRATEGY
Identify airport improvements that are most likely to reduce the major causes of system delay. 
 
Initiatives 
1. Support master plans for airfield improvements at airports in major metropolitan areas. 
2. Work with the user community to establish the most feasible capacity-enhancing policies. 

STRATEGY 
Redesign the airspace and traffic flows. 

Initiatives 
1. Redesign terminal airspace and change procedures.
2. Complete the redesign of the congested airspace in New York.
3. Redesign airspace to reduce runway constraints and suppor RNAV procedures where feasible.

PERFORMANCE TARGETS
Achieve an increase in the Airport Arrival Capacity for the eighth major metropolitan areas from 21,290 arrivals per day from the 2000-2002 baseline to at least 22,000 per day by 2008.

Janel Showalter 
Technical Writer, Airport 
Safety and Standards, 
Headquarters 
Janel coordinates a team across the regions to make sure that information on the FAA's Office of Airports websites is accessible and understandable. Through the websites, airports officials are able to clearly understand how they can use FAA grant money to improve capacity. Also, Janel has volunteered to be on the FAA website redesign team and workforce planning committee. 

OBJECTIVE FOUR: INCREASE ON-TIME PERFORMANCE OF SCHEDULED CARRIERS. 

STRATEGY
Promote use of automated systems that provide more accurate and timely information for all system users. 

Initiatives
1. Share information seamlessly between Flight Operations Centers and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) by using System Wide Information Management (SWIM). 
2. Improve operator and passenger access to flight information (for example, Traffic Flow Management/Collaborative Decision Making [TFM/CDM] capabilities). 
3. Validate and analyze statistics from DOT's Delay Reporting System to identify and remedy causes of delay within the FAA's control.
4. Improve modeling and forecasting techniques and react to volume constraints and to achieve greater conformity between expected and actual flight times.

PERFORMANCE TARGETS
Through FY2008, increase the percentage of all flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule at the 35 OEP airports by 7%, as measured from the three-year FY2000-2002 baseline.



Ardyth Williams 
Air Traffic Liaison, 
Free Flight,
Headquarters 
Ardyth is making sure air traffic controllers get the newest software available in order to reduce congestion at our nation's busiest airports. She works with the Free Flight office in its goal to increase capacity and on-time flights at major airports. As a former controller and pilot with 4,000 hours of flight time, she understands the capacity needs of the airspace system. 

OBJECTIVE FIVE: ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH CAPACITY ENHANCEMENTS. 

STRATEGY 
Develop better technologies and analytical tools to evaluate aircraft noise and emissions.

Initiatives 
1. Conduct research and develop analytical tools to understand better the relationship between noise and emissions and different types of emissions. 
2. Along with stakeholders, increase aircraft noise and emissions mitigation activities at the new environmental Center of Excellence (COE).
3. Improve data on environmental effects, technology maturity and feasibility, and costs of technologies and operational measures to ensure cost-effective decision-making. 

STRATEGY 
Increase aviation capacity while mitigating environmental impact. 

Initiatives 
1. Implement low-altitude airspace redesign, increasing efficiency to take account of environmental impacts. 
2. Develop tools to reduce airborne delays. 
3. Complete the Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) prototype program.
4. Apply new streamlining provisions in the Executive Order 13274 on Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Reviews to OEP projects.
5. Develop best practices for airport and airline community relations to educate and inform the public about aviation and the environment, topics include, compatible land use, noise disclosure, and FAA web site information.
6. Foster voluntary agreements with the aviation industry to reduce various aviation emissions.

PERFORMANCE TARGETS
1. Reduce the number of people exposed to significant noise through FY2008, as measured by a three-year moving average, from the three-year average for calendar year 2000-2002.
2. Improve aviation fuel efficiency per revenue plane-mile by 1% per year through 2008, as measured by a three-year moving average, from the three-year average for calendar year 2000-2002.

Jackie Sweatt-Essick 
Environmental Program Manager, 
Southern Region 
Jackie works to make sure that improving the capacity of the airspace system is accomplished in an environmentally sound manner. She has been involved in high-profile projects in Cincinnati, Miami, and Atlanta, and has won several awards as a result. Also, she chaired the publication of Land Use Compatibility and Airports-A Guide for Effective Land Use Planning. 

Isidro Ruiz 
Safety and Environmental Compliance Manager, 
Southwest Region 
Isidro is critical to making sure FAA activities are environmentally sound. He works with the EPA, and local and state authorities to maintain a safe, clean aviation system through the Rio Grande System Management Office in Albuquerque. 

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 

GOAL: Increase the safety and capacity of the global civil aerospace system in an environmentally sound manner. 

OVERVIEW: 
The United States has long been a leader in the global civil aviation system. The FAA operates the largest and most complex aviation system in the world, controlling almost half of the world's air traffic. We certify more than 70 percent of the world's large jet aircraft and provide direct or indirect aviation assistance to 129 countries. Over 120 domestic and 90 international air carriers serve the United States on a daily basis. U.S. industry is continuously developing and implementing new technologies to create a safer, more efficient, global airspace system. The United States is also the largest contributor of technical and financial support to the International Civil Aviation Organization 
(ICAO), which represents 188 of the world's civil aviation authorities. 

As a leader, the FAA must promote safety by broadening our international network of partnerships with civil aviation authorities around the world. This goal requires us to work with key bilateral aviation partners as well as the ICAO to adopt common international safety standards and to help harmonize air traffic procedures and technologies. We will also work with organizations and through programs such as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Safe Skies for Africa, the Third Boarder Initiative, Cooperative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Project (COSCAP), the North American Aviation Trilateral (NAAT), and University Consortium Safety Summits. 

Our ultimate objective is to make air travel as safe and efficient abroad as it is at home. 

OBJECTIVES 
1: Promote improved safety and regulatory oversight in cooperation with bilateral, regional, and multilateral aviation partners. 
2: Promote seamless operations around the globe in cooperation with bilateral, regional, and multilateral aviation partners. 


OBJECTIVE ONE: PROMOTE IMPROVED SAFETY AND REGULATORY OVERSIGHT IN COOPERATION WITH BILATERAL, REGIONAL, AND MULTILATERAL AVIATION PARTNERS. 

STRATEGY 
Provide technical assistance and training to key foreign civil aviation authorities. 

Initiatives 
1. Focus political, technical, and financial resources to provide training and technical assistance to help foreign civil aviation authorities meet international standards. 
2. Develop a structure that increases intellectual and financial assistance from U.S. Government organizations, multilateral banks, and industry to support projects that enhance the infrastructure of global aviation.


STRATEGY 
Work with key international partners to enable the transfer of aeronautical products, technologies, and services. 

Initiatives  
1. Work with the European Community, primarily through EASA, to ensure the highest level of safety and a more efficient exchange of products between the United States and Europe.
2. Set priorities and focus FAA and U.S. resources on finalizing bilateral agreements that recognize safety certification and approval systems.

STRATEGY
Support ICAO and regional authorities.

Initiatives
1. Focus resources to promote global compliance with safety oversight standards by supporting new and existing regional aviation authorities and organization.
2. Strengthen bilateral relations with Western Hemisphere partners to increase regional safety, while sharing proven safety techniques with the rest of the world.
3. Support expansion of ICAO's Safety Oversight Audit Program to air traffic services, accident investigation, and airports.
4. Increase recruitment of qualified U.S. technical personnel to fill positions at ICAO.

Third Border Initiative Team
Dawn Flanagan, Policy Leader
Dawn Veatch
Jay Rodriguez
Emily White
Dawn drives FAA support of new safety organization for several carribean countries, Her team provides technical assistance, promoting harmonization of the various laws and regulations in the region. Also, they implement training, personnel licensing and a new airport certification course-an ICAO requirement. 

STRATEGY 
Work with global partners and industry to develop and implement technologies and processes that enhance safety. 

Initiatives 
1. Encourage adoption of aviation safety and aircraft security initiatives and interventions, such as Safer Skies, to reduce the dangers of Controlled Flight Into Terrain and weather related events. 
2. With the worldwide aerospace community, develop tools and processes for collecting, analyzing, and sharing information and data.
3. Work with developing states to encourage the use of FAA's Safety Management System as a model for their air traffic management programs. 
4. Support implementing English language proficiency training for air crews and air traffic controllers. 
5. Work with international service partners to develop a standard definition of runway incursion, a common categorization system, and a runway incursion database. 

PERFORMANCE TARGETS
1. Provide new or expended technical assistance and training to 30 key countries or regional authorities.
2. Conclude new bilateral agreements recognizing safety certification and approval systems with ten key counties or regional authorities.
3. Secure a 100% increase, over FY2003 levels, in intellectual and financial assistance for international aviation activities form the United State and international government organizations, multilateral banks, and industry.
4. Support creating at least four new regional aviation authorities or organizations capable of meeting globally accepted safety and efficiency standards.


OBJECTIVE TWO: PROMOTE SEAMLESS OPERATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE IN COOPERATION WITH BILATERAL, REGIONAL, AND MULTILATERAL AVIATION PARTNERS. 

STRATEGY 
Ensure the global implementation of a shared concept of operations, technologies and processes to enhance capacity and interoperability. 

Initiatives 
1. Promote commercial proliferation and inter-Initiatives operability and use of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and GNSS augmentation systems internationally. 
2. Develop ADS-B and other capacity enhancing applications, necessary standards, equipage requirements, and operational procedures for global implementation. 
3. Develop tools and processes for exchanging flight data, surveillance information, and traffic-flow management data to improve and harmonize global air navigation services. 
4. Establish new and update existing operational agreements between the FAA, Mexico, and Canada that support requirements for air traffic control communication and coordination. 
5. Implement reduced separation standards. 
6. Promote harmonizing and implementing RNP globally and developing international air traffic routes to take advantage of enhanced aircraft equipment. 

STRATEGY 
Ensure the harmonization of U.S. and global technological standards. 

Initiatives 
1. Promote NAS technologies and the development of Standards and Recommended Practices in ICAO.
2. Support U.S. aviation interests at the World Radio Communication Conference and other regional and international forums.

STRATEGY
Work within the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environment Protection (CAEP) to develop and adopt global environment standards, best practices, and written guidance.

Initiatives
1. Work with CAEP members to develop and adopt ICAO guidance material on the Balance Approach to Noise Management consistent with ICAO Resolution A33-7.
2. Build on work already done with CAEP to develop industry best practices for emissions reductions as a basis for future voluntary agreements.
3. Build on work already done with CAEP to develop industry best practices for emissions reductions as a basis for future voluntary agreements.
4. Gain acceptance of the System for Assessing Aviation's Global Emissions (SAGE) to be used as a global emissions model with CAEP.

PERFORMANCE TARGETS
1. Ensure the United States, ICAO, and other international partners implement new techniques and key operations procedures in a consistent and timely manner.
2. Implement RVSM in the North American Region by January 2005
3. Ensure that international environmental standards, recommended practices, and guidance material adopted by by ICAO are globally and uniformly applied, reflect the best available technology, provide real environmental benefit, and are economically sound.

Angela Conley, Acting Manager,
Kelley Annin Szalkowski,
Lou Alvarez, 
Lorna John 
Angela plans and coordinates initiatives to improve aviation safety in Africa. She leads a team from across the FAA lines of business to help African countries meet international safety standards. Her team is involved in training, international conferences, facility assessments, and regional navigation development. 


ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 

G O A L: Ensure the success of the FAA's mission through stronger leadership, a better trained workforce, enhanced cost-control measures, and improved decision-making based on reliable data. 

O V E RV I E W 
To achieve the ambitious goals outlined in the Flight Plan, the FAA must become nothing less than a world-class organization. This will require strong leadership, performance-based management, and improved fiscal responsibility. 


The people of the FAA are the key to achieving our mission. We are committed to finding and eliminating barriers to equity and opportunity at the FAA, for we strongly believe that fairness and diversity at the agency directly relate to the strength of our organization. Furthermore, we will give our people the tools and resources they need to overcome the challenges we face and to become more accountable and cost efficient. In turn, employee compensation and salary increases should be performance-based, allowing the agency to pay for results and reward success.
 
The President's Management Agenda (PMA) tasks the FAA with setting targets, measuring our performance, and being accountable for our results. The PMA is also designed to make the government more "citizen-centered, results-oriented, and market-based." To achieve this, the PMA directs us to undertake six initiatives: 

1. Strategic management of human capital \
2. Competitive sourcing 
3. Improved financial performance 
4. Expanded electronic government 
5. Budget and performance integration 
6. Better research and development 

The PMA and FAA's Organizational Excellence goal both seek to instill greater governmental accountability, while providing important services in a responsible and cost effective manner. Moreover, our employees must clearly understand the agency's mission and faithfully execute their duties. 

Controlling costs is essential. Working with our employees and industry partners, the FAA must continue to invest in programs and services that perform, while ending those that are redundant or ineffective. We will establish an agency-wide cost-control program to identify where costs can be cut and reinvested to meet the initiatives outlined in this plan. The agency will also accelerate the development of data and analytic tools 
that will help us make management decisions based on sound business principles. Our commitment to meeting the initiatives of the Flight Plan will shape our future policies. 

OBJECTIVES 
1: Make the organization more effective with stronger leadership, increased commitment of individual workers to fulfill organization-wide goals, and a better prepared, better trained, diverse workforce. 
2: Control costs while delivering quality customer service. 
3: Make decisions based on reliable data to improve our overall performance and customer satisfaction. 

OBJECTIVE ONE: MAKE THE ORGANIZATION MORE EFFECTIVE WITH STRONGER LEADERSHIP, INCREASED COMMITMENT OF INDIVIDUAL WORKERS TO FULFILL ORGANIZATION-WIDE GOALS, AND A BETTER PREPARED, BETTER TRAINED, DIVERSE WORKFORCE. 

STRATEGY
Build stronger leadership to achieve strategic goals and manage resources effectively. 

Initiatives 
1. Implement an executive development program. 
2. Put in place a management workforce planning and development program. 
3. Undertake a timely and effective approach to conflict management. 

STRATEGY
Increase the commitment of all employees to fulfill organizational goals.

Initiatives
1. Use multiple channels to communicate the goals of the Flight Plan and help employees see the link between their jobs and these goals.
2. Implement the new Performance Management system for all employees.
3. Directly link all employee performance plans to FAA strategic goals and line of business and staff office performance plans.

STRATEGY 
Improve our ability to acquire, develop, and retain a diverse, highly skilled workforce. 

Initiatives 
1. Undertake and sustain agency human capital planning and measurement processes. 
2. Put in place a corporate and employee training and development program. 
3. Implement corporate recruitment initiatives. 

PERFORMANCE TARGETS 
1. Increase Employee Attitude Survey scores in the areas of management effectiveness and accountability by at least 5%. 
2. Directly relate 100% all employee performance plans to FAA strategic goals and their organization's performance plans.
3. Reduce the time it takes to hire mission critical positions by 20% over the FY2003 baseline.

Bill E. Traylor
Superintendent, 
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center

Investing in employees is key to creating the strongest workforce  at the FAA. Bill develops and guides the courses taught to FAA employees at the Oklahoma City facility and online. These courses in turn, directly help the FAA achieve strategic goals and objectives in U.S. aviation. In addition, the Academy has trained 12,400 international participants from more than 150 countries. 

OBJECTIVE TWO: CONTROL COSTS WHILE DELIVERING QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE. 
STRATEGY
Improve organization-wide commitment to organizations to identify and implement fulfilling customer needs. 

Initiative 
Annually review our customers' require-they provide data that supports managements to better align products and services. 

STRATEGY  
Develop and implement ways to better control cost savings over existing systems. 

1. Finish implementing the new FAA financial management system (DELPHI), Cost Accounting System (CAS) and Labor Distribution Reporting System (LDR).
2. Put in place an agency-wide cost control program using CAS and LDR, including: 
   a. An executive-level review process.
   b. Identification of cross-organizational initiatives focused on controlling operations costs starting with information technology (IT) expenditures. Savings identified will be used to fund unfunded aspects of the Flight Plan. 
   c. A program to create incentives for FAA organizations to identify and implement cost saving initiatives.
3. Refine and update financial systems to ensure the provide data that support management decision-making.
4. Implement the FAA Telecommunication Infrastructure (FTI) program and provide cost savings over existing systems.
5. Improve the overall management of cost-reimbursable contracts

PERFOMANCE TARGETS

1. By putting cost controls in place, and having a more efficient, effective workforce, the agency expects to fund at least 75% of the currently unfunded portion of the Flight Plan.
2. Complete the closeout of 100% (FY2001 baseline) of cost reimbursable contracts by end of FY2004 and maintain timely closure of suture contracts.


Jan Lebovitz 
Regional Program Specialist,  
Great Lakes Region 
Jan received the Affirmative Employment Award for 2003 for her efforts to increase awareness of people with disabilities in the FAA workforce. She helps to identify, recruit, and retain employees from diverse backgrounds. 

OBJECTIVE THREE: MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON RELIABLE DATA TO IMPROVE OUR OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. 

STRATEGY 
Better prepare managers to use cost and performance data in making decisions. 

Initiatives 
1. Provide tools and training to all current executives and managers on using cost data (for example, CAS and LDR information) to make management decisions and reinforce the use of these skills as part of the agency-wide 
cost control program. 
2. Use automated software to track and report progress on Flight Plan initiatives and to establish the appropriate linkages and accountability for supporting initiatives in each line of business and staff office. 
3. Integrate lessons on using cost and performance data in all levels of supervisory and management training conducted at the Center for Management Development (CMD). 
4. Expand the use of professional certification programs for managers and employees in key decision-making positions that impact major acquisitions. 

STRATEGY 
Find faster, more efficient ways to collect and measure customer feedback and satisfaction. 

Initiatives 
1. Develop a process to measure customer satisfaction for a wider range of customer segments. 
2. Use the Flight Plan web site as a way to communicate progress and collect feedback from internal and external customers on the initiatives contained in the plan. 

STRATEGY 
Improve the security of our data. 

Initiative 
Update and implement an agency security plan to protect our information assets. 

PERFORMANCE TARGETS 
1. Make sure 80% of critical acquisition programs are both on schedule and within 10% of budget. 
2. Achieve 90% of all performance targets in the Flight Plan. 
3. Increase agency scores on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. 
4. Achieve 90% of the milestones for the agency information security plan by 2008. 

Melinda Mercado 
Management Analyst, 
Budget and Program Analysis,
Southwest Region 
Melinda is an expert advisor across the lines of business in the Southwest Region. She is critical to guiding leadership to new levels of excellence, including improved cost controls, better training, and customer service. 

ACRONYMS

ADS-B/TIS-B: Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast/Traffic Information Service-Broadcast 
AMASS: Airport Movement Area Safety System 
APEC: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation 
ARA: Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisition 
ASAP: Aviation Safety Analysis Program 
ASDE-X: Airport Surface Detection Equipment 
ASR-WSP: Airport Surveillance Radar Weather System Processor 
ASV: Annual Service Volume 
ATCs: Air Traffic Controllers 
ATOS: Air Transport Oversight System 
ATS: Air Traffic Services 

CAEP: Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection 
CAS: Cost Accounting System 
CAST: Commercial Aviation Safety Team 
CDA: Continuous Descent Approach 
CDM: Collaborative Decision Making 
CMD: Center for Management Development 
CNS: Communications Navigation Surveillance 

DHS: Department of Homeland Security 
DOC: Department of Commerce 
DOD: Department of Defense 
DOT: Department of Transportation 

EASA: European Aviation Safety Agency 
EFB: Electronic Flight Bags DELPHI 

FAA: Federal Aviation administration 
FIS-B: Flight Information Service Broadcast 
FITS: FAA/Industrial Training Standards 
FMA: Final Monitor Aid 
FOQA: Flight Operational Quality Assurance 
FTI: FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure Program 
FY: Fiscal Year 

GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System 
GPRA: Government Performance and Results Act 

ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization 
IFR: Instrument Flight Rules 
IT: Information Technology 

JSC: Joint Safety Committee 

LAAS: Local Area Augmentation System 
LDR: Labor Distribution Reporting System 
LLWAS: Low Level Wind-shear Alert System 

MIAWS: Medium Intensity Airport Weather Service 

NAAT: North American Aviation Trilateral 
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
NAS: National Airspace System 
NOTAMS: Notice To Airmen 
NTSB: National Transportation Safety Board 

OEP: Operational Evolution Plan 

PAI: Precision Approach 
PMA: President's Management Agenda 
PRM: Precision Runway Monitor 

RLV: Reusable Launch Vehicle 
RNAV: Area Navigation 
RNP: Required Navigation Performance 
RVSM: Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum 

SAGE: System for Assessing Aviation's Global Emissions 
SFAR: Special Federal Aviation Regulation 
SMS: Safety Management System 
SOPs: Standard Operating Procedures 
SWIM: System Wide Information Management 

TDWR: Terminal Doppler Weather Radar 
TFM: Traffic Flow Management 
TFM/CDM: Traffic Flow Management/Collaborative Decision Making 
TMA: Traffic Management Advisor 
TSA: Transportation Security Administration 

UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 
US: United States 

VFR: Visual Flight Rules 

WAAS: Wide Area Augmentation System 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
This Flight Plan is the result of the hard work and sustained commitment of everyone involved in the planning process. We would like to acknowledge and convey our sincere thanks to all of our employees, Members of Congress and their staff, our industry partners, and stakeholders.