FAA Flight Plan Charting the Path for the Next Generation

2007-2011
WE ARE THE FAA. We are 44,000 people 

whose Mission is to provide the safest, most 

efficient aerospace system in the world.

This is our corporate strategy, our report card, and our plan for moving forward.
Photo by Jon Ross, FAA
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 7

Increased Safety 13

Greater Capacity 23

International Leadership 33

Organizational Excellence 41

Acronym Definition 52
Moving 

America safely. 

It’s what we do.

© Chris Daniels/CORBIS
OUR VISION We continue to improve the safety and efficiency of flight.

We are responsive to our customers.

We are accountable to the public.

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

● Quality Is Our Trademark. We serve our country, our customers, 

and each other.

● Integrity Is Our Character. We do the right thing, even when no one 

is looking.

● People Are Our Strength. We treat people as we want to be treated.
Safety...wherever you go.

© Chase Jarvis/CORBIS
© Royalty-Free/Corbis
7

T he United States sets the pace for aviation. When it comes to performance,

we lead the way. This fourth edition

of the Flight Plan is a report card of how

we got there.

Our safety record is unparalleled in the history of transportation. We’ve achieved it by

systematically identifying, analyzing and

addressing each facet. The results are without issue. Travel aboard a commercial jet is

so safe that the odds of an accident are

described by a fraction of a decimal. 

We’ve never been content to accept the status quo and we’re still focused on making it

better. We’ve trained our sights on the year

2025 ... 19 years away. The demand for air

travel could triple by that time, and the

need to fly safely and on time will not

change. But to reach that place, we’ve got

to begin laying the foundation now. We are.

It’s called NextGen. 

The Flight Plan is the roadmap that leads

us there. It’s especially important because

even though our system remains safe,

events like the Comair 5191 accident point

to the need for continuous improvement.

Indeed, before that crash, a record 2.7 billion

passengers flew aboard commercial jets

without an onboard fatality. That’s nine

times the population of this country. Our

commitment to continuously improve that

track record is unwavering. 

We’re confident we’ll get there. When we

launched the Flight Plan three years ago,

we asked our employees and stakeholders

to make sure we were on the right track.

They did, and we listened. This broad buyin has made a significant difference in our

bottom line results. In 2003, the FAA met 75

percent of its annual performance goals. In

2006, we met 90 percent. Still, each year,

we take a fresh look at ourselves and ask

our employees and stakeholders the same

questions: Are we providing taxpayers with

a return on the investment they make in us?

And how can we do better?

What follows is a summary of major accomplishments over the last three years. Call it a

report to the shareholders.

GENERAL AVIATION AND ALASKA ACCIDENTS ●

Our collaboration on training and education initiatives with the general aviation

community is paying off. In 2006, we’re at

the lowest accident levels ever. 

CREATION OF THE AIR TRAFFIC ORGANIZATION ●

The biggest step toward becoming a customer focused, cost-driven organization

came with the reorganization of the FAA’s

largest line of business, air traffic services,

in 2004. 

MAJOR ACQUISITIONS ON SCHEDULE AND ON

BUDGET ● In FY 2004, for the first time, the

FAA met its annual major acquisitions

goal—91 percent of major acquisitions

INTRODUCTION

Taking Stock of Where We Are Today.
were on schedule and within 10 percent of

budget. We had repeat performances in FY

2005 and 2006. In FY 2006, 100 percent of

our critical acquisitions were within 10 

percent of budget and 97.4 percent were

on schedule.

OFF OF GAO’S HIGH RISK LIST ● Our financial

management was designated by the

Government Accountability Office as a high

risk in 1999. Through our commitment and

progress in implementing new financial

management systems, we were removed in

January 2005. 

SIX NEW RUNWAYS ● Since October 2003, we

have commissioned six runways – all on

schedule. These six runways provide

52,000 feet, or over 9.8 miles, of new concrete. This in turn provides the capability to

accommodate 1,025,000 additional operations per year. 

ON-TIME ARRIVAL PERFORMANCE ● For two

years, we’ve met or exceeded our targets

for on-time arrivals and operational availability. While we cannot control the

weather, we have collaborated with our

stakeholders to develop tools that better

manage the impact it has on the system

and help keep traffic moving. In addition,

we’ve ensured consistently high levels of

operational availability of the facilities and

equipment (such as radars and communications systems) necessary to provide service

to our customers.

THE FINAL FRONTIER ● In the three years

since 2003, there have been no fatalities to

the public during commercial space launch

and reentry activities. In addition, on June

21, 2004, test pilot Mike Melvill successfully

flew SpaceShipOne, the world’s first commercial manned space vehicle. The flight

culminated years of work by the FAA with

the Scaled Composites Company to make

the trip possible. 

EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RESPONSE ● Katrina

and the hurricanes of 2005 tested our ability

to respond to emergency and disaster. After

Katrina wreaked its havoc on the Gulf Coast,

dozens of FAA employees had the system

back on-line—within 48 hours—long

before anyone expected it could be done. 

ASSISTANCE AROUND THE WORLD ● Since 2004,

the FAA has provided technical assistance

and training to over 76 countries around

the globe. 

8

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

© Vincent Laforet/Pool/Reuters/Corbis
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS ● In FY 2005,

the FAA issued the first experimental airworthiness certificate for a civilian unmanned

aircraft operating in the national airspace

system—the General Atomics ALTAIR. 

FLIGHT SERVICE CONTRACT ● In October 2005,

we completed the largest non-military, federal outsourcing competition in history. The

nation’s network of automated flight service

stations, which provide weather guidance

and aeronautical information to pilots of

small airplanes, will be reduced from 58 to

20. We will see the first installment of cost

savings—$66 million—in 2007. The initiative is expected to save $2.2 billion over

the life of the program.

RUNWAY SAFETY ● We’ve reduced the most

serious types of runway incursions each

year since 2003. From 2003 to 2006, we

met our goal by improving 159 runway

safety areas—portions of ground at the

ends of runways that give planes extra

room to stop.

REDUCED VERTICAL SEPARATIONS ● Working with

the aviation industry, and the governments

of Canada and Mexico, we implemented

Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation

Minimum—DRVSM—on January 20, 2005.

By decreasing the required minimum vertical

distance between aircraft, reduced vertical

separation allows more aircraft to fly in a

given airspace, greatly increasing the total

number of aircraft that can fly safely at one

time. DRVSM is expected to save more than

$5 billion in fuel costs for air carriers

through 2016. 

10-YEAR CONTROLLER HIRING PLAN ● On

December 21, 2004, we sent to Congress a

plan to hire 12,500 new controllers over

the next 10 years to replace the large number of controllers expected to retire during

that time. We’re on track and in 2006 we

increased our controller ranks to over 14,670.

9

“LIKE A BUSINESS”

The FAA’s business is safety. To achieve the FAA’s mission to provide the safest, most

efficient aerospace system in the world, we have to get the most value from every

dollar we spend. One of the ways to do that is to provide customer-focused services

and higher value at a lower unit cost to ensure that more money is available to

acquire new technologies, enhance existing safety programs, and cover essential

operating and capital costs targeted at improving safety. By prioritizing resources and

being accountable, we keep a razor sharp focus on the most important safety areas

and on the development of innovative technologies that improve aviation safety now

and in the future.

Our safety results speak for themselves—a phenomenally low commercial fatal accident rate, reduced fatal accidents in general aviation and Alaska, and an impeccable

safety record in commercial space transportation. 
© Jim Sugar/CORBIS
11

Our Flight Plan sets the course toward

the future and sets our compass to

make sure we’re ready when we get

there. It sets specific, measurable performance targets to achieve our goals, with all

our activities aligned. These are the steps

that chart our path to the Next Generation

Air Transportation System (NextGen).

This is the fourth edition of the Flight Plan,

reflecting both continuity and change. One

major change this year is to strengthen 

our focus on reducing congestion, both 

at airports and in the skies, as part of a

Department of Transportation initiative

launched in May 2006. Bottom line: Our

charge is to reduce aviation congestion and

manage the growth of the system, without

compromising safety. 

A major step in reducing congestion is to

expand our support for NextGen. Congress

chartered the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) to develop a blueprint

for the aviation system of 2025—and more

importantly—a plan to get there. The next

generation system recognizes that air traffic

demand will double to triple over the next

20 years. It anticipates handling new aircraft

types, ranging from low-orbit spacecraft

such as SpaceShipOne, to tilt-rotor aircraft,

to very light jets being used as air taxis and

unmanned aircraft, and all must have room

to fly. 

The long and short of it is that the FAA

needs to transform the system to avert gridlock in the sky and on the ground.

NextGen takes care of both.

Through the NextGen plan, we’re developing a roadmap of new technologies and

procedures such as Required Navigation

Performance (RNP) and Automatic Dependent

Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) that will

transform the National Airspace System (NAS)

over the next two decades. We also can

more effectively use the largely untapped

capabilities of more than 2,800 small airports throughout the nation. 

This Flight Plan features several major initiatives that support NextGen. As you go

through our plan this year, look for the

NextGen symbol— —which signifies a

NextGen initiative. 

CHARTING THE PATH TO TOMORROW

The Next Generation Air Transportation System takes wing.
© David Samuel Robbins/CORBIS
Over the last three years, the accident

trends in both commercial and general aviation have been at all-time

lows. Commercial space transportation has

never had a fatality, injury, or any significant property damage to the public. This

Flight Plan continues our commitment to

reduce commercial and general aviation

fatal accidents. We strive to cut runway

incursions, operational errors, and hazardous materials incidents. We continue to

strive toward a three-year rolling average

for our commercial airline fatal accident

rate of 0.010 fatal accidents per 100,000

departures or below. 

We have set the highest safety standards in

the history of aviation. Even so, our goal

is—as always—to continue to improve 

aviation safety. We address our operational

vulnerabilities to reduce risk. We work to

improve airport infrastructure, safety management systems awareness, runway safety

training, and new procedures. 

One major key to our successful safety efforts

is cooperation among our stakeholders. We

constantly work with our stakeholder groups

to meet our safety goal. Each group helps us

with technology, communications, and its own

unique expertise. In our responsibility for

safety oversight, we work with them to establish their own safety management systems

that meet the highest standards of quality.

To help reduce runway incursions, we

deployed the Airport Surface Detection

Equipment-Model X (ASDE-X) warning 

system at five major airports. We also

strengthened the airfield paint markings

standard for taxiway centerlines at 72 large

airports to alert pilots when they are

approaching hold short lines so they won’t

inadvertently enter a runway without a

clearance. 

Our efforts also are helping controllers do

their jobs more safely, especially when it

comes to tracking and eliminating operational errors. In response to a long-standing

recommendation by the Department of

Transportation Inspector General and the

National Transportation Safety Board to

improve reports of operational errors,

we’ve added a new initiative to automate

data collection. The Traffic Analysis and

Review Program—known as “TARP”—is a

state-of-the-art traffic analysis and playback

system that will improve operational error

identification and quality assurance. We’re

putting the software in place for use next

year, with all installations complete by

2011. The high fidelity, near-real time playback feature of TARP will also support

more effective and efficient air traffic controller training. 

13

INCREASED SAFETY

Our goal is to achieve the lowest possible accident rate 

and constantly improve safety.
Three operating capabilities are key to handling the traffic demands forecast for 2025

and beyond: Navigation, Communications,

and Surveillance. We have already developed

design criteria as well as aircraft and operator

requirements for Required Navigation

Performance approaches. We published six

special RNP approaches in 2005, 28 in

2006, and set a goal of 25 each for FY 2007

and FY 2008. We will continue to develop

and implement RNP procedures to reduce

our already low airline fatal accident rate. 

The work of the Commercial Aviation

Safety Team (CAST), which includes representatives from government, industry, and

employee groups, has been instrumental in

using data to drive decisions. The team’s

disciplined and focused approach to analyzing accidents and incidents, identifying

precursors, and developing targeted implementation strategies helped to reduce the

airline fatal accident rate over 60 percent in

the last 10 years. We are also working with

this team to develop new targets to more

effectively measure performance in commercial aviation safety. 

Finally, we continue our work to expand

the growing field of commercial space

transportation. In 2006, there were seven

commercial launches. We are granting

safety approvals of commercial space launch

and reentry vehicles, safety systems,

processes, services and personnel. We met

our commercial space launch target and

continued improvement of internal processes

and partnerships with the Air Force, other

government agencies, and the commercial

space transportation industry.

14

THE SAFETY INDEX 

The Composite Safety Index was

developed as part of the FAA

Administrator’s 2005 Flight Plan. 

It is intended to be a measure of

the relative risk and performance 

of the U.S. civil aviation system.

The index is the three rolling average of yearly values for “Fatalities

per Person Departure.” The base

period of 1994-1996 was selected

as 1.00 and the index is calculated

as a ratio to the base period. As can

be seen from the chart the index

decreased in 2006 for the fourth

year in a row.

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06

RELATIVE RISK PER HOUR OF FLIGHT
Reduced General Aviation Fatal Accidents. Through efforts focused on training and education, we

reduced general aviation fatal accidents to 297 in FY 2006 compared to a not-to-exceed ceiling

of 337. That’s 15 percent less than the same time period last year. There were 102 accidents in

Alaska in FY 2006, well below our not-to-exceed ceiling of 115. 

Reduced Runway Incursions. Through September, the rate of Category A and B runway incursions—the most serious—is over 16 percent below its ceiling rate. Fewer runway incursions

caused by operational errors accounts for most of the improvement. We completed improvements

on 39 Runway Safety Areas in FY 2006 to provide a graded area of as much as 1,000 feet at the

end of runways in case of an aircraft overrun.

Required Navigation Performance Approaches. The FAA has created and implemented 28 planned

RNP approaches this year throughout the U.S. These procedures take advantage of modern flight

management systems that can use Global Positioning Systems (GPS), inertial navigation and

other sensors to precisely contain an aircraft in a narrow corridor of airspace. With RNP, airports

can add instrument approaches to avoid hazardous terrain or restricted airspace without having to

add expensive ground-based navigation aids.

New Standardized Radar Weather Phraseology. The FAA created standardized radar weather

phraseology to provide more accurate, standardized descriptions of precipitation to pilots. Now

our air traffic controllers and flight service specialists relay weather information to pilots unambiguously, reducing communications errors and thereby enhancing safety.

New Certifications. FAA certified two new Very Light Jets (VLJs), the Eclipse 500 and the Cessna

Citation Mustang, representative of a new category of aircraft for business and personal use. 

They also cost significantly less than traditional jets. FAA also certified the Adam 500 twinengine aircraft. 

Commercial Space Launches. The FAA again met its target of no fatalities, serious

injuries, or significant property damage to the uninvolved public during licensed

space launch and reentry activities.

ISO:9001 Certification. The FAA’s Aviation Safety Organization made

another step to continuously improve safety by achieving International

Organization for Standardization (ISO) registration. (See sidebar on

p.16 for more information.)

TOP INCREASED SAFETY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© Ben LÍ/CORBIS
16

OBJECTIVE 1 

Reduce the commercial airline fatal 

accident rate.

Strategy

Continue the evolution toward a performance-based National Airspace System (NAS)

by using a space-based navigation system

and onboard technologies. These improvements allow aircraft greater flexibility to

navigate airspace more safely, efficiently,

and in a more environmentally sound way

than the current ground-based navigation

system.

Initiative

● Develop and implement Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approach procedures. Through FY 2011, we will publish at

least 200 RNP approach procedures. 

Ted Hutton

Staff Specialist for Airworthiness, Aviation Safety Organization

Northwest Mountain Region

Ted, your suggestions to assess the effectiveness of our certification and inspection programs and focus on quality and compliance with safety standards are

the reasons we initiated the ISO-9001 process in the Aviation Safety Organization. The ISO program will help assess the effectiveness of our processes,

such as inspections. We owe the highest quality, integrity, and accountability

to our employees and to our stakeholders. You’re keeping us honest.

“WHAT ISO STANDS FOR AT THE FAA”

ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, but to the FAA, it stands

for “continuous improvement of safety” and “consistency.” This past year, our Aviation

Safety Organization (AVS) achieved ISO:9001 registration. AVS is the arm of FAA

that certifies and inspects existing and new aircraft for flight and develops and revises

safety regulations. We set a very high bar for all the processes that support our safety

mission. And having a systematic approach to safety that is checked and continuously

improved is one way to ensure that we’re working in the interest of millions of people

who rely on aviation day in and day out. 

ISO requires that an organization establish a quality management system (QMS) that

includes formally developed critical processes and measurement of those processes. The

AVS QMS ensures customer satisfaction, meeting customer and regulatory requirements,

audit of the system, and continuous improvement. We’ve done all of the above and the

achievement of this standard reflects our commitment to transparency and accountability.

ISO 9001 points to the importance of managing an organization that is ready for the

future and all it brings. Our ability to improve processes and better integrate policies

will only increase our ability to improve safety in the aviation industry. And that’s

what counts.
● Provide third parties the ability to design,

flight check, and implement RNP

approach procedures.

Strategy

Address safety concerns and issues, expand

cost-effective safety oversight and surveillance, and continue research into the causal

factors of accidents. 

Initiatives

● Send critical safety rules to the Office of

the Secretary of Transportation within 90

days of the planned date.

● Address the National Transportation

Safety Board’s identified safety issues. 

● Ensure that safety oversight keeps pace

with changes occurring in the aviation

environment by targeting our inspections

resources better, improving our oversight

systems, and providing training for safety

critical employees on time. 

● Maintain ISO:9001 registration to certify

that FAA’s Aviation Safety Organization

meets the same standards expected of

those we regulate in the aviation industry. 

● Continue research to identify human factors

that may contribute to accidents. Develop

and implement strategies, methods, and

technologies that reduce safety risk. 

● Identify and implement activities

designed to streamline and improve the

Notice to Airmen process. 

● Where practical, upgrade Runway Safety

Areas to meet standards. 

● Implement Safety Management Systems

for certificated airport operators.

Strategy

Promote and expand safety information

sharing efforts, including FAA-industry partnerships and data-driven safety programs

that identify, prioritize, and address risks

before they lead to accidents. 

17

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

● Promote national data sharing and analysis

programs (for example, Voluntary Aviation

Safety Information Program (VASIP), Flight

Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA),

Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP),

and Continued Operational Safety

Program (COSP)). 

● Continue implementing the Air

Transportation Oversight System. 

● Continue implementing Commercial

Aviation Safety Team (CAST) initiatives. 

● Working with CAST, develop new targets

to measure performance in commercial

aviation safety.

● Improve the safety of transporting hazardous materials by air. 

Performance Target

● Limit the three-year rolling average fatal

accident rate to 0.010 fatal accidents per

100,000 departures.

OBJECTIVE 2.

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

● Continue delivery of dependent surveillance

to key sites. Provide text and graphical

data through programs such as Automatic

Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast/Traffic

Information Service-Broadcast, and Flight

Information Service Broadcast to the cockpit through flight information services.

Increase situational awareness by improving the capabilities of small aircraft with

integrated displays, data-link, and traffic

information. 

● Develop and publish Wide Area

Augmentation System (WAAS) approaches.

In FY 2007, we will publish 300 WAAS

approaches.

Strategy 

Update and improve standard

procedures and guidelines for

general aviation operators. 

Initiatives

● Ensure that safety oversight

and regulatory compliance

keep pace with changes in the

general aviation environment. 

● Continue to implement

General Aviation Joint Steering

Committee initiatives. 

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

18
19

● Continue research to identify human factors

that may contribute to accidents. Develop

and implement strategies, methods, and

technologies that reduce safety risk. 

● Develop policies, procedures, and

approval processes to enable operation

of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). 

● Working with industry, by FY 2009,

develop and baseline a target rate for

general aviation fatal accidents to replace

the current performance measure. 

Strategy

Expand and accelerate implementing safety

and air navigation improvement programs

in Alaska.

Initiatives

● Achieve full operational capability of WAAS. 

● Expand the Capstone Program as part of

the NAS through a phased approach starting with Bethel and Southeast Alaska with

the goal of statewide implementation. 

● Continue to optimize weather camera benefits and explore alternative technologies. 

● Support the Medallion, Circle of Safety,

and Alaska Flight Service Safety programs. 

● Improve rural airports to permit 24-hour

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) access. 

● By FY 2009, establish an improved

statewide public RNP/RNAV WAAS

enabled route structure. 

Performance Targets

● By FY 2009, reduce the

number of general aviation and nonscheduled

Part 135 fatal accidents

from the 1996-1998

average of 385 per year

to no more than 319

accidents per year. This

measure will be converted from a number

to a rate after FY 2009.

The targets for FY 

2010-2011 are under development.

● By FY 2009, reduce accidents in Alaska

for general aviation and all Part 135 operations from the 2000-2002 average of 130

accidents per year to no more than 99

accidents per year. This measure will be

converted from a number to a rate after

FY 2009. The targets for FY 2010-2011 are

under development. 

OBJECTIVE 3.

Reduce the risk of runway incursions.

Strategy

Identify and reduce runway incursion 

collision risks.

FAA Photo
Initiative 

● Improve training, procedures, evaluation,

analysis, testing, and certification to

reduce the risk of runway incursions

resulting from errors by pilots, air traffic

controllers, and pedestrians, vehicle operators, tug operators, and mechanics

conducting aircraft taxi operations.

Strategy

Modify and improve existing surface movement infrastructure. 

Initiatives

● Install Airport Surface Detection

Equipment-Model X (ASDE-X) and retrofit

of ASDE-X equipment capability into

selected Airport Movement Area Safety

System (AMASS) installations. 

● Continue developing, testing, evaluating,

and deploying runway status lights at

AMASS and ASDE-X airports. 

Performance Target

● By FY 2010, limit Category A and B (most

serious) runway incursions to a rate of no

more than 0.450 per million operations,

and maintain or improve through FY 2011. 

OBJECTIVE 4.

Ensure the safety of commercial

space launches.

Strategy

Continue developing tools, guidance, and

regulations for reducing the safety risks for

commercial space launch and reentry operations, including those involving human

space flight. 

20

© The Sea Launch Limited Duration Company (LDC)
Initiatives 

● Ensure that safety oversight keeps pace

with changes in the commercial space

transportation environment. 

● Partner with National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) and Department of

Defense (DOD) to manage the integration

of emerging space transportation operations into the National Airspace System. 

● Conduct research to identify commercial

human space flight safety requirements.

Performance Target

● No fatalities, serious injuries, or significant

property damage to the uninvolved public during licensed or permitted space

launch and reentry activities.

OBJECTIVE 5. 

Enhance the safety of FAA’s air 

traffic systems.

Strategy

Identify and reduce operational error collision risks and influence their reduction.

Initiatives

● Modify evaluations to help reduce operational errors.

● Improve measurement and analysis of

safety performance by implementing

automated tools (Traffic Analysis and

Review Program) and developing

enhanced safety metrics and more efficient performance reporting processes.

● Provide pilots with safe access to the NAS

by analyzing and disseminating aeronautical and meteorological information to

pilots and controllers through innovative

systems. 

Strategy

Design, develop, and implement a Safety

Management System (SMS) that complies

with the International Civil Aviation

Organization’s (ICAO) requirements and

applies a system safety approach to the

FAA’s delivery of air traffic services. 

Initiatives 

● Implement Safety Risk Management

(SRM) using a phased approach with initial implementation focusing on targeted

NAS changes. 

● Implement SRM processes FAA-wide to

assess safety risk and to monitor effectiveness of strategies to reduce risk. 

● Improve collecting, consolidating, and

analyzing safety data to enhance reporting and assessment. 

Performance Targets

● Limit Category A and B (most serious)

operational errors to a rate of no more

than 4.27 per million activities through

FY 2008.

● By FY 2010, apply Safety Risk

Management to at least 19 significant

changes in the NAS.

21
© Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis
We must increase airport and airspace capacity to meet future

demands on our aviation system.

The number of passengers continues to

increase each year, and we continue to

work with all airspace

users to increase the

reliability and predictability of air travel.

Congestion causes

delays and delays cost

time and money. That’s

why we’re spearheading

an initiative to combat

congestion across the

entire network in concert with a Department

of Transportation effort

to reduce congestion

across all modes of

transportation. 

In this Flight Plan, we

have made cutting congestion our first capacity objective. We’re part of an interagency

effort with six cabinet-level organizations

and private industry to develop the Next

Generation Air Transportation System. The

vision of NextGen is to modernize aviation to

support greater capacity and less congestion. 

We commissioned four new runways this

year, which will significantly increase

annual operations and reduce delays. We’re

redesigning constrained airspace over New

York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and

Chicago. We’re also working to manage

congestion where adding new or expanding existing runways are not options. 

Every year, after thorough data analysis, we

update the list of metropolitan areas that

will most affect total system delays. For years,

23

GREATER CAPACITY

Our goal is to work with local governments and airspace

users to provide increased capacity in the United States 

airspace system that reduces congestion and meets projected

demand in an environmentally sound manner.

© Russell Munson/CORBIS
we’ve had eight—New York, Philadelphia,

Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington/

Baltimore, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Atlanta is now off the list. In June 2006, we

commissioned a new runway there, allowing the airport to handle 33 percent more

operations a year. In addition, we will open

a new taxiway next year to provide even

more efficiency. 

Lastly, we added a new initiative to implement environmental systems. We build and

renovate thousands of facilities to manage

and maintain the NAS infrastructure.

Incorporating environmentally friendly

design concepts allows us to keep our

commitment to build capacity while 

protecting the environment.

24

Photo by John Rodriguez
Four New Runways. The FAA commissioned four new runways this fiscal year—Minneapolis-St.

Paul on October 27, 2005; Cincinnati on December 22, 2005; St. Louis on April 13, 2006;

and Atlanta on June 8, 2006. These additional miles of concrete provide the capability to

accommodate 655,000 additional operations per year. 

The User Request Evaluation Tool. Software that enables controllers to assess new altitudes or

changes in course instantly is now up and running at all 20 air route traffic control centers in

the U.S. This technology offers air carriers significant fuel savings. In the Memphis area alone,

airlines save almost $1.5 million per month.

Reducing the Number of People Exposed to Airport Noise. The FAA seeks to ensure that at least

20,000 people a year experience reduced airport noise. Thanks to FAA regional and field

offices, we exceeded our performance target of 20,000 people this year—we reached 21,364.

Implementing Environmental Management Systems. This Administration is focusing on EMS to

integrate environmental concerns in daily operational decisions as set out in a Presidential

Executive Order. The FAA has already realized significant operating improvements as a result of

implementing EMS. The FAA Technical Center reduced air emissions fees by 90%, hazardous

waste disposal costs by $17,075, and storm water operating costs by $9,330.

On-Time Performance. For the second year in a row, we met and exceeded our goal for on-time

arrivals. Our ability to meet this target is attributed, in part, to traffic flow initiatives like the

Airspace Flow Program, which began in 2006.

TOP GREATER CAPACITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© BananaStock/Alamy
26

OBJECTIVE 1.

Increase capacity to meet projected

demand and reduce congestion.

Strategy

Meet the new and growing demands for air

transportation services through 2025

through the interagency effort of the Joint

Planning and Development Office.

Initiatives

● Expand FAA’s existing Operational

Evolution Plan to incorporate critical

NextGen operational concepts and changes,

and detailed milestones of key NAS modernization programs through 2025. 

● By FY 2010, operationally implement

Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) for air traffic services

at selected sites. 

● Strategically link funding requests with

the acquisition of research products or

services that support FAA’s transition to

NextGen. 

● Ensure that the environmental approach

for capacity expansion is compatible with

the road map developed by the

Environmental Integrated Product Team

(IPT) for NextGen. 

● Develop the Airports Integrated Product

Team road map to support NextGen. 

Strategy 

Evaluate existing airport capacity levels and

set investment and infrastructure priorities

and policies that enhance capacity.

Initiatives

● Work with the aviation community to

establish the most feasible policies to

enhance capacity and manage congestion.

● Update the Future Airport Capacity Team

(FACT) Report titled “Capacity Needs in

the National Airspace System.”

● Establish priorities for infrastructure

investments to maintain existing capacity

in a cost-effective manner.

● Support master plans for airfield improvements at the Ivanpah (Las Vegas) and San

Diego airports. 

● Ensure that all necessary activities are

accomplished to meet new OEP runway

capability commitments established in

partnership with stakeholders.

● Support environmental processing of airfield improvements at the 35 OEP

airports including projects that support

Vision 100 environmental streamlining.

Strategy

Improve airspace access and modify separation standards to increase capacity and allow

more efficient use of congested airspace.

Initiatives

● Redesign terminal airspace and change

procedures to increase capacity. 

● Implement the performance-based navigation roadmap by the continued

development and implementation of Area

Navigation (RNAV) routes, standard

instrument departures (SIDs), and standard terminal arrivals (STARs). In FY
2007, we will publish 50 RNAV SIDs and

STARs and 12 RNAV routes. 

● Using the cross-organizational Airport

Obstructions Standards Committee (AOSC),

develop recommended standards and

action plans for runway procedures, such

as end-around taxiways, and establish databases and data collection tools to improve

airport flight operations, while maintaining

an optimal balance among safety, capacity,

and efficiency considerations. 

● Conduct research to improve safety and

increase throughput using wake turbulence monitoring, operational procedures,

and controller tools. 

● Enhance NAS performance for 35 OEP

airports through advanced engineering

and program support. 

Strategy

Improve bad weather departure and landing capacity with new technologies and

procedures.

Initiatives

● Capitalize on Spring/Summer Plan data,

developed in partnership with the airlines

and other segments of aviation, to

improve traffic flow in bad weather. 

27

Photo provided courtesy of Denver International Airport
● Implement Precision Runway Monitor at

Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport to

increase arrival rates during inclement

weather.

● Increase airport capacity through the use

of Traffic Management Advisor.

● Identify and implement procedures and

technology to improve the dissemination

of weather information to pilots and controllers. 

● Develop an FAA weather index to better

quantify and improve on-time performance during good and bad weather.

Strategy 

Increase aviation capacity and reduce congestion in the seven major metropolitan

areas and corridors that most affect total

system delay. For FY 2007, those areas are:

New York, Philadelphia, South Central

Florida, Chicago, Washington/Baltimore,

Los Angeles Basin, and San Francisco Bay.

Initiatives

● Monitor and maintain scheduled progress

for Environmental Impact Statements at West

Palm Beach, South Suburban (Chicago),

Ft. Lauderdale, and Philadelphia Airports.

● Support master plans for airfield improvements at Baltimore/Washington, South Suburban (Chicago), and Philadelphia airports.

● Conduct regional studies for capacity and

congestion in the New York, New England,

and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. 

● Direct Airport Improvement Program

(AIP) funding to reduce capacity constraints of secondary and reliever airports

located within those metropolitan areas. 

● Update our projections on which metropolitan areas will have the greatest

impact on the total system for delays

over the period of the Flight Plan. 

● Redesign the airspace of the seven major

metropolitan areas. 

● Expand use of time-based metering at air

traffic control centers.

Performance Targets

● Achieve an average daily airport capacity

for the 35 OEP airports of 104,338 arrivals

and departures per day by FY 2011.

28

Chuck Dennis

Strategic Planning Branch Manager, Office of Aviation Policy, Planning, and

Environment, Washington Headquarters

You told us we need to plan better for the future and that the future is

NextGen. We’ve included a number of initiatives this year to demonstrate how

what we do over the next five years will help get us to a NextGen system.

Near-term initiatives like RNP procedure development and ADS-B implementation make it clear that the future is now.
● Commission six new runway projects,

increasing the annual service volume of

the 35 OEP airports by at least 1 percent

annually, measured as a five-year moving

average, through FY 2011.

● Sustain adjusted operational availability of

99.7 percent for the reportable facilities

that support the 35 OEP airports through

FY 2011. 

● Achieve an average daily airport capacity

for the seven major metropolitan areas of

64,060 arrivals and departures per day by

FY 2009, and maintain through FY 2011.

OBJECTIVE 2.

Increase reliability and on-time performance of scheduled carriers.

Strategy

Promote the use of automated systems that

provide more accurate and timely information for all system users.

Initiative

● Improve on-time performance and operator and passenger access to information

by using Traffic Flow Management

(TFM), Traffic Management Advisor

(TMA), and Collaborative Air Traffic

Management Technologies (CATMT),

such as Airspace Flow Programs (AFPs). 

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

29
Strategy 

Restructure airspace to ensure efficient traffic flow between oceanic and domestic

airspace.

Initiatives

● Use new equipment and technology to

reduce en-route congestion.

● Implement high-altitude airspace redesign

to reduce congestion. 

● Reduce oceanic separation in the Pacific. 

● Develop ocean capacity metrics and targets for FY 2007 and beyond, by using a

comprehensive Advanced Technologies

and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) data collection and analysis capability and

oceanic simulation and modeling capability. 

Performance Target

● Achieve a NAS on-time arrival rate of

88.76 percent at the 35 OEP airports by

FY 2011.

OBJECTIVE 3.

Address environmental issues associated with capacity enhancements.

Strategy

Develop better systems, technologies, and

analytical tools to evaluate aircraft noise

and emissions, and ensure environmental 

stewardship.

Initiatives

● Along with stakeholders, increase aircraft

noise and emissions mitigation activities at

the environmental Center of Excellence.

● Work with several airports to implement

Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) for

night operations, and initiate research

into CDA applicability to airports with

greater traffic levels, general mixed fleet,

and mixed operations. 

Standard flight paths, such as the one at

Louisville (shown in blue) involve a series of

stepped descents. New continuous decent

approach (CDA) procedures reduce noise impacts,

fuel burn, and pollutant emissions. (Adapted from

a Mike Covington illustration for The [Louisville]

Courier Journal.)

30
31

✎● Conduct research and develop, verify,

and validate analytical tools to better

understand the relationship between

noise and emissions and different types

of emissions, and to provide the cost

benefit analysis capability necessary for

data-driven decision-making. 

● Implement Environmental Management

Systems to ensure that FAA operations

protect the environment, meet statutory and

regulatory environmental requirements, and

improve reliability and cost effectiveness.

Performance Targets

● Reduce the number of people exposed to

significant noise by 1 percent each year

through FY 2011, as measured by a

three-year moving average, from the

three-year average for calendar years

2000-2002. 

● Improve aviation fuel efficiency per revenue plane-mile by 1 percent each year

through FY 2011, as measured by a

three-year moving average, from the

three-year average for calendar years

2000-2002. 

© Kevin Fleming/CORBIS
© Gregor Schuster/zefa/Corbis
T he United States has established

world leadership in aviation with the

consistent commitment to make safety

our most important export. Our daily goal

is to advance safety and efficiency around

the world—literally, anywhere Americans

fly. We’ve continued our strong support of

Presidential safety initiatives and of key

regional aviation authorities across the globe.

Aviation is a fast-paced, dynamic sector that

thrives on innovation and new concepts,

and FAA is recognized as a global leader in

implementing new procedures and technologies to improve safety and capacity

worldwide. In this role, FAA’s “reach” is 

significant. We provide technical assistance in

creating infrastructure, training, developing

safety regulations and outreach to fund 

aviation programs. In FY 2006, we provided

technical guidance and training to 66 countries and five international organizations in

all parts of the world. 

We position our FAA employees across the

globe for a variety of assignments—from

installing global positioning systems in our

closest neighbors (Canada and Mexico) to

leading the construction of air traffic management facilities (Baghdad). 

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Our goal is to increase the safety and capacity of the global

civil aerospace system in an environmentally sound manner.

FY 2006 Technical and Training Assistance Map

33
The FAA continues to support Safe Skies

for Africa, the Third Border initiative

(which promotes regulatory safety in the

Caribbean), and special rebuilding programs in Afghanistan and Iraq. We promote

U.S. aviation environmental policies with

European partners. We also support implementing Required Navigation Performance

(RNP) and Area Navigation (RNAV) technologies in Asia and the Americas. We

cooperate with bilateral and multilateral

partners in Europe and Asia to negotiate

executive agreements and implementation

procedures supporting the transfer of aviation products. During FY 2006, we opened

FAA representative offices in Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates, and New Delhi, India.

To better reflect FAA’s safety impact on other

regions, we analyzed high growth areas to

recommend proven safety enhancements

today and in the future. China was a focus

for FY 2006, and we will continue to work

with China to help maintain its already low

accident rate as it expands its commercial

fleet and services. In the future, we will use

this approach as a model for similar work in

Latin America, and elsewhere. These enhancements are the best approach to influencing

accident rates in areas that are experiencing

substantial growth in operations. 

Lastly, we’ve revised a strategy and several

initiatives to extend the reach of NextGen

into the international area. We will do this

by collaborating with key international partners to implement NextGen technologies

globally to improve aviation safety and

capacity. We will also increase harmonization of equipment and procedures through

our NextGen international partnerships and

in our work with ICAO. We supported the

ICAO Required Navigation Performance

(RNP) study group to develop the final

draft of the ICAO RNP procedures design

manual. We also continue to assist with

Performance Based Navigation (RNAV and

RNP implementation) activities in Asia,

South America, Central America, and Mexico.

FAA is proposing a cooperative agreement

with European aviation organizations to

participate in each other’s air traffic management modernization programs to harmonize

operations. These efforts are essential to

seamless operation of aircraft.

34

FAA Photo
Rebuilding Infrastructure in War-Torn Countries. With civilian volunteers and military servicemen

and women, the FAA is helping rebuild war-torn aviation systems in Iraq and Afghanistan. The

FAA is guiding efforts to rebuild airports, radars, towers, runways, and terminals. A team of

experts is also helping these countries redesign their airspace.

Raising Safety Levels. We’ve done intensive work and technical reviews of the civil aviation

authorities of Argentina, the Eastern Caribbean States, and Venezuela. As a result, each authority achieved or maintained International Aviation Safety Assessments (IASA) program Category

1 status, which means these countries have adhered to safety standards for aircraft operation

and maintenance set by ICAO.

External Funding. The FAA has secured FY 2006 funding commitments of $33 million to support international aviation infrastructure projects. This includes $25 million from the U.S.

Agency for International Development for funding aviation assistance programs in Afghanistan.

GPS-Based Technologies. The FAA met its Flight Plan goal for FY 2006 to expand Global

Positioning System-based technologies by installing two Wide Area Augmentation Systems

(WAAS) reference stations in Mexico and Canada. Both stations will help create a North

American regional WAAS capability. 

Harmonizing Safety Standards. Under the Safe Skies for Africa program, we assisted Tanzania

and Uganda in harmonizing their draft civil aviation regulations with those of Kenya. This harmonization is a critical step in meeting international safety standards regionally.

Assistance Around the Globe. This past year, the FAA helped aviation authorities in Asia, Africa

and the Americas improve and sustain their safety oversight capabilities. Among these were the

East African Community (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda), the Central America Agency for

Aviation Safety (ACSA), the Regional Safety Oversight System in the Caribbean (RASOS), and

the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC).

TOP INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© nagelestock.com/Alamy
OBJECTIVE 1.

Promote improved safety and regulatory oversight in cooperation with

bilateral, regional, and multilateral

aviation partners.

Strategy

Support the continued development of

competent authorities worldwide.

Initiatives

● Provide technical assistance and training

and strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships with key civil aviation

organizations in Asia and the Americas.

● Implement civil aviation safety programs

to support the Administration’s initiatives. 

● Support creating government-industry

partnerships to help transfer aeronautical

products, services, and technologies to

key developing regions. 

● Provide technical assistance and training

in creating at least four regional aviation

authorities or organizations capable of

meeting globally accepted safety and efficiency standards.

Strategy 

Work with key international partners to

implement safety enhancements that will

36

FAA Photo
37

improve worldwide aviation safety while

enabling the transfer of aeronautical products, technologies, and services.

Initiatives

● Establish an effective partnership with the

European Union and the European

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to ensure

the highest level of cooperation for aviation safety and an efficient exchange of

products, services, and technologies. 

● Establish coordinated safety agendas

throughout the world to improve aviation

safety.

● Negotiate and conclude bilateral agreements for safety, certification, and

approval systems that enable technology

transfer with global aviation partners. 

Strategy 

Support ICAO and other international

organization initiatives.

Initiatives

● Provide U.S. technical participation and

leadership in ICAO meetings to achieve

U.S. objectives.

● Strategically influence international aviation safety, capacity, and efficiency by

promoting FAA recommendations and

policies at key international venues. 

● Increase recruitment of qualified U.S.

technical personnel to fill positions at

ICAO.

● Reduce the number of filed U.S. differences with ICAO Standards and

Recommended Practices (SARPs) and

provide leadership in developing new

SARPs, including those associated with

the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight

Audit Program (USOAP) review of the

U.S. in FY 2008. 

● Work at ICAO to foster international environmental standards, recommended

practices, and guidance materials that are

technically feasible, economically reasonable, provide a measurable benefit and

consider interdependencies between the

various emissions and between emissions

and noise.

Strategy

Secure external funding for global safety

initiatives.

Initiative

● Increase international aviation development funding to strengthen the global

aviation infrastructure.

Michelle Cappelle

International Specialist, Office of International Aviation, 

Washington Headquarters

Michelle told us that being prepared for ICAO’s upcoming audit of the U.S.

civil aviation oversight system is important and should appear in the Flight

Plan. We agreed. We’ve highlighted the Universal Safety Oversight Audit

Program as a crucial milestone in FY 2008.
Strategy

Work with global partners and industry to

develop and implement technologies and

processes that enhance safety.

Initiative

● Seek global harmonization of fractional

ownership regulatory policy.

Performance Targets

● Work with the Chinese aviation authorities and industry to adopt 27 proven

Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST)

safety enhancements by FY 2011. This

supports China’s efforts to reduce fatal

accidents to a rate of 0.030 fatal accidents

per 100,000 departures by FY 2012. 

● Conclude at least eight (new or

expanded) bilateral safety agreements

that will facilitate an increase in the ability to exchange aviation products and

services by FY 2011.

● Secure a yearly increase in international

aviation development funding to

strengthen the global aviation infrastructure. Achieve a 100% increase of the FY

2007 baseline target of $12 million in $3

million annual increments for an FY 2011

target of $24 million. 

38

© WorldFoto/Alamy
OBJECTIVE 2. 

Promote seamless operations

around the globe in cooperation

with bilateral, regional, and multilateral aviation partners.

Strategy 

Collaborate with strategic global partners to

implement Next Generation Air

Transportation System (NextGen) performance-based systems and concepts to ensure

harmonization with corresponding international modernization efforts. 

Initiatives

● Work with the international

civil aviation community to

adopt enabling systems,

such as the Global

Navigation Satellite System

(GNSS) and Automatic

Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B), to

improve safety of flight

operations. 

● Develop and implement

capacity enhancing applications, such as Performance

Based Navigation (PBN),

embracing current operational capabilities to the

maximum extent possible. 

● Improve global interoperability and harmonization of

systems, concepts, automation tools and operational

procedures in support of

future seamless global operations. 

● Develop and implement an international

strategy to support the NextGen Global

Harmonization IPT and work with civil

aviation and interagency partners to

implement the strategy. 

Performance Target

● By FY 2011, expand the use of Next

Generation Air Transportation System

(NextGen) performance-based systems to

five priority countries. 

39

Air traffic control in the NextGen system—ADS-B—will use signals from

satellites to keep planes at a safe distance from one another, instead of

using radars on the ground as we do now. Graphic: FAA.
FAA Photo
41

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Our goal is to ensure the success of the FAA’s mission

through stronger leadership, a better-trained and safer 

workforce, enhanced cost-control measures, and improved

decision-making based on reliable data.

T he FAA’s power is its people. To

build a next generation air transportation system, we need to train

our people, provide them vision and support, and lead them in ways that gain the

most value from their efforts. We need

leaders who focus on the mission, cut

waste and duplication, collaborate to

achieve our mutual goals, and reward quality and performance. We also need leaders

committed to eliminating barriers to equal

opportunity. Fairness and diversity are

sources of our strength.

We have refined our focus on human capital

management and workforce planning in

concert with the President’s Management

Agenda. We updated our 10-year Air Traffic

Controller Workforce Plan to make sure we

have the right number of controllers in the

right places at the right time as controllers

retire. We have also completed competency

assessments for leaders and information

technology professionals, and are conducting

workforce analyses for human resource

personnel and engineers. We will analyze

other mission-critical occupations to ensure

that our Nation’s aerospace system continues

to operate safely, reliably, and efficiently.

We are controlling our costs and using

resources more efficiently to achieve our

mission and give the taxpayers a full return

on their investment. To that end, all FAA

organizations are required to develop and

track a cost control activity or a measure of

operating efficiency. We are prioritizing

Facilities and Equipment needs to modernize

the airspace system; operating, maintaining,

and training people to use these new capital

assets; and addressing Congressional and

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

concerns. We use these cost savings and

cost avoidances to absorb budget shortfalls

such as unfunded pay raises. 

A key to controlling costs will be the passage of effective programmatic and financing

reauthorization legislation in 2007. We are

working with the Administration, the Congress, and our stakeholders to seek financial reform that provides a stable source of

funding for the FAA and a means of financing

the air transportation system of the future. 

As our response to Hurricane Katrina proved,

the FAA is a leader in emergency security

and disaster response efforts. We will improve

our emergency preparedness tools to sustain essential services and provide support
for our employees in the affected areas.

This Flight Plan includes a new objective

with supporting strategies and initiatives to

respond rapidly and effectively to security

related threats and natural disasters. 

Finally, the FAA is working with the aerospace community and our schools to assure

that students have essential knowledge and

skills they will need to be successful in

tomorrow’s aviation workforce. Through

FAA’s partnerships with educational institutions, educators, and the aerospace community under the Aviation and Space

Education Outreach Program, we leverage

the FAA’s resources and expertise to help

teach aviation and related curricula.

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

42
GAO Points to the FAA as ‘Leading Edge’ in Providing Congress What It Needs for Oversight. A

GAO study found that the FAA is a model across the Federal sector for making available on its

website much of the information and analysis that Congress needs to conduct its oversight.

GAO cited the FAA’s Flight Plan, Performance and Accountability Report, business plans, and

budget documents as valuable tools to help Members of Congress and congressional staff to

conduct oversight. 

CEAR (Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting) Award. For the third year in a row,

the Association of Government Accountants has given one of its top honors to the FAA for the

agency’s 2005 Performance and Accountability Report. 

Leading the Implementation of Earned Value Management. The FAA has become a recognized

leader among civilian agencies in implementing Earned Value Management. “EVM” is a critical

management tool used to prevent, detect, report, and correct problems in acquiring major systems. We use it to assure major programs are within cost and schedule targets (both of these

are Flight Plan goals). 

Cost-Saving Initiatives:

● The FAA created a consolidated Office of Workers Compensation Programs Division and has

been migrating Regional OWCP offices to headquarters. FY 2006 cost avoidance was $7 million. 

● We cut layers of management in our Air Traffic Organization and implemented a cost

accounting system to cut wasteful spending, reduce operating costs, and better link financial

performance to mission objectives. 

● We consolidated nine accounting operations into a single Finance Center in Oklahoma City. 

● We created an Office of Financial Controls to ensure that the $1.3 billion in contract services are invested wisely, avoid duplication of effort, and do not include excessive labor rates. 

● We removed 227 obsolete and redundant navigation aids, surpassing our goal of 100 in FY 2006.

Early Dispute Resolution. In FY 2006, the FAA’s new Center for Early Dispute Resolution

received 120 requests for assistance, serving 270 employees. Clients rated different aspects 

of the process and reported an overall satisfaction rate approaching 100 percent.

Pandemic Avian Flu Planning. FAA drafted plans that will enable us to respond efficiently if a

pandemic flu event or other similar disaster occurs, while maintaining essential services for our

customers, employees, and stakeholders. This effort also improves our ability to respond to

other significant incidents or disasters.

Air Traffic Controller Hiring. The FAA hired 1,116 new controllers this fiscal year, keeping us on

target for the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Plan goal for FY 2006. 

TOP ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2006

© Thinkstock Images
44

OBJECTIVE 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,

safer, diverse workforce.

Strategy 

Use workforce planning to identify and fulfill current and future human capital needs

to meet FAA’s mission.

Initiatives

● Sustain and improve agency human capital

planning and measurement processes. 

● Implement the hiring, training, staffing analysis, and management recommendations of

the Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan to

support FAA’s safety mission and meet

external stakeholder requirements. Update

and report annually on agency progress.

Strategy

Build stronger leadership to achieve strategic goals, manage people and resources

effectively, and drive continuous improvement.

Initiatives 

● Implement corporate policies to improve

how we select managers and strengthen

probationary requirements for managers. 

● Establish corporate managerial training

programs that ensure we use resources

effectively, align with agency goals, drive

continuous improvement. 

● Establish a corporate, senior leadership

development process to build executivelevel competencies.

Strategy 

Implement corporate systems, policies, programs, and tools to build a results-oriented,

high performance workforce.

Initiatives 

● Undertake a timely and effective corporate approach to conflict management. 

● Monitor and evaluate Employee Attitude

Survey (EAS) Action Plan results. 

Strategy

Make strategic people investments and provide a professional, safe and secure work

Todd A. Smith

Air Traffic Systems Specialist, Air Traffic

Organization, Western-Pacific Region

Richard Ingham

Management & Program Analyst, Office of

Financial Services, Washington, DC Headquarters

Employees like Todd and Rich had no problem pointing out areas where the Flight Plan could 

be improved—from dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s to the aggressiveness of our performance

measures. Thanks for speaking up and making the FAA’s plan your plan.
environment to attract, acquire, and retain a

highly skilled workforce.

Initiatives

● In external recruitment efforts, implement

corporate strategies that expand the applicant pool to ensure equal opportunity to

all applicants and result in attracting high

quality candidates to the FAA.

● Establish corporate employee training

programs to build leadership competence

within the FAA workforce, support professional development, and promote

continuous learning.

● Evaluate using high fidelity simulation to

improve air traffic controller training for

local facilities.

● Integrate cockpit and tower cab simulation facilities to design and develop new

equipment, procedures, and training for

air traffic controllers. 

● Reduce workplace injuries to enhance

FAA worker safety. 

● Provide our employees with a secure

environment by identifying measures to

protect our employees, our facilities, and

our critical infrastructure.

FAA Photos

45
46

Strategy 

Improve and upgrade aviation related scientific, technical, engineering, and

mathematical skills in the emerging and

future aviation workforce.

Initiative

● Refocus and refine the Aviation and

Space Education Program to integrate

aerospace applications into existing scientific, technical, engineering and

mathematical (STEM) curricula.

Strategy

Improve labor management relations while

delivering quality service.

Initiatives

● Monitor labor relations service level

agreements to ensure the requirements of

lines of business and staff offices are met.

● Develop and provide labor relations training for agency supervisors and managers.

● Using the Grievance Electronic Tracking

System (GETS), reduce grievance processing time compared to the baseline

measure.

Performance Targets

● Increase the score of the Employee

Attitude Survey measure for the areas of

management effectiveness and accountability by at least 5 percent, over the FY

2003 baseline of 35 percent by FY 2010. 

● By FY 2011, reduce the time it takes to

fill mission-critical positions by 7 percent

(to 51 days) over the FY 2006 baseline of

55 days. 

● Reduce the total workplace injury and illness case rate to no more than 2.44 per

100 employees by the end of FY 2011,

representing a cumulative 3 percent annual

reduction from the FY 2003 baseline (3.12)

set in the Safety, Health and Return to

Employment (SHARE) Presidential Initiative.

● Reduce grievance processing time by 25

percent by FY 2010, and maintain the

reduction through FY 2011.

● Maintain the air traffic control workforce

at or up to 2% above the projected

annual totals in the Air Traffic Controller

Workforce Plan.

Photo courtesy of FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) FAA Photo
47

OBJECTIVE 2. 

Improve financial management while

delivering quality customer service.

Strategy 

Develop and implement an agency-wide

cost control and cost reduction program.

Initiatives 

● Each FAA organization will develop, track,

and report quarterly on a comprehensive

measure of its operating efficiency or

financial performance. These measures

will include:

– Cost per controlled flight

– Research, Engineering, and

Development (RE&D) Management

Staff Efficiency Measure

– Grant Administration Efficiency Measure

● Implement line of business-specific 

cost efficiency as well as agency-wide

initiatives to reduce costs or improve 

productivity. 

● Improve the overall management of 

cost-reimbursable contracts through the

Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)

audit process.

● Improve management of FAA’s real 

property assets. 

Strategy 

Improve financial performance.

Initiatives 

● Maintain and improve business processes

and systems in order to provide timely

and reliable financial information to FAA

organizations.

● Comply with the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) guidance by performing routine testing of internal controls to

improve the quality of financial information.

● Reduce improper payments. 

● Continue integrating performance information into budgetary decision-making

and presentation. 

● Improve the timeliness and accuracy of

financial transactions related to capitalization of assets, management of suspense

accounts, and reconciliation of accounts.

Strategy

Work with Congress to get new legislation

enacted that furthers accomplishment of the

FAA mission, provides stable, adequate

funding, and supports cost control and

reduction.

© Helen King/Corbis
48

Initiatives

● In partnership with the aerospace community, reform the way FAA is financed

to provide stable, adequate funding more

closely tied to FAA costs, services, and

performance.

● Develop a legislative proposal to reauthorize the FAA. 

Performance Targets

● Close out 85 percent of eligible cost reimbursable contracts during each fiscal year. 

● Organizations throughout the agency will

continue to implement cost efficiency initiatives including, but not limited to:

– 10-15% savings for strategic sourcing

for selected products and services;

– Consolidating facilities and services,

such as service areas, real property

management, and web services;

– 3% reduction in help desk operating

costs through consolidations;

– Eliminating or reducing obsolete technology; and

– $15 million reduction in Information

Technology operating costs

● Obtain an unqualified opinion on the agency’s

financial statements (Clean Audit with no

material weaknesses) each fiscal year. 

Photo by Jon Ross, FAA
49

OBJECTIVE 3. 

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

● Provide training to all current executives

and managers on using FAA cost data, as

derived from FAA’s acquisition, cost

accounting, accounting, and payroll and

personnel systems, to make management

decisions. 

● Monitor and report progress on Flight

Plan targets and initiatives and establish

the appropriate linkages and accountability in each line of business and staff

office with annual Business Plans. 

Strategy

Eliminate the reasons FAA is on the Government Accountability Office’s High Risk

List for Air Traffic Control Modernization by

FY 2008.

Initiatives

● Develop, document, and use investment

criteria to manage major capital programs. 

● Implement and improve program management processes to remain within

acquisition cost and schedule baselines. 

Strategy 

Improve customer communication and

web-based business processes.

Initiatives

● Communicate the goals of the Flight Plan

to the FAA employees and the aerospace

community and gain feedback that helps

the FAA meet their needs. Give employees

a clear line of sight from their jobs to the

goals of the Flight Plan. 

● Review customer requirements annually

and measure customer satisfaction more

broadly for FAA services. 

● Standardize FAA websites making them

more useful for exchanging information

and conducting business. 

Strategy 

Improve the security of our data.

Initiatives

● Protect FAA’s information infrastructure

using advanced cyber defense strategies.

● Enable enterprise-wide conformance to information technology enterprise architecture.

Performance Targets

● By FY 2008, 90 percent of major system

acquisition investments are within 10 percent of annual budget and maintain

through FY 2011. 

● By FY 2008, 90 percent of major system

acquisition investments are on schedule

and maintain through FY 2011. 

● Increase agency scores on the American

Customer Satisfaction Index which surveys commercial pilots. 

● Achieve zero cyber security events that

disable or significantly degrade FAA services.
50

OBJECTIVE 4. 

Enhance our ability to respond to

crises rapidly and effectively,

including security-related threats

and natural disasters.

Strategy

Continue to build and improve emergency

plans and preparedness tools that enable

us to sustain essential services and provide

for employee well-being during crisis events.

Initiatives 

● Develop web-based emergency operation

information-sharing tools that create a

common operational picture and support

effective decision-making. 

● Standardize regional crisis response 

procedures.

Strategy

Strengthen operational coordination, communication, and command and control

capabilities needed to prepare for, respond

to, and recover from crises.

Initiatives

● Improve the use and functionality of

operational and corporate crises response

structures such as specialized hurricane

coordination cells and continuity of operations programs.

● By October 1, 2008, develop performance

targets that measure improvement in

three outcome areas: readiness; providing

a framework for effective decision-making; effective response.

Darrell Koewler, Great Lakes Region; Cara Flores, Southwest Region; Chris Stock, Great Lakes Region

Airway Transportation Systems Specialists, Air Traffic Organization

You were not left out. We admit it—everything we do is not captured in the Flight Plan—but

Darrell, Cara, and Chris—your work contributes to our success in meeting the Flight Plan goal for

Operational Availability. By making the NAS more reliable and efficient, your work supports the

achievement of several other capacity goals as well. We are working with our managers to better

communicate your role and reinforce that message through our performance management system.

FAA Photo
51

“LINE OF SIGHT”

If we’re going to achieve the goals of this Flight Plan, FAA employees need to know

how they fit in and what they’re asked to do. Telling them should be easy, but in a

large organization, it’s often not. So an employee from our Air Traffic Organization’s

Technical Operations service unit wrote, “I found no reference to Airway Transportation System Specialists or Technical Operations. How do we fit into the plan?”

The answer is easy. How can we hope to increase safety or gain greater capacity if

the air traffic control system doesn’t work? There’s a lot in this plan about controllers, improving their tools, and planning to replace retiring controllers—but the

Tech Ops folks are just as important. Without them, controllers can’t do their jobs.

Employees, however, want to see the whole chain. Nick Sabatini, FAA’s Associate

Administrator for the Aviation Safety Organization (AVS), gave a good example of the

chain for an aerospace engineer in Aircraft Certification (AIR), working in the Southwest Region (ASW), who had been asked to help certificate the Eclipse Very Light Jet

(VLJ). The chain went like this:

● The expectations and requirements for certification project leaders are outlined in

ASW Directorate Performance Standards. 

● ASW tracks project performance in its plan, which has an activity on certificating

the Eclipse.

● That certification project is incorporated as a priority activity in the AIR Performance Plan, and is tracked by the Aircraft Certification Management Team.

● The certification project is also listed as an activity in the AVS Business Plan, to

support the operation of VLJs in the NAS.

● Linking this activity to the Flight Plan: it directly supports the Increased Safety initiative to ensure that safety oversight and regulatory compliance keep pace with

changes in the general aviation environment (p. 18), and the strategy to establish

standard procedures and guidelines for general aviation operators, and the general

aviation objective and performance target to reduce fatal general aviation accidents

(VLJs used as unscheduled air taxis are general aviation). Chain complete.

In fact, every FAA employee can point to one or more of the four Flight Plan goals

and say, “I do work that supports that.” How? Every employee has performance standards and at the top of each standard are the FAA goals and objectives your standard

supports. Every organization has a detailed Business Plan that describes how the

organization supports the Flight Plan with both strategic and day-to-day activities and

responsibilities. Every employee is covered by this Flight Plan. So our employees,

working with their supervisors, should be able to define exactly where they fit and

what they are being asked to do to support the FAA mission.
ACRONYMS

ADS-B Automatic Dependent Surveillance

Broadcast

AIP Airport Improvement Program

AMASS Airport Movement Area Safety System

ASAP Aviation Safety Action Program

ASDE-X Airport Surface Detection

Equipment-Model X

CAEP ICAO Committee on Aviation

Environmental Protection

CAST Commercial Aviation 

Safety Team

CEDR Center for Early Dispute

Resolution 

COSP Continued Operational 

Safety Program

EAS Employee Attitude Survey

EASA European Aviation 

Safety Agency

FOQA Flight Operational 

Quality Assurance

FY Fiscal Year

GNSS Global Navigation 

Satellite System

ICAO International Civil Aviation

Organization

JPDO Joint Planning and 

Development Office

NAS National Airspace System

NextGen Next Generation Air

Transportation System

OEP Operational Evolution Plan

PMA President’s Management Agenda

PRM Precision Runway Monitor

RNAV Area Navigation

RNP Required Navigation Performance

SIDs Standard Instrument Departures

SRM Safety Risk Management

SMS Safety Management System

STARs Standard Terminal Arrival Routes

TFM Traffic Flow Management

TMA Traffic Management Advisor

UAS Unmanned Aerial System

VASIP Voluntary Aviation Safety 

Information Program

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System

52

© NASA Dryden Flight Research Center 
OUR TRACK RECORD

 MEASURE (Location) TARGET 

Actual Data Data Index Range 

INCREASED SAFETY (FAA) -- -- Green 

TGT: Airline Fatal Accident Rate (FAA) 0 2 Green 

TGT: GA & Nonsched 135 Fatal Accidents (FAA) 340 349 Green 

TGT: Alaska GA & 135 Accidents (FAA) 99 125 Green 

 TGT: A&B Rwy Incursions (FAA) 28 40 Green 

 TGT: Injuries From Turbulence (FAA) 8 18 Green 

 TGT: Single Index 2006 (FAA) 3 3 Green 

 TGT: Fatalities or Injuries to Public (FAA) 0 0 Green 

 TGT: No Property Damage (FAA) $0 $0 Green 

TGT: A&B Op Errors (FAA) 637 629 Red 

GREATER CAPACITY (FAA) -- -- Green 

TGT: Airport Arrival Efficiency (FAA) 95.03% 95.67% Red 

 TGT: Airport Arrival Capacity (FAA) 51,587 51,332 Green 

TGT: Annual Service Volume (FAA) 3 3 Green 

 TGT: % Operational Availability (FAA) 98.95% 99.00% Red 

TGT: Capacity in Metro Areas (FAA) 21,233 21,290 Red 

 TGT: On-Time Arrivals (FAA) 79.07% 82.10% Red 

TGT: Noise Exposure (FAA) 23.00% 2% Green 

 TGT: Aviation Fuel Efficiency (FAA) 4.51% 1% Green 

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP (FAA) -- -- Green 

 TGT: Technical Assistance (FAA) 50.0 6 Green 

 TGT: # New Bilaterals (FAA) 3 2 Green 

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

 TGT: Techniques & Procedures (FAA) 3 3 Green 

 TGT: RVSM in North America (FAA) 90% 85% Green 

TGT: Global Environmental Standards (FAA) 3 3 Green 

 ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE (FAA) -- -- Green 

TGT: Perf Plans Aligned (FAA) 3 3 Green 

TGT: Hire Mission Critical Positions (FAA) 58 79 Green 

TGT: Fund Flight Plan (FAA) 10.00% 10% Green 

 TGT: Cost Reimbursable Contracts (FAA) 180 Red 

 TGT: Critical Acquisitions on Sched & Budget (FAA)

135 

91% 80% Green 

 TGT: Cust Satisfaction Scores (FAA) 65 63 Green 

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

FY 2004 (24 OUT OF 30)

 MEASURE (Location) TARGET 

Actual Data Data Index Range 

INCREASED SAFETY 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 

06S1 Commercial Air Carrier Fatal Accident Rate (FAA) 0.020 0.018 Red 

06S2 General Aviation Fatal Accidents (FAA) 297 337 Green 

06S3 Alaska Accidents (FAA) 102 115 Green 

06S4 Runway Incursions (FAA) .458 .551 Green 

06S6 Commercial Space Launch Accidents (FAA) 0 0 Green 

06S7 Operational Errors (FAA) 4.090 4.270 Green 

06S59 Safety Risk Management (FAA) 4 3 Green 

GREATER CAPACITY 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 

06C1 Avg Daily Airport Cap (35 OEP Airports) (FAA) 101.949 101.191 Green 

06C2 Avg Daily Airport Capacity (8 Metro Areas) (FAA) 69,700 68,750 Green 

06C3 Annual Service Volume (FAA) 4 4 Green 

06C4 Adjusted Operational Availability (FAA) 99.78% 99.50% Green 

06C5 NAS On-Time Arrivals (FAA) 88.33% 87.40% Green 

06C6 Noise Exposure (FAA) 27.00% 4.00% Green 

06C7 Aviation Fuel Efficiency (FAA) 8.23% 5.00% Green 

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 

06I2 Aviation Safety Leadership (FAA) 0.000 .599 Green 

06I3 Bilateral Safety Agreements (FAA) 4 2 Green 

06I7 External Funding (FAA) $33.00 $23.4 Green 

06I23 GPS-Based Technologies (FAA) 1 1 Green 

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 06 (FAA) -- -- Green 

06E1 Employee Attitude Survey (FAA) 34.4 38.0 Red 

06E2 Cost Control (FAA) 3 3 Green 

06E3 Critical Acquisitions on Budget (FAA) 100.00% 85.00% Green 

06E4 Critical Acquisitions on Schedule (FAA) 97.40% 85.00% Green 

06E5 Information Security (FAA) 0 0 Green 

06E6 Customer Satisfaction (FAA) 70 65 Green 

06E9 Cost Reimbursable Contracts (FAA) 102% 85% Green 

06E61 Mission Critical Positions (FAA) 19.75% 10% Green 

06E102 Reduce Workplace Injuries (FAA) 2.21 2.85 Green 

06E104 Clean Audit (FAA) 1 3 Red 

06E107 Grievance Processing Time (FAA) 3 3 Green 

06E108 Air Traffic Controller Hiring Plan (FAA) 1,116 1.129 Green 

FY 2006 (27 OUT OF 30)

 MEASURE (Location) TARGET 

Actual Data Data Index Range 

 INCREASED SAFETY 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 

05S1 Airline Fatal Accident Rate (FAA) 0.017 0.023 Green 

05S2 GA Fatal Accidents (FAA) 350 343 Red 

05S3 Alaska Accidents (FAA) 128 120 Red 

05S4 Runway Incursions (FAA) 29 36 Green 

05S5 Composite Safety Index (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05S6 Space Launch Accidents (FAA) 0 0 Green 

05S7 Operational Errors (FAA) 681 637 Red 

05S8 Safety Risk Management (FAA) 3 3 Green 

 GREATER CAPACITY 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 

05C1 Airport Avg Daily Capacity (35 OEP) (FAA) 101,463 99,892 Green 

05C2 Airport Avg Daily Capacity (8 Metro Areas) (FAA) 44,324 43,080 Green 

05C3 Annual Service Volume (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05C34 Oceanic En-route Change Requests (FAA) 75.86% 75.00% Green 

05C4 Operational Availability (35 OEP) (FAA) 99.76% 99.00% Green 

05C5 FAA On-Time NAS Arrivals (FAA) 88.44% 87.40% Green 

05C6 Noise Exposure (FAA) 27.00% 3.00% Green 

05C7 Aviation Fuel Efficiency (FAA) 5.84% 2.00% Green 

 INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 

05I1 Environ. Standards & Practices (AEP) (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05I2 Aviation Safety Leadership (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05I23 NAS Technologies (ATO) (FAA) 1 1 Green 

05I3 Bilateral Agreements (Products & Services) (FAA) 2 2 Green 

05I7 Intellectual & Financial Assistance (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05I8 Support ICAO (FAA) 3 2 Green 

 ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 05 (FAA) -- -- Green 

05E1 Employee Attitude Survey (FAA) 37.0 36.5 Green 

05E2 Cost Control Program (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05E3 Acquisition Cost (FAA) 97.00% 80.00% Green 

05E4 Acquisition Schedule (FAA) 92.00% 80.00% Green 

05E5 Information Security (FAA) 0 0 Green 

05E6 Customer Satisfaction (FAA) 66 64 Green 

05E61 Mission Critical Positions (FAA) 35.00% 6.00% Green 

05E8 Performance Plans (FAA) 3 3 Green 

05E9 Cost Reimbursable Contracts (FAA) 170% 85% Green 

FY 2005 (28 OUT OF 31)

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.
800 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20591

www.faa.gov

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Journey to the horizon © Russell Munson/CORBIS