Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 1 

FY 2007 REQUEST BY GOAL................................................................................... 4 

ANALYSIS OF CHANGE (FY 2006 VS FY 2007 Request) ....................................... 5 

HIGHLIGHTS......................................................................................................... 6 

 Operations ........................................................................................................... 6 

 Facilities and Equipment........................................................................................ 7 

 Research, Engineering, and Development ............................................................... 7 

 Grants-in-Aid for Airports....................................................................................... 7 

 Safest Period in Aviation History............................................................................. 8 

 Travel is Up.......................................................................................................... 8 

 Trust Fund and Cost Control .................................................................................. 9 

INCREASED SAFETY ............................................................................................. 10 

 

 Safety Oversight ................................................................................................... 10 

 Controller Retirements and Hiring........................................................................... 10 

 NAS Plan Hand-Off................................................................................................ 11 

 Commercial Space Transportation .......................................................................... 11 

 Challenges Remain................................................................................................ 11 

MOBILITY ............................................................................................................. 11 

 The Next Generation Air Transportation System ...................................................... 12 

 New Runways Being Commissioned........................................................................ 13 

 En Route Automation Modernization ....................................................................... 13 

 Airport Improvement Program................................................................................ 13 

GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY....................................................................................... 13

 Roadmap for Safety .............................................................................................. 14 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP......................................................................... 14

SECURITY ............................................................................................................. 14 

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE............................................................................ 15

 Flight Plan 2006-2010 ........................................................................................... 15 

 Monthly Reviews Track Progress ............................................................................ 15 

 Financial Management........................................................................................... 15 

 Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12............................................................ 16 

Appendix............................................................................................................... 17 

i

P
INTRODUCTION 

Acting & Performing Like a Business: The FAA’s efforts over the past three years to operate 

more like a business have paid real dividends, not just to the flying public but to the taxpayer as 

well. By implementing improved management tools, including better cost-accounting systems 

and instituting a pay-for-performance program, we’ve been able to make better use of our 

resources. It’s paying off, and some tangible results are reflected in this budget request. 

This year, we completed the largest A-76 competition in government and will see the first 

installment of cost savings ($66 million) in FY 2007. The agency’s network of automated flight 

services stations, which provide weather guidance and other assistance to the pilots of small 

airplanes, will be reduced from 58 to 20. The technology at the facilities is being enhanced, and 

the employees who left federal service as a result of this transition were given offers to work for 

Lockheed-Martin, the successful bidder for the contract. 

The agency’s emphasis on bottom-line results hasn’t been easy. The FAA has slashed costs and 

slowed the rate of growth of our labor costs. Indeed, over the last three years, FAA’s largest 

group of employees, the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), has shed approximately 20 percent of its 

non-safety workforce. This reduction of about 2,500 positions included the elimination of several 

layers of its management positions. 

We also continue to apply effective management and financial principles to our labor 

negotiations. The simple fact of the matter is that we cannot and will not sign a contract that the 

taxpayer cannot afford. The existing NATCA contract, signed in 1998, was to have cost $200 

million for the first three years. The actual cost to the FAA exceeded $1 billion over the same 

time period. Neither the FAA nor the taxpayer can afford a repeat performance. As a result, 

future labor agreements will be affordable and protect management’s rights. 

Saving money on labor contracts is only one piece of the equation. In addition, we are taking 

steps to achieve savings of 10 percent by FY 2010 in controller staff costs through productivity 

improvements. We achieved the first 3 percent of this goal in FY 2005 by recalibrating inefficient 

staffing standards, which enabled us to avoid the need to hire 459 controllers. Overall, we 

avoided approximately $23 million in costs last year. In FY 2006 and 2007, we project a minimum 

of a 2 percent productivity improvement in each fiscal year. 

We’re making similar inroads with equipment. In FY 2005, we removed 177 navigation aids from 

service. This saved the taxpayer about $2.7 million. This year, we plan to remove 100 more, 

followed by another 100 in 2007. 

We’re also scrutinizing our capital investments, revisiting business cases and weeding out 

programs whose benefits no longer justify the costs. And we are increasing our emphasis on 

programs that will save the agency money. 

We’re taking steps to save wherever possible. This year, we awarded centralized wireless 

contracts to take advantage of volume discounts. We are already realizing savings and ultimately 

expect to save over $4 million per year. That’s about 50 percent of what we used to spend. We 

have made these types of efforts part of our daily regimen. In fact, our five-year strategic plan, 

the FAA Flight Plan, sets cost savings and productivity improvement goals for all organizations in 

the agency. 

In the longer term, these types of advances are the first step in a transformation that leads to 

the future. 

1 
Keeping Pace with Today’s Challenges: The pace and depth of change in aviation is 

unparalleled. Business models evolve as rapidly as the technology changes: markets once 

dominated by wide body aircraft are now giving way to smaller jets. Entrepreneurs now are 

marketing microjets, which may one day become the “personal taxi” of the sky. Fractional 

ownership is making it easier for businesses to own and operate aircraft. 

Even with the financial shake-up in the airline industry, all major forecasts project that the 

demand for air travel will outstrip the current projected capacity. By all accounts, Americans are 

flying in record numbers. Air travel is back to pre-September 11 levels and remains on track to 

carry more than 1 billion passengers by FY 2015. 

The future portends a wide range of aircraft with divergent infrastructure, air traffic 

management, regulatory, and procedural requirements. We must be prepared to support a 

system that includes the A380 and the microjet (and everything in between). We must be able 

to support airlines, large and small, national and regional. We must continue to support a vibrant 

general aviation community. And most of all, we must provide this infrastructure in time to keep 

the U.S. economy growing while controlling the costs of that system. 

In the context of these challenges, this budget request would commit the FAA to: 

• Build on recent successes, creating an increasingly responsive and efficient agency; 

• Lay the cornerstone of the future aviation system, leading to more flexible route 

structures and associated safety, capacity, and environmental benefits; and 

• Support the industry in ways that effectively respond to rapidly changing business and 

technological environments. 

Without question, the anticipated demand for air travel at a time of great pressure to reduce 

federal spending presents a significant challenge. Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, 

FAA also lost far more controllers and inspectors than it was able to hire. Since the start of FY 

2004, FAA has experienced a net loss of 1,000 controllers and 231 safety inspectors. This budget 

request counters this trend, and provides the resources for the agency to fund our critical 

operational staffing and management needs: 

• As outlined in the December 2004 Congressional report, A Plan for the Future: The FAA’s 

10-Year Strategy for the Air Traffic Control Workforce, we are expecting a continuous 

wave of controller retirements over the next 10 years, as approximately 72 percent of the 

organization’s 15,000 controllers become eligible to retire. Bringing aboard new 

controllers is a complex process because it takes several years to train a controller. The 

pipeline of recruits and trainees must be filled in a deliberate, continuous fashion. An 

update to the plan will be released during the second quarter of FY 2006. Our FY 2007 

budget request funds our updated hiring goal to hire 1,136 new air traffic controllers. 

• Air carrier safety continues to be our number one priority. Our goal for FY 2007 will be to 

enhance safety through better oversight, operational, and research programs. This 

includes a request to increase our safety inspector workforce, in a direct response to the 

recent Office of Inspector General’s report that recommended we expedite 

implementation of our new risk-based, commercial aviation safety oversight system. 

• Our efforts to run the FAA in the most effective and efficient manner are further reflected 

in our NAS Plan Handoff program. Under this program we transition capital assets from 

their deployment under the Facilities and Equipment (F&E) appropriation to their 

operation and maintenance under the Operations appropriation, in accordance with 

generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Full funding for NAS Plan Handoff in 

2 
our Operations appropriation allows us to provide for the installation, maintenance, and 

training for operating these new capital assets, and addresses congressional and GAO 

criticisms about covering the operating costs for new systems in F&E for an indefinite 

period. 

• In support of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) for improved financial 

management, internal controls and real property management, and addressing the 

higher level of complexity of our new Oracle-based financial system, we have bolstered 

the resources for the Financial Services Office. These enhancements will help ensure 

and safeguard the financial health and reliability of our nation’s air transportation system. 

In today’s challenging budget environment, we’ve been forced to take a long hard look at our 

funding requirements. Our FY 2007 budget request for Grants-in-Aid to Airports is $2.75 billion, 

which is significantly higher than AIR 21 levels but lower than recent years. 

Ensuring We Prepare a Pathway to the Future: We are committed to increasing the 

system’s capacity to accommodate traffic growth and to build a system for the future. We will lay 

the foundations for meeting these future needs by harvesting new technologies that will support 

the Integrated National Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS). This 

new Plan is designed to bring together six cabinet-level groups to eliminate duplication and 

wasted resources. 

The Plan is a roadmap that will leverage federal funds and define major systems decisions across 

agencies in the coming years. For the FAA, the Plan will drive numerous ongoing discussions, 

including: 

• The size, role, and training needs of our workforce; 

• The number of facilities maintained by the FAA; 

• The transition from ground-based to satellite-based systems; and, 

• The redesign of airspace. 

The FY 2007 budget request is the right place to establish these priorities. We are requesting 

funding that will maintain the integrity of existing services while taking a meaningful step toward 

the future. 

Overseeing the world’s largest, most complex aviation system, our agency sets the standard for 

implementing advanced information technology. NGATS will replace antiquated radars and 

replace outmoded technology with advanced systems such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance 

- Broadcast (ADS-B). The capabilities of this new system for automatic dependent surveillance 

are already proven in the field. ADS-B provides: 

• Automatic broadcast of aircraft position, altitude, velocity, and other data; 

• Enhanced “visibility” of aircraft and vehicle traffic for pilots and air traffic controllers; and, 

• Use of Global Positioning Systems; allowing us to reduce our reliance on ground-based 

infrastructure. 

NGATS will also include System Wide Information Management (SWIM) capabilities that will 

provide advanced information distribution and sharing capabilities. Every year, FAA builds 

applications for air traffic management systems that require unique interfaces between the new 

application and existing systems. SWIM will replace those unique interfaces with a reusable 

interface. SWIM provides a number of operational benefits, such as: 

• Common situational awareness; 

3 
• Standardized information security implementation; and, 

• More cost effective applications. 

Here at the FAA, we are changing the agency’s structure with a major shift to a performancebased organization, and making tough choices with our funding. We are committed to wisely 

managing the taxpayer’s investment -- and, making a difference. We’re operating more like a 

business, and we’re delivering the world’s safest transportation system while doing so. We look 

forward to discussing the details of this request and working with you to implement this vision. 

 

FY 2007 Request by Goal 

($ in millions) 

Safety, $9,617 

Mobility, $3,142 Environmental, $391 

Security, $173 

Global Connectivity, 

$36 

Organizational 

Excellence, $390 

4 
The FAA mission is to promote aviation safety and mobility by building, maintaining, and 

operating the Nation’s air traffic control system; overseeing commercial and general aviation 

safety through regulation and inspection; and providing support to improve the capacity and 

safety of our airports. The FY 2007 budget request of $13.75 billion reflects the Administration’s 

commitment to increase the performance and capacity of our aviation system and is directly 

related to the Agency’s Flight Plan 2006-2010. The following tables break out the FY 2007 

budget request by appropriation and strategic goal: 

Federal Aviation Administration 

FY 2007 Budget Request 

Change 

FY 2006 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2007 

ACCOUNTS ACTUAL1 ENACTED2 REQUEST Request

Operations $7,706,537 $8,104,140 $8,366,000 $+261,860 

 (General) (Non-Add) (2,827,809) (2,618,550) (2,921,000) (+302,450) 

 (Trust) (Non-Add) (4,878,728) (5,485,590) (5,445,000) (-40,590) 

Facilities and Equipment (TF) $2,524,780 $2,555,200 $2,503,000 $-52,200 

 Hurricane Supplemental ( Non-Add) ($5,000) ($40,600) ($-40,600) 

Research, Engineering and Development (TF) $129,880 $136,620 $130,000 $-6,620 

 Contract Authority (Vision 100) $3,500,000 $3,600,000 $3,700,000 $+100,000 

 Pop-up contract authority (49 USC 48112) $473,320 $538,000 $607,000 $+69,000 

 Transferred to other accounts ($5,000) 

 Rescission of contract authority ($296,787) ($1,068,000) ($1,557,000) ($+489,000) 

 Subtotal Grants-in-Aid $3,676,533 $3,070,000 $2,750,000 ($-320,000) 

 Small community air service pilot prog. (Non-Add) ($20,000) ($,9,900) ($-9,900) 

 Other Budget Authority $25,000 

 Obligation Limitation (Non-add) $3,472,000 $3,514,500 $2,750,000 $-764,500 

TOTAL. Federal Aviation Administration $10,386,197 10,795,960 10,999,000 $+203,040 

Contract Authority $3,500,000 $3,600,000 $3,700,000 $+100,000 

Pop-up contract authority $473,320 $538,000 $607,000 $+69,000 

Rescission on contract authority ($,296,787) ($1,068,000) ($1,557,000) ($+489,000) 

Proprietary Receipts: 

Miscellaneous Recoveries & Refunds [$49] [$275] [$275] [$0] 

1 FY 2005 reflects 0.80% across-the-board rescission per P.L. 108-447 and Hurricane Supplemental funding for $25M in Grants-inAid for Airports as Other Budget Authority and $5.1M in Facilities and Equipment per P.L. 108-324. 

2 FY 2006 reflects 1% across-the-board rescission and Hurricane Supplemental funding for $40.6M in Facilities and Equipment per

P.L. 109-148 

TABLE 1 

5 
Fiscal Year 2007 President’s Budget Request By Goal 

(Dollars in Millions) 

 

Operations Facilities & 

Equipment 

Research, 

Engineering 

and 

Development 

Airport 

Improvement 

Program 

Total 

 

Safety 7,642 480 91 1,404 9,617

Mobility 481 1,663 22 976 3,142

Global Connectivity 32 4 0 0 36

Environment 5 62 17 308 391

Security 65 57 0 51 173

Organizational Excellence 141 237 0 11 390

 

Total, FY 2007 Request 8,366 2,503 130 2,750 13,749

 

Table 2 

Highlights 

 

Operations: The FY 2007 budget requests $8.4 billion for FAA Operations. Most of the funds 

requested for FAA Operations in FY 2007 support the goal of maintaining and increasing aviation 

safety, reflecting the President’s commitment in this area. Other significant amounts support 

mobility and security. 

• Safety – The request includes $7.6 billion to inspect aircraft and ensure the safety of 

flight procedures. This includes an increase of $18.2 million to hire and train 1,136 air 

traffic controllers, resulting in a net gain of 132 controllers; $8 million to expand the Air 

Transportation Oversight System, $4.8 million for new aviation safety requirements; and 

$5.7 million for future aviation safety initiatives. The request supports continued 

development of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), which was formed in FY 2004 to 

improve the delivery of air traffic services by adopting "best business-like" practices. It 

also includes funding for operating and maintaining the air traffic control system, 

developing a replacement air traffic data and telecommunications system, commercial 

space transportation, and a share of agency overhead support costs. 

• Mobility - The request includes $480.9 million to improve air traffic efficiency by various 

means, including improving the flow of air traffic through better airspace design. 

• Global Connectivity – The request includes $32 million to expand the agency’s 

international leadership role and to help improve safety. FAA will expand its training and 

technical assistance programs that help civil aviation authorities meet international 

standards, as well as promoting seamless global operations.

• Environmental Stewardship – The request includes $5 million to continue the 

agency’s commitment to manage aviation’s growth in an environmentally-sound manner 

and has an aggressive plan to accomplish this through mitigation, operational 

measurements and standards. 

6 
• Security - While NAS security is critical to the security of the flying public, most of the 

$65 million requested focuses on enhancing the security of its personnel, facilities, and 

communications. 

• Organizational Excellence - The request includes $141 million which funds activities 

for two primary sets of goals: The President’s Management Agenda initiatives and the 

Flight Plan performance targets.

Facilities and Equipment: The FAA requests $2.5 billion to continue to improve and 

modernize the equipment central to the NAS. The request includes: 

• Safety – The request includes $479.7 million for projects that support safety 

performance goals to reduce aviation fatalities, such as improvements to weather 

sensing and reporting systems, safety information databases and computer systems to 

assist safety inspections, improvements to flight services for general aviation, and 

runway incursion research and new technology. 

• Mobility – The request includes $1.7 billion for projects to support mobility goals to 

reduce aircraft delays, such as replacement of older radars, oceanic automation to 

improve flight route flexibility, and significant infrastructure improvements to reduce 

outages caused by older, less capable facilities and equipment. 

• Global Connectivity –The request includes $3.7 million for projects to support 

navigation aids. 

• Environmental Stewardship – The request includes $61.9 million for projects to 

support environmental performance goals, such as replacing fuel tanks at FAA facilities, 

removing environmental hazards, and cleaning up hazardous materials at identified sites. 

• Security – The request includes $57.2 million for projects to support security goals, 

including $35 million for security of NAS facilities and $12 million for information security. 

• Organizational Excellence – The request includes $237.5 million for projects to 

support telecommunications infrastructure and competitive sourcing initiatives. 

Research, Engineering, and Development: The budget requests $130 million, including $88 

million for continued research on aviation safety issues. The remaining research funding is for 

mobility and environmental issues, including $18 million for the Joint Planning and Development 

Office. 

Grants-in-Aid for Airports: The budget request includes $2.75 billion for planning and 

development of the Nation's airports, including grants for security, safety, capacity, and noisereduction projects. Funding also includes $75 million for administrative expenses, and $17.9 

million for airport technology research. 

7 
When Congress directed the FAA to realign our operations and manage more like a business, we 

rose to the challenge. Our FY 2007 budget request is 2.7 percent lower than the FY 2006 enacted 

level, but we upheld our commitments to increase the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the 

national aviation system. We are responding to Congress’ directive to act more like a bottom-line 

business while maintaining our focus on safety. 

Safest Period in Aviation History

Safety is job one. Our work is paying off, as the fatal accident rate for commercial aviation is the 

lowest in aviation history. Over the past three years, there have been only .015 fatal accidents 

per hundred thousand takeoffs. That’s about one fatal accident per every seven million flights 

and represents the dedication of the aviation community, our inspectors, our technicians, our 

controllers, and our pilots. Aviation is an integral part of the overall economy, representing about 

nine percent of America’s Gross Domestic Product. We operate and maintain the most complex 

aviation system in the busiest airspace in the world, while setting the gold standard for safety. 

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. We’ve been working to reshape the agency, for we know 

that real change can’t happen without a fresh approach and strong leadership. This is precisely 

what we’ve done with our largest group of employees that account for more than 70 percent of 

the agency: the FAA’s ATO. In a top-to-bottom reorganization that streamlined and brought a 

new approach to how we operate, this organization marked its second anniversary in February. 

We’ve made real gains by streamlining our organization to be more efficient and better use the 

taxpayer’s dollars. We’ve laid the foundation to create an effective performance- based 

organization through our Flight Plan and business planning processes, and this is managed by a 

team focused on keeping costs down. 

Travel is Up

The FAA is working to provide 

better service to the aviation 

industry, which is going 

through a difficult period of 

economic turbulence. Travel 

is up, and projected 

passenger growth is expected 

to be about 10.3 percent 

higher than it was in 2000. 

But even with this resurgence 

in passenger numbers, 

fundamental restructuring is 

under way as the aviation 

industry battles bankruptcy 

challenges. 

System Enplanements

600,000

650,000

700,000

750,000

800,000

850,000

900,000

950,000

1,000,000

1,050,000

1,100,000

200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017

Fiscal Year

Enplanements (000)

C

2005-2006: 0.3%

2006-2007: 3.9%

2007-2017: 3.4%

Actual Forecast

Figure 1 

8 
Trust Fund and Cost Control 

The Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is funded primarily by a set of excise taxes on 

commercial airline tickets, pays most of the FAA’s expenses. The taxes that currently support the 

Trust Fund expire at the end of FY 2007. 

The decline in Trust Fund revenues is due, in large part, to changes in the aviation industry. The 

rapid growth of low cost carriers in the U.S., combined with increased price sensitivity on the part 

of business travelers, has reduced ticket prices dramatically. Over half of Trust Fund tax receipts 

come from a 7.5 percent tax on airline tickets, these lower fares (all else being equal) decrease 

Trust Fund revenue – without a corresponding decrease in FAA workload. While we expect the 

decline in inflation-adjusted yield (revenue per passenger mile) to moderate, the long-term 

outlook continues to be a gradual decrease. In addition, over the last several years, a large 

portion of commercial airline traffic has shifted to regional jets, which increases air traffic control 

workload without increasing tax revenue. Airlines continue to take more deliveries of smaller 

aircraft; by 2008, the U.S. regional jet fleet will be four times the size it was in 2000. Expected 

growth in business jets and next generation aircraft, such as very light jets, may further 

compound the problem, as these aircraft will drive additional workload without commensurate 

increases in Trust Fund revenue. Potential growth in unmanned aerial vehicles may also 

complicate future air traffic control requirements. 

The Department of Transportation and FAA are working to address the problem. In April 2005, 

The Secretary and the Administrator convened a forum of more than 150 leaders in government, 

industry, and the financial community to begin a comprehensive dialogue about the upcoming 

funding reauthorization. Since that forum, FAA has continued to reach out to our stakeholders 

and solicit input on how to structure the FAA’s funding stream beginning in FY 2008, after the 

current excise taxes expire. Our goal is a funding structure that creates a clear link between our 

revenue stream and the cost of providing services to our customers. In Spring 2006, the 

Department of Transportation will propose a new cost-based financing system for the FAA. A 

stable, cost-based revenue stream can ensure funding for operation and capital needs, provide 

incentives to customers to use resources efficiently, and provide incentives to the FAA to operate 

efficiently and control costs.

The FAA is already becoming more efficient through our cost control efforts. Our financial and 

cost accounting systems are producing results, and we’ve already achieved success at cutting 

costs. In another cost-saving move, we contracted out the network of automated flight service 

stations, which will save the taxpayer more than $2.2 billion. We will also continue the cost 

control efforts begun in 2005 that require each organization to develop and implement at least 

one cost efficiency each year. But cost cutting alone will not enable us to close the existing gap 

between the revenue stream into the Trust Fund and FAA costs. Clearly our largest cost driver is 

our labor costs. Although we’ve made good strides in boosting productivity, reducing layers in 

our organization, and bringing a more disciplined process to drafting our labor agreements, our 

salary and benefit costs steadily outpace our cost savings. In addition to cost control initiatives, 

the agency has also implemented increased oversight of procurements including a requirement 

that the Chief Financial Officer approve any procurements, request costing $10 million or more. 

As the FAA reexamines its financial structure, we are examining all of our expenses, including our 

labor costs, because cost control is a necessary part of responsible financial management. 

9 
INCREASED SAFETY 

The FAA’s priority is to improve safety, and the FY 2007 budget reflects the agency’s steadfast 

commitment to this goal. Safety is not only a top public interest priority; it is also an economic 

necessity. People fly only if they feel safe. They must trust the system and their trust must be 

upheld. Although commercial aviation is in the safest three-year period in transportation history, 

safety requires more than no accidents. We’ve taken the taxpayer’s investment in the FAA and 

translated it into a model for safety. 

Out of a total request of $13.8 billion, about 

70 percent, or $9.6 billion, will contribute to 

our efforts to improve our already historic 

safety record. This includes further progress in 

reducing commercial and general aviation 

fatality accidents, the numbers of runway 

incursions, and HAZMAT incidents. It also 

includes our commitment to prevent 

commercial space launch accidents. Our 

overarching goal is to measure and achieve 

the lowest possible accident rate, while 

constantly improving safety. 

Safety Oversight

In order to increase aviation safety oversight commensurate with expanding activity and the 

introduction of new aviation equipment and business practices, the budget requests $18.5 million 

for additional staff and technical training. Within this total, $8.0 million is requested to add 116 

aviation safety inspectors to strengthen our safety oversight of the aviation industry. The 

request also includes $3.1 million and 32 additional positions for the Air Traffic Safety Oversight 

office - a recently established office under the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety with 

the responsibility for providing an independent safety oversight and review of the ATO's 

operations. The request also includes increases to support the introduction of unmanned aerial 

systems into the commercial aviation system (+$916K and 12 staff), increased surveillance of 

compliance by aviation personnel with drug and alcohol restrictions (+$487K and +6 staff), and 

promote safety management and international safety (+$1.1 million and +14 staff). 

Controller Retirements and Hiring 

In addition, we’re especially hard at work with air traffic control. In December 2004, the Agency 

submitted our Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan to Congress. We are currently updating the 

Plan, which will be released during the second quarter of FY 2006. This plan provides a 

comprehensive 10-year strategy to make sure we have the right number of controllers in place at 

the right time to address the controller retirement bubble. In 2007, we plan to hire 1,136 

controllers, which is offset by an estimated loss of 1,005 for a net gain of 132 controllers. Our 

funding request of $18.6 million is consistent with the 10-year plan and will enable us to meet 

the future needs of the national airspace system. 

10 
NAS PLAN Hand-Off 

The National Airspace System (NAS) continues to grow in size and complexity as new systems 

are procured and fielded. In 1998 the NAS had 38,209 operational facilities. As of 

December 31, 2005 there were 41,099 facilities, an increase of 2,890 operational facilities, 

averaging growth of 412 systems per year. 

The NAS Plan Handoff program request is a direct result of F&E acquisition programs fielding 

systems as they become operational, and varies each year depending on the number of systems 

being deployed. These newly fielded systems impact the Operations Appropriation, which is 

required to pick up the additional operational and maintenance expenses. Many of the items in 

the NAS Handoff request are first generation systems for which there is no existing funding in the 

FAA’s base. This year’s request for $93.9 million provides funding to train FAA’s maintenance 

staff, as well as cover the loss of second level engineering, telecommunications, infrastructure, 

and logistics level support requirements. 

Commercial Space Transportation

The FAA requests $12 million to maintain our record of zero commercial space accidents. In 

FY 2007, we expect to conduct five inspections of licensed launch and reentry sites and ten 

inspections of launch and reentry operations. 

Challenges Remain 

Despite these tremendous successes, there are safety areas that still present considerable 

challenges. In 2005 we were slightly below the annual performance target on the overall 

number of general aviation accidents. We’ve set aggressive targets for the general aviation 

community and ourselves in this area. We exceeded the FY 2005 target for accidents by 7 (350 

fatal accidents (preliminary) versus the target of 343). Our target for FY 2007 is 331, and to 

achieve this we still need to improve our performance. Our on-going and collaborative efforts 

with the general aviation community through the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee are 

focused on improving safety awareness and training. 

FAA continues to work hard to reduce operational errors made by controllers when directing 

aircraft. As a result, the ATO has implemented a number of initiatives focused on education and 

training of our tower controllers, pilot and vehicle operators, and process improvement for facility 

operations. Our goal is to have our front-line managers and staff more engaged in monitoring 

safety and quality, and collecting more data to quickly identify trends. We want to reduce these 

errors and believe that taking these steps will improve our performance. 

MOBILITY 

While safety is our primary concern, our mission includes expanding capacity throughout the 

aviation system -- both in the air and on the ground. The FY 2007 budget requests $3.1 billion to 

expand capacity and improve mobility. This request supports expansion of capacity on the 

ground with new runways, as well as the continued deployment of new technologies for 

increasing the efficiency of the existing system. 

11 
Beginning in FY 2005, FAA worked with our industry and government partners to deliver two key 

technologies: Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (DRVSM) and Advanced 

Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP). DRVSM alone, by increasing en route capacity 

and the ability to avoid severe weather, is expected to result in savings for the airlines that could 

reach $5 billion through 2016. These two technologies helped operators participate in reduced 

separation standards. This will allow them to fly more aircraft in a given airspace and the most 

fuel-efficient routes—safely. 

The Next Generation Air Transportation System 

In 2003, President Bush and Congress took the first critical steps towards transformation of the 

Air Transportation System with the enactment of VISION 100 which mandated a multigovernment agency and formally created the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) to 

manage and coordinate the development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System 

(NGATS). The overarching vision was for a system that addresses critical safety and economic 

needs in civil aviation, while fully integrating environmental impact, national defense and 

homeland security improvements – and in a coordinated, cost-effective manner that avoids 

duplication of effort. The interagency efforts involves the White House Office of Science and 

Technology Policy, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of 

Commerce, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the FAA. 

Our FY 2007 request for JPDO is for $18.1 million for the Joint Planning and Development Office 

supports critical system engineering and planning efforts for the NGATS. 

The new NGATS integrated National Plan is a roadmap that will leverage federal funds and define 

major systems decisions across agencies in the coming years. For the FAA, the Plan will drive 

numerous ongoing discussions, including: 

• The size, role, and training needs of our workforce; 

• The number of facilities maintained by the FAA; 

• The transition from ground-based to satellite-based systems; and, 

• The redesign of airspace. 

The FY 2007 budget request is the right place to establish these priorities. We are requesting 

funding that will maintain the integrity of existing services while taking a meaningful step toward 

the future. 

Overseeing the world’s largest, most complex aviation system, FAA sets the standard for 

implementing advanced information technology. NGATS will replace antiquated radars and 

replace outmoded technology with advanced systems such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance 

- Broadcast (ADS-B). The budget provides an initial investment of $80 million for this 

revolutionary technology. ADS-B provides: 

• Automatic broadcast of aircraft position, altitude, velocity, and other data; 

• Enhanced “visibility” of aircraft and airport vehicle traffic for pilots and air traffic 

controllers; and, 

• Improved use of Global Positioning Systems; allowing us to reduce our reliance on 

ground-based infrastructure. 

12 
The budget also includes $24 million to begin developing System Wide Information Management 

(SWIM) capabilities that will make possible advanced information distribution and sharing 

capabilities. Every year, FAA builds applications for air traffic management systems that require 

unique interfaces between the new application and existing systems. SWIM will replace those 

unique interfaces with a reusable interface. SWIM provides a number of operational benefits, 

such as: 

• Common situational awareness across the air traffic system and among federal agencies; 

• Standardized information security implementation; and, 

• Reduced costs for developing new applications. 

New Runways Being Commissioned 

In 2006, FAA will commission four new runways, adding greater capacity at some of our busiest 

airports, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Lambert-St. Louis, and 

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta. In FY 2007, a new runway at Boston Logan is scheduled to open. 

Enroute Automation Modernization

The FY 2007 budget also includes $375.7 million to continue the Enroute Automation 

Modernization initiative (ERAM). This is a critical program that replaces obsolete hardware and 

software of the main host computer system that is the backbone of enroute air traffic operations. 

The most significant ERAM benefits are improved efficiency, capacity, and safety by providing 

controllers with newer, faster, and more capable technology to manage the continuing growth in 

air traffic. The modern en route automation system will also accommodate the development of 

functions that are expected to provide significant savings to users through more fuel efficient 

routes, reduced flight times and delays, and increased controller productivity. 

Airport Improvement Program 

The FY 2007 budget request includes $2.75 billion for the Grants-in-Aid for Airports program. 

This is a lower funding level than we’ve seen in recent years, and reflects a strategy of funding 

operations and safety programs as a first priority. The FAA will be able to reach all high priority 

safety, capacity, and security projects at the requested funding level. Funding also includes $75 

million for administrative expenses, and $17.9 million for airport technology research. To put the 

FY 2007 request in perspective, the FY 2000 AIP appropriated level was $1.9 billion. The 

FY 2007 request of $2.75 billion represents about a 45 percent increase over the FY 2000 

amount. 

GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY 

Today, the FAA has operational responsibility for about half of the world’s air traffic. We certify 

nearly three-quarters of the world’s large jet aircraft. We have provided assistance to more than 

100 countries to help them to improve their aviation systems. Safety may be our most important 

export. Even so, we still must become even more globally focused to ensure that U.S. citizens 

13 
can travel safely around the world. We also must continue to be a catalyst for the harmonized 

implementation of safety and capacity enhancing technology around the world. The FY 2007 

budget requests $35.5 million to support international leadership and global connectivity. 

Roadmap for Safety

It is clear that the FAA’s role in advancing the international leadership of the United States in 

aviation goes well beyond the borders of the Far East and Latin America. The numbers and the 

activity point to the need for a globally regulated sky, and we are working to shape that destiny. 

Based on our long history with Europe we are working together to identify the next generation of 

air traffic management technologies and practices. The agency believes that together we can 

create a roadmap for the global community. To give us the tools that we need, we are working to 

negotiate and sign Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements with key countries around the world. 

These agreements benefit everyone -- passengers, the Agency, and the aviation industry. Also, 

through our efforts with other International Civil Aviation Organization members, we will continue 

to develop and implement global safety and certification standards in order to improve efficiency 

and trade. 

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

As we increase capacity, we’ve been careful to ensure environmental responsibility. The FY 2007 

budget requests $391.2 million to support environmental stewardship for noise mitigation, fuel 

efficiency enhancements, and a comprehensive approach to addressing both noise and 

emissions. 

SECURITY 

While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security 

now has primary responsibility for transportation security, the FAA still retains responsibility for 

the security of its personnel, facilities, equipment and data. FAA provides financial and other 

assistance to help airports meet security requirements. Security projects required by statute or 

regulation carry the highest priority for AIP funding. The agency works closely with TSA and 

other federal agencies to support aviation security, transportation security, and other national 

security matters. 

FAA insures the operability of the national airspace system through the facilities, equipment, and 

personnel of the air traffic control system, which is essential to the rapid recovery of 

transportation services in the event of a national crisis. The budget request includes $173 million 

to continue upgrading and accrediting facilities, procure and implement additional security 

systems, and upgrade Command and Control Communications equipment to meet the increased 

national security demands since the September 11th attacks. 

14 
ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 

To fulfill our mission the FAA must become a world-class organization. The agency is committed 

to finding and eliminating barriers to equity and opportunity. We believe that fairness and 

diversity fortify our strength. Furthermore, we must give our staff the tools and resources they 

need to overcome the challenges we face and to become more accountable and cost efficient. In 

turn, our employee compensation and salary increases are becoming performance-based, 

allowing the agency to pay for results and reward success. 

In simple terms, our objectives are to: strategically manage our human capital, improve our 

financial performance, and to control costs while delivering quality customer service. The FY 2007 

budget requests $437 million for organizational excellence initiatives. 

Flight Plan 2006-2010

One of the major reasons we are confident in our stewardship of the FAA is our Flight Plan. The 

Flight Plan is FAA’s rolling five-year strategic plan that we first undertook in 2004. As scheduled, 

we updated it last fall, with input from our stakeholders. The Flight Plan is organized around the 

agency’s primary goals: Increased Safety, Greater Capacity, Increased U.S. International 

Leadership, and Organizational Excellence. It is our blueprint for managing the agency. It serves 

to focus our efforts on what is most important to our stakeholders. 

The plan has made the FAA more businesslike, more performance-based, more customercentered, and more accountable. It’s dynamic, adaptable, and cost-driven. Most “strategic plans” 

are distinguished only by their place on a dusty bookshelf. Our Flight Plan is costed out and 

contains specific measures and targets that we track monthly at the most senior levels. It has 

become our marching orders toward success. We have set a goal toward becoming more 

accountable to the taxpayer, and we work hard every day to reach it. 

Monthly Reviews Track Progress

As part of our Flight Plan, each FAA organization now has its own individual business plan. Each 

of these plans is linked to the Flight Plan, costed out, and tied to the budget. FAA works on what 

the customers need, and does not take on tasks we can’t afford. The agency’s business plan 

goals have been built into a performance-based tracking system that are posted to the FAA 

website each quarter. It lists each of the goals, performance targets, who’s responsible, and the 

status of each. Using this data, the senior management team conducts a monthly review of our 

performance. When used with other cost and performance data, the Flight Plan information lets 

us see, clearly and precisely, the effectiveness of a program across the entire agency. With this 

perspective, the agency is able to capitalize on successful strategies corporately. 

Financial Management

In support of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA), we’re making significant strides in 

improving our financial management. Over the past several years, we have made significant 

progress in making cost control a priority throughout FAA. We have implemented information 

tools and processes to manage costs and productivity. We implemented Delphi and a new cost 

15 
accounting system. Last year marked our fifth year to receive a clean audit from the Department 

of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General. 

Our business and budget planning activities are more closely aligned than ever, and they both 

include explicit cost savings initiatives. Each organization must include at least one cost reduction 

activity in its annual business plan, which is then reviewed by the management board monthly for 

progress. These identified cost savings and avoidance initiatives are integral to FAA’s strategy to 

absorb unavoidable adjustments. 

Ongoing improvements in financial performance will focus on providing more timely and accurate 

financial information used by management to inform decision-making and drive improved results 

in FAA operations. Planned business process improvements will focus on quicker capitalization of 

our projects, streamlined processes for managing agency reimbursable agreements, and training 

and improvement efforts to reduce financial data quality problems. 

In particular, the FAA is planning to improve the utilization of information from DELPHI, our 

financial management system. DELPHI gives the FAA more accurate financial data and allows the 

agency to better manage its spending on operations as well as capital investments in assets that 

will ensure the safety of the airways. To improve operational efficiency in accounting operations, 

imaging capability for invoices will be added to the DELPHI system for fast and efficient payment 

processing. Enhancement to the DELPHI system will include the addition of commitment 

accounting to improve the quality of budget execution throughout the agency. 

Each year, the FAA procures more than $1.3 billion in contract services. The newly created 

Office of Financial Controls will implement increased controls over agency procurements. It will 

ensure that funding used for contract services reflect wise investments, duplication of effort is 

avoided, and excessive labor rate are not included in contracts. Any procurement request 

resulting in contract award of increase in the scope of an existing contract, where the total value 

of the contract or added work exceeds $10 million, will be thoroughly reviewed by the Office of 

Financial Controls before it is signed. The office will also lead the development of line of 

business-specific cost control/efficiency initiatives. 

HSPD-12 

In support of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12), FAA will procure the 

necessary infrastructure and services to begin issuing IDs that meet the control objectives of the 

Directive for all FAA and contract employees in accordance with the agency’s ID Media Program. 

This includes, but is not limited to a card management and authentication systems and 

associated licenses. 

16 
APPENDIX 

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION BUDGET 

(Dollars In Millions) 

2005 

 Actual 

2006 

 Enacted 

2007 

 Request 

Operations 7,707 8,104 8,366 

Facilities & Equipment 2,525 2,555 2,503 

Research, Engineering, and 

Development 

130 137 130 

Airport Grants (Ob Lim) 3,472 3,515 2,750 

Airport Grants (Other Budget Authority 

((Hurricane Relief) 25 0 0 

TOTAL 13,859 14,310 13,749 

* rounding

Table 3

SUMMARY OF FAA FY 2007 INCREASES AND DECREASES

(Dollars In Millions) 

Operations 

Facilities & 

Equipment 

Research, 

Engineering 

& Dev. 

Airport 

Grants 

(Ob Lim) Total 

FY 2006 Base 8,104 2,555 137 3,515 14,310 

Pay Inflation 

Adjustments 228 16 1 2 247 

Non-Pay Inflation 

Adjustments 46 4 0 0 50 

Annualization of 

FY 2006 Initiatives 30 3 0 1 34 

Non-recurring 

Costs or Savings -219 0 0 0 -219 

Base Reengineering, 

Reductions or 

Adjustments 137 -75 -8 -770 -716 

FY 2007 Current 

Services Levels 8,325 2,503 130 2,748 13,706 

Program 

Initiatives 41 0 0 2 43 

FY 2007 Request 8,366 2,503 130 2,750 13,749 

Table 4

17 
APPENDIX 

Airport and Airway Trust Fund 

Section 9502 of Title 26, U.S. Code, provides for amounts equivalent to the funds received in the 

Treasury for the passenger ticket tax and certain other taxes paid by airport and airway users to 

be transferred to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. In turn, appropriations are authorized from 

this fund to meet the obligations for airport improvement grants, facilities and equipment, 

research, engineering and development, a portion of operations, payment to air carriers and the 

Bureau of Transportation Statistics Office of Airline Information. 

Status of Funds (in millions of dollars) 

FY 2005 

Actual 

FY 2006 

Estimate 

FY 2007 

Identification code: 20-8103-0-7-402 Request 

Balance, start of year: 

0100 Uninvested balance.................................................. 11,669 11,290 10,199

0199 Total balance, start of year....................................... 11,669 11,290 10,199

Cash Income during the year: 

Current law: 

Receipts 

1280 Aviation excise taxes [021-00-810310-0] ................... 10,314 10,651 11,341

Offsetting receipts (intragovernmental): 

1200 Interest: Airport and airway trust fund [021-00-

810320-0]...............................................................

429 438 446

Offsetting collections: 

1281 Grants-in-aid for airports [021-12-8106-0] ................. 1 1 1

1282 Facilities and equipment [021-12-8107-0] .................. 84 135 193

1283 Research, engineering and development(021-12-8108-

0) ..........................................................................

2 16 16

1299 Income under present law........................................ 10,830 11,241 11,997

3299 Total cash income ................................................... 10,830 11,241 11,997

Cash outgo during year: 

Current law 

4500 Payments to air carriers [021-12-8304-0].................. -53 -55 -24

4501 Trust fund share of FAA operations [021-12-8104-0] .. -4,883 -5,490 -5,445

4502 Grants-in-aid for airports [021-12-8106-0] ................. -3,531 -3,799 -3,706

4503 Facilities and equipment [021-12-8107-0] ................. -2,600 -2,802 -2,806

4504 Research, engineering and development [021-12-8108-

0]...........................................................................

-142 -186 -186

4599 Outgo under current law (-)...................................... -11,209 -12,332 -12,167

6599 Total Cash outgo (-)................................................ -11,209 12,332 12,167

Unexpended balance, end of year: 

8799 Total balance, end of year........................................ 11,290 10,199 10,029

Commitments against unexpended balance, end of 

year 

9801 Obligated balance (-) ............................................... -7,974 -

7,564 

-6,398

9802 Unobligated balance (-)............................................ -1,376 -913 -925

Total commitments .................................................. -9,350 -8,477 -7,323

Uncommitted Balance, end of year............................ 1,940 1,722 2,706

Figure 5

18 
APPENDIX 

Employment 

PERSONNEL RESOURCE -- SUMMARY 

TOTAL FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 

ACTUAL ENACTED REQUEST 

DIRECT FUNDED BY APPROPRIATION 

Operations 41,593 40,580 40,836 

Facilities & Equipment 2,792 2,884 2,884 

Research, Engineering & Development 260 298 298 

Grants-in-Aid for Airports 497 534 554 

Aviation Insurance Revolving Fund 5 5 5 

SUBTOTAL, DIRECT FUNDED 45,147 44,301 44,577 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 

REIMBURSEMENTS/ALLOCATIONS ACTUAL ENACTED REQUEST 

Operations 103 120 120 

Facilities & Equipment 48 55 55 

Grants-in-Aid for Airports 3 4 4 

Administrative Services Franchise Fund 1,220 1,220 1,397 

SUBTOTAL, REIMBURSE./ALLOC. 1,374 1,399 1,576 

GRAND TOTAL FTEs 46,521 45,700 46,153 

Table 5 

19 
APPENDIX 

FY 2007 BUDGET REQUEST BY APPROPRIATION 

 Federal Aviation Administration 

 Appropriations, Obligation Limitations, and Exempt Obligations 

 ($000) 

 APPROPRIATION/PROGRAM 

ACTIVITY FY 2005 ACTUAL FY 2006 ENACTED FY 2007 REQUEST 

 ($000) FTEs ($000) FTEs ($000) FTEs 

Operations 

Air Traffic Organization 6,354,349 32,605 6,698,258 31,419 6,704,223 31,550

Aviation Safety 903,281 6,425 948,957 6,416 981,668 6,547

Commercial Space Transportation 11,511 52 11,641 59 11,985 59

Financial Services 50,245 100 50,473 132 94,708 145

Human Resource Management 68,116 496 69,244 532 87,850 610

Region and Center Operations 147,476 854 149,237 917 272,821 802

Information Services 35,663 88 35,751 92 36,779 95

Administrator 4,099 28 4,175 28 4,321 28

Civil Rights 8,747 71 8,935 79 9,300 79

Government and Industry Affairs 1,256 11 1,373 12 1,426 12

Communications 4,147 31 4,235 34 6,226 40

Chief Counsel 35,936 239 36,638 252 38,435 255

Policy Planning and Environment 11,449 79 11,784 84 13,435 84

International 12,780 68 13,957 69 14,995 70

Security and Hazardous Materials 57,482 446 59,483 455 87,503 460

Total, Operations 7,706,537 41,593 8,104,141 40,580 8,365,675 40,836

 

Facilities and Equipment 2,524,780 2,792 2,555,200 2,884 2,503,000 2,884

 

Research, Engineering and 

Development 129,880 260 136,620 298 130,000 298

 

Grants-in-Aid for Airports (Ob 

Lim) 3,472,000 497 3,514,500 534 2,750,000 554

Aviation Insurance Revolving 

Fund 5 5 5

Total, FAA 13,833,197 45,147 14,310,461 44,301 13,748,675 44,577

 

Table 6

20