FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

FLIGHT PLAN 2005–2009

800 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20591

www.faa.gov
X MARKS THE SPOT: SpaceShipOne wins the $10 million Ansari X-Prize for the advent of privately funded passanger travel 

into space. October 4, 2004, roughly 101 years after the Wright Brothers took to the sky. Photograph by David Balloff

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission, Vision and Values 3

Increased Safety 12

Greater Capacity 22

International Leadership 30

Organizational Excellence 36
We

’re making good 

on a promise to America
3 | www.faa.gov

OUR MISSION

To provide the safest, most 

efficient aerospace system in 

the world. 

OUR VISION

To improve continuously the

safety and efficiency of aviation, while being responsive to

our customers and accountable

to the public.

OUR VALUES

Safety is our passion.

We are 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 

if no one is looking. 

People are our strength.

We treat each other as we

want to be treated.

Moving America Safely
4 | www.faa.gov

FAA employees maintain,

operate, and oversee the

largest and most complex

aviation system in the world,

with a safety record that is

second to none. We not only

set the regulatory and operational standards for the

United States, we effectively

set the bar for aviation safety

around the world—and have

for almost a half-century. 

After September 11, 2001,

the government’s security

efforts were consolidated

into the Department of

Homeland Security—including many of the components

of aviation security. Nevertheless, the FAA continues to

play an important supporting

role in securing the safety of

the flying public. 

As we enter the 21st Century,

aviation finds itself facing

the prospects of terrorism,

structural change, and a fluctuating global economy. We

will work with our aviation

partners to ensure that aviation thrives in a growing

world economy. To get there,

we need to be performancebased and value-driven. We

will know our customers 

and meet their diverse,

changing needs as never

before.

The FAA continues to be at 

a crossroads. We are confronted with the challenges

of reducing an already low

commercial accident rate,

building an air traffic control

system capable of efficiently

meeting future demand, 

and modernizing our own

organization.

Who Are We?
FLIGHT PLAN

FLIGHT PLAN INTRODUCTION 5 | www.faa.gov

The Federal Aviation Administration runs the

largest and most complex aviation system the

world has ever known. It’s the safest it’s ever been. 

That’s because we are delivering on a promise. In

a drive to become a performance-based organization that makes decisions based on hard data, the

men and women of the FAA set a series of goals

last year. This is our report card. Although we’ve

made progress, it’s not perfect. Even with the best

safety record in aviation history, the FAA still sets

the bar even higher. These are the steps we’re taking to get there.

The Flight Plan is a multi-year strategic effort, 

setting a course for the FAA through 2009. Our

mission is to provide the safest and most efficient

air transportation system in the world. Accordingly, we will accomplish this by being responsive

to our customers. We’ve made significant progress.

The past year has been one of success in each of

the four goal areas of the Flight Plan. Here’s an

overview:

Increased Safety

The fatal accident rate for commercial aviation is

the lowest it’s been in aviation history. Over the

past three years, there have been only .021 fatal

accidents per hundred thousand takeoffs—the

equivalent of one fatal accident per five million

flights. General aviation accidents are down

markedly as well, especially in Alaska, where small

planes navigate the bitter weather and mountainous terrain. Serious runway incursions—instances

where a plane comes too close to another plane or

vehicle—also are down. There were no accidents,

fatalities, or injuries in Commercial Space

Transportation. However, we missed our target for

operational errors, which are mistakes made when

directing aircraft. We are taking immediate steps

to improve our performance this year.

Greater Capacity

While we did not meet our target for the on-time

arrival rate and failed to achieve our target for airport arrival capacity in eight major metropolitan

areas, we made progress by adding new runways,

which have the greatest impact on increasing

capacity over the long haul. The FAA commissioned runways at Houston and Orlando airports.

We also held the first-ever conference of its kind,

“Growth Without Gridlock,” where we launched

new traffic flow procedures and agreed to a collaborative approach with the airlines to reduce delays.

Every morning, pilots, controllers, and the airlines

each participate in joint discussions to devise

strategies that will help traffic flow more

smoothly. As a result of authority given to the

agency in its reauthorization legislation, the FAA

worked with the airlines to cut back on schedules

at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, a traditional bottleneck that choked the system and

caused a ripple of delays from coast to coast.

When it comes to delays, though, there are a

number of factors that impact our performance.

Severe weather is one of them.

International Leadership

As a world leader in aviation, the FAA has a

responsibility to promote the highest safety standards around the globe. This past year, we signed

safety agreements with Brazil, Singapore, and

Iceland. Because of FAA technical assistance and

training initiatives, Panama, Poland, Portugal, and

Cape Verde met international safety standards. We

are rebuilding the aviation infrastructure in Iraq

and Afghanistan, while continuing to invest in

Safe Skies for Africa. We also promoted the creation of regional aviation safety organizations to

maximize the use of limited resources in developing countries. While we attained our goals, we

need to do a better job focusing our efforts on key

U.S. safety interests. 

Organizational Excellence

The agency’s 50,000 employees continue to distinguish themselves as government leaders in performance and ability. The FAA has made progress in

becoming a more performance-based operation.

Approximately 75 percent of the FAA’s workforce

operates under a performance pay system. For the

first time, the FAA kept its major acquisition programs on schedule and within cost targets. We

implemented new cost accounting and spending

control systems, which will provide better budget

information and enable more informed investment decisions. However, these new systems pose

significant challenges, particularly with regard to

training our employees in the use of DELPHI, the

automated financial management system, and a
FLIGHT PLAN INTRODUCTION 6 | www.faa.gov

companion acquisition management system called

PRISM. We will continue to work to implement

these systems. The FAA is also consolidating and

streamlining accounting departments across the

country, eliminating duplicate efforts and saving

money in the process. We need to increase training for our employees across the board: executives,

managers, supervisors, and front-line employees.

There are many other areas that need improvement, including internal communications, conflict

management, and human resource services.

THE FLIGHT PLAN: HOW WE GOT HERE

The Flight Plan is a first at the FAA. This strategic

plan is tied directly to agency funding and will be

updated each year. It was developed in concert

with our employees and our customers. Pilots,

controllers, airlines, manufacturers, and aviation

industry groups each had the opportunity to

review the plan. They suggested revisions and met

with us to discuss their ideas. Early in the process,

we asked all 50,000 employees to give us their

comments and suggestions. We received more

than a thousand comments. 

As the draft plan neared completion, the agency

took steps to ensure that the proposed actions

were actually doable. Each of the initiatives was

priced and each FAA organization created its own

business plan linked directly to the Flight Plan.

Our targets are driven by metrics and we post our

progress report each quarter at www.faa.gov. The

focus on the plan is spurred by the link between

the goals and employee bonuses. The Flight Plan

hinges on performance, and a full incentive payout requires employees to meet at least 90 percent

of the Flight Plan goals. 

Congress provided a big boost to the Flight Plan

with the passage of Vision 100, the agency’s fouryear reauthorization. With the assistance of the

Secretary of Transportation, Norman Y. Mineta,

the bill became law and contained several key provisions. For example, we received authority to

work collaboratively with the airlines to reduce

delays at the nation’s most congested airports.

Without diminishing the importance of our natural resources or the public’s right to voice its concerns and opinions, we were granted a streamlined

environmental process that could be used to expedite capacity projects by improving interagency

coordination. 

WHERE WE ARE GOING

After operating under the Flight Plan for a year,

we learned that we needed to make changes to the

plan. Because it is a dynamic plan, it must be

revised annually to meet new challenges as they

arise. For example, we reworked many of our

international goals because we needed more specific performance targets. We are now taking a

more strategic approach, focusing our resources

and energies on those developing regions where

we can gain the most benefits. In addition, it

turned out that some targets and initiatives weren’t

ambitious enough. In one case, we achieved our

2008 target four years early. Likewise, some of the

capacity targets were too closely dependent on the
FLIGHT PLAN INTRODUCTION 7 | www.faa.gov

The biggest step toward

becoming a customerfocused, cost-driven organization came with the

reorganization of the FAA’s

38,000-member air traffic services’ workforce. The first

task was to make the organization more efficient and to

shape the services around

customer needs. The new

organization also developed

a far-reaching set of performance metrics, giving it the

ability to assess progress

against hard data. To be

sure, challenges remain. The

primary focus of the organization still sits squarely on

safety, but the new unit must

also increase capacity while

minimizing delays. This

involves the development of

technology and the mammoth task of integrating the

new equipment into the system. New budgetary procedures enable the ATO to

create a stronger link

between the agency’s operating budget and capital

expenses. They’re working to

deliver to the taxpayer a service that is both safe and

affordable.

The New Air Traffic

Organization

A Plan for

Aviation’s Future

In Vision 100, Congress called

for the creation of a national

plan for aviation. Together

with NASA and the Departments of Defense, Commerce,

Homeland Security, Transportation, and the Office of

Science and Technology Policy,

we are developing a comprehensive roadmap for aviation

over the next two decades. It’s

not an easy task, considering

that aviation is changing

rapidly. The advent of microjets, unmanned aerial vehicles

(UAVs), manned commercial

space launches, and an everincreasing demand on the system, dictate the need for a

unified approach and a transformed system. 
weather. Regardless of the air traffic control procedures put in place to address weather—hurricanes,

severe thunderstorms, and snow can bring the system to a halt. We adjusted that goal accordingly.

We also modified our airport capacity measures to

include both arrivals and departures. For operational availability, we factored out time attributed

to airport improvement projects. Other objectives,

such as reducing cabin injuries caused by turbulence, are now located within the business plans of

individual FAA organizations. While turbulence

still remains a focus, the infrequency of accidents

related to turbulence in the air caused us to move

this objective to the Regulation and Certification

Office’s business plan. In addition, many of the

performance targets were revamped to make them

more easily understandable to the taxpayer. 

We Listened

We received close to a thousand comments on this

year’s draft plan. It took over two weeks to rack

and stack these observations and suggestions.

Employees submitted 80 percent of the comments, while industry and other stakeholders provided the remainder. After an intensive review

process, many comments were incorporated into

the Flight Plan. Numerous others became part of

the plans for individual FAA organizations. 

Looking Forward

The Flight Plan is a rolling five-year plan that

charts our course to 2009. Beyond the scope of

the Flight Plan, our Operational Evolution Plan is

a rolling 10-year effort to increase system capacity

by a third. In the longer term, the Joint Planning

and Development Office is a multi-agency effort

to develop a national plan for aviation in 2025

FLIGHT PLAN INTRODUCTION 8 | www.faa.gov

Beware the mighty pen of Rick Savage. The acting manager of the Boise

automated flight service station made 13 comments ranging from word

choice to accidents in Alaska. He also suggested we use hyperlinks. Rick,

you’re an example of Organizational Excellence for all to follow. Thanks

for the assist. Nicely done.
and beyond. Both of these efforts are designed to

meet the Flight Plan’s commitment to help the

system flow smoothly and meet future needs.

Challenging Times Ahead

The FAA and the aviation industry are facing a

period of tight budgets. The Aviation Trust Fund,

which provides the majority of the FAA’s budget

from taxes on airline tickets, fuel, and airfreight,

continues to decline.

Demand has slowly returned since 9/11, but

increased competition has kept ticket prices down.

This reduces the Trust Fund revenue. To save

money, carriers are adding more midsize jets to

their fleets. This affects the FAA in two ways: first,

more planes mean an increased workload; second,

smaller planes carry fewer passengers, which result

in less Trust Fund revenue. As the agency’s budgetary allotments continue to be squeezed and

operating costs continue to rise, we find ourselves

in the position where cost savings isn’t just a good

idea—it’s a necessity. The agency must find savings wherever it can, yet safety can never be compromised. 

INCREASED SAFETY9 | www.faa.go

v
FLIGHT PLAN INTRODUCTION 10 | www.faa.gov

Faced with an annual price

tag of $500 million, the taxpayer can no longer afford

the cost of operating 58

automated flight service 

stations. Many of the facilities need repair and new

technology. 

At the urging of the Department of Transportation’s

(DOT) Inspector General, the

FAA initiated a competitive

sourcing effort designed to

ensure that the government

wasn’t spending too much

for these services. Flight service stations do not control

live traffic; they provide

important weather briefings

and flight planning services

to general aviation pilots.

Each contact with a pilot

costs the taxpayer an 

average of $25. 

General aviation supports the

FAA’s revenues with a federal

fuel tax. According to the

Aircraft Owners and Pilots

Association, the total tax collected on the type of fuel

burned by most general aviation pilots is $60 million a

year—hardly enough to 

offset the annual cost to

operate and upgrade these

stations.

The competitive sourcing

process—also known as 

“A-76”—will determine

whether the taxpayer is better served by the government

or the private sector doing

the work. The FAA is committed to providing the support

needed to help our employees through this transition,

no matter what the outcome. 

Preparing for the Future
FLIGHT PLAN INTRODUCTION 11 | www.faa.gov

INCREASED SAFETY 

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.

GREATER CAPACITY

Increasing capacity is a double-edged sword. Air traffic is

increasing rapidly, but

growth must not interfere

with the passengers’ abilitities to reach their destinations on time. And this must

not be done at the expense

of the environment. 

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Aviation, across the globe, is

a 1.4 trillion dollar business.

Given our expertise in operating the world’s largest and

most complex system, it’s

clear that in the aviation

industry, safety is our most

vital national export. We will

enhance America’s leadership

role by sharing expertise and

new technologies with our

international partners. We

aim to raise the level of

safety everywhere planes fly.

ORGANIZATIONAL

EXCELLENCE

The men and women of the

FAA are committed to achieving these goals. To do so, the

FAA must be a world-class

organization. This requires

greater fiscal responsibility,

stronger leadership, more

cooperation, improved customer service, and performance-based management.

Simply put, we need to operate like a bottom-line, costdriven enterprise. We are

working to control our costs

and keep a sharp eye on the

taxpayers’ best interest. For

this reason, we are committed to giving our employees

the right tools and training.

We know we must do a better job in this area. When all

is said and done, it’s the

employees of the FAA who

bring the Flight Plan to life. 

FAA Goals in a Nutshell
12 | www.faa.gov

INCREASED SAFETY

Goal: To achieve the lowest possible accident rate and constantly 

improve safety.
Safety comes first. It’s the FAA’s primary mission and our efforts are paying off. The commercial fatal

accident rate is the lowest in aviation history. 

How this happened is no accident. The FAA has and will continue to develop new technologies that

will lower the number of accidents, while improving a safety record that’s second to none. We have

improved our risk management practices by collecting and analyzing data to identify problems and prevent accidents before they occur. We continue to partner with industry to reduce the commercial accident rate, improve runway safety, and extend the excellent safety record of commercial space

transportation. 

We made a special commitment to safety in Alaska, where heavy reliance on air transportation in an

unforgiving environment had led to an unacceptably high general aviation accident rate. We targeted

innovative safety solutions that reduced the number of accidents and the results in FY 2004 show it’s

paid off. Success in Alaska has led to safety improvements throughout the lower 48 as well. 

The FAA is also committed to transitioning the United States navigation system from one that is predominately ground-based to one located primarily within the aircraft itself. Through the use of onboard

technology, pilots will be able to navigate aircraft to any point in the world using only geographical

coordinates. 

A navigational concept called Required Navigation Performance (RNP) is an important step in this

direction. Because of its high degree of precision, RNP allows for more efficient use of the airspace. In

addition, RNP can assist in developing stable descent approaches, increasing safety during approach and

landing, including at airports where such approaches are currently not available during bad weather.

Simply put, RNP will allow us to fly more planes, more efficiently, and more safely than ever before.

The FAA continues to improve its oversight of air carriers, manufacturers, and airport operations, while

enforcing our safety regulations with a targeted focus on those areas that pose the greatest risk. Within

the FAA, we are implementing a Safety Management System to provide a systematic and integrated

method for managing the safety of air traffic control and navigation services. By the end of 2006, we

will implement a prototype index to help measure the overall safety of the U.S. civil aviation industry.

This safety index will measure aviation fatalities and injuries in all segments of the industry. Once finalized, it will identify trends, helping us assess the effectiveness of many of our safety initiatives and avoid

accidents in the process. 

The initial edition of the Flight Plan included an objective to reduce accidents and injuries caused by

flight turbulence. After a year, it became apparent that these incidents were actually too few in number

to serve as a major objective for the agency. The new edition of the Flight Plan no longer includes turbulence. The objective and its targets have been moved to the business plan of the agency’s Office of

Regulation and Certification. 

The introduction of new products into the airspace system, like light sport aircraft and micro-jets, as

well as new technologies, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, may have an impact on overall safety goals.

As a result, we may need to adjust general aviation targets in the future. 

OVERVIEW

INCREASED SAFETY 13 | www.faa.gov
TOP SAFETY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FY 2004

14 | www.faa.gov

● The lowest airline fatal accident rate in the 

history of aviation. 

● We reduced general aviation accidents, especially in Alaska. The FAA launched a number of

projects to increase pilot awareness of the risks

of flying in bad weather. We also deployed

advanced technology to aid the pilot’s ability to

navigate in large parts of the state that do not

have radar coverage.

● We’ve reduced serious runway incursions. The

FAA launched pilot/controller education and

awareness programs to help deal with the difficult task of navigating aircraft on the ground in

heavily congested airport terminal areas.

● We certified the first receiver for the Wide Area

Augmentation System (WAAS). This satellitebased electronic signal helps private pilots navigate from point-to-point and then land safely. 

● We made progress implementing a Safety

Management System (SMS) to manage air traffic control and navigation services throughout

the U.S. SMS also ensures that all changes to

the National Airspace System (NAS) with

potential impact on safety are assessed and the

risks are mitigated, as appropriate, before operation. 

● Enacting a government rule sometimes wipes

out a forest with wasted paper. Not any more.

In March, the FAA held its first “virtual” public

rulemaking meeting on the proposed rulemaking on national air tour safety standards.

Initiating the process electronically saves time,

money, and trees.

● In the emerging arena of commercial space

transportation, there were no fatalities or serious

injuries to the public during either launch or

reentry. 

● The agency awarded the first set of FAA commercial astronaut wings to an astronaut from

the private sector. On June 21, 2004, test pilot

Mike Melvill successfully flew SpaceShipOne,

the world’s first commercial manned space vehicle. It was also the first privately funded passenger flight to leave Earth’s atmosphere.

● We worked with the general aviation community to create a final sport pilot rule that sets

safety standards for the people who will now

earn FAA certificates to operate more than

15,000 uncertificated ultralight-like aircraft.

Another 12,000 pilots and new aircraft will be

certificated over the next 10 years.

● Our new government and industry training

program—known as FAA/Industrial Training

Standards (FITS)—provides instructors and

general aviation pilots of high performance aircraft with the skills they need for safe flight.

Five aircraft manufacturers joined the program

this year, bringing the total number of FITS

programs to 19. 

● The FAA proposed a rule allowing portable oxygen concentrators onboard commercial flights.

This gives members of the public who rely on

these concentrators the ability to travel by airplane. 

INCREASED SAFETY

Kathy Abbott is headquarters’ Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor on

human factors. She reminded us that human factors work goes beyond

research. She’s right. The agency has human factors work under way on

regulatory material, criteria, and evaluation. The work she’s talking about 

is a vital part of the Office of Regulation and Certification’s business plan.
STRATEGY

Continue the evolution toward a performancebased National Airspace System (NAS) by using a

space-based navigation system and onboard technologies that allow aircraft greater flexibility to

navigate airspace more safely, efficiently, and in a

more environmentally sound way than the current

ground-based navigation system.

Initiatives

● Implement the performance-based navigation

roadmap by using and developing Area

Navigation (RNAV) and RNP routes and 

procedures.

● Develop streamlined processes for certifying and

approving communications navigation surveillance equipment, basic cockpit displays, electronic flight bags, and other safety related flight

technologies.

STRATEGY

Address safety concerns and issues, expand costeffective safety oversight and surveillance, and

continue research into the causal factors of accidents. 

Initiatives

● Implement the fuel tank safety plans to reduce

flammability exposure and to preclude ignition

sources.

● 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.

● Using a data-driven approach to identify highrisk areas, use the enhanced enforcement and

decision tool to focus the agency’s resources to

maximize safety benefits. 

● Continue research to identify human factors

that may cause accidents and develop strategies,

methods, and technologies that will reduce

those accidents.

● Where practical, upgrade runway safety areas to

meet standards.

STRATEGY

Promote and expand safety information sharing

efforts, including FAA-industry partnerships and

data-driven safety programs that prioritize and

address risks before they lead to accidents. 

Initiatives

● Promote cooperative and voluntary disclosure

programs, such as Flight Operational Quality

Assurance (FOQA), Aviation Safety Action

Program (ASAP) and Continued Operational

Safety Program. 

● Continue implementing the Air Transportation

Oversight System. 

● Continue implementing Commercial Aviation

Safety Team (CAST) initiatives and pursuing

joint identification and analysis of safety issues

within CAST. 

● Improve the safety of transporting hazardous

materials by air.

Performance Target

● Reduce the airline fatal accident rate by 80 percent from the 1994-1996 baseline to a 3-year

rolling average rate of 0.010 per 100,000 departures by FY 2007. 

● Reduce the three-year rolling average fatal accident rate below 0.010 by fiscal year (FY) 2009.

15 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 1. Reduce the commercial airline fatal accident rate.

INCREASED SAFETY
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, datalink, and traffic information. 

● Provide pilots with safe access to the NAS by

analyzing and disseminating aeronautical and

meteorological information to air traffic control

specialists and general aviation pilots through

innovative systems. 

● Develop and publish WAAS approaches. 

STRATEGY 

Establish 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 (JSC) initiatives and pursue joint identification and analysis of safety

issues within JSC.

● Continue research to identify human factors

that may cause accidents and develop strategies,

methods, and technologies that will reduce

those accidents.

● Develop policies, procedures, and approval processes to enable operation of UAVs.

● Develop streamlined processes for certifying and

approving communications navigation surveillance equipment, basic cockpit displays, electronic flight bags, and other safety related flight

technologies.

● By FY 2009 and working with industry, develop

and baseline a target rate for General Aviation

Fatal Accidents to replace the current performance measure.

Performance Target

● By FY 2009, reduce the number of general aviation and nonscheduled Part 135 fatal accidents

to no more than 319 (from 385, which represents the average number of fatal accidents for

the baseline period of 1996-1998). 

16 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 2. Reduce the number of fatal accidents in 

general aviation.

INCREASED SAFETY
17 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 3. Reduce accidents in Alaska.

STRATEGY

Expand and accelerate implementing safety and

air navigation improvement programs in Alaska.

Initiatives

● Achieve full operational capability of WAAS.

● Expand the Capstone Program through a threephase approach starting with Bethel, Southeast

Alaska, and, finally, the entire state.

● Continue to use weather cameras and explore

alternative technologies to provide similar data

and real-time images to air carriers and general

aviation pilots.

● Support the Medallion and Circle of Safety programs. 

● Where practical, continue improving rural airports by building standard runways and safety

areas and improving airport lighting.

● By FY 2009, establish an improved statewide

public RNP/RNAV WAAS enabled route structure where supported by WAAS. 

● By FY 2009,working with industry, develop and

baseline a target rate for Alaska accidents to

replace the current performance measure.

Performance Target

● 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.

INCREASED SAFETY

Don Streeter, an aviation safety inspector from Washington, D.C., felt that

we weren't capitalizing on the economic and safety benefits afforded by

new navigation tools. We agree. We added a new initiative to expand the

use of advanced navigation.
18 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 4. Reduce the risk of runway incursions.

STRATEGY

Identify runway incursion collision risks and

influence their reduction. 

Initiatives 

● Improve training, procedures, evaluation, analysis, testing, and certification to reduce the risk

of runway incursions resulting from errors by

pilots, air traffic controllers, and airport authorized pedestrians, vehicle operators, tug operators, and mechanics conducting aircraft taxi

operations.

STRATEGY

Modify and improve existing surface movement

infrastructure. 

Initiatives

● Install Airport Surface Detection EquipmentModel 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. 

STRATEGY

Use advanced modeling and simulation tools to

design and develop new equipment, procedures,

and training.

Initiatives

● Continue to evaluate the effectiveness of air

traffic tower simulation training to help air traffic controllers recognize errors, take corrective

action, and communicate with pilots.

● Continue to evaluate potential runway safety

enhancements to pilot performance by integrating cockpit and tower cab simulation facilities.

● Deploy a model for categorizing runway incursion risk.

Performance Target

● By 2009, reduce the number of Category A and

B (most serious) runway incursions to no more

than 27, equivalent to a rate of 0.390 per million operations.

INCREASED SAFETY
19 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 5. Measure the safety of the U.S. civil aviation

system with a composite index.

STRATEGY

Develop an aviation safety index that measures the

relative risk and performance of the U.S. civil aviation system.

Initiative

● By FY 2006 and in collaboration with partners,

establish a comprehensive index reflecting the

safety of the U.S. civil aviation system.

Performance Target

● By FY 2006, implement a single, comprehensive index that provides a meaningful measure

of the safety performance of the U.S. civil aviation system.

INCREASED SAFETY
20 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 6. Ensure the safety of commercial space launches.

STRATEGY

Continue developing tools, guidance, and regulations for reducing the safety risks for commercial

space launches. 

Initiatives 

● Establish processes and standards for granting

safety approvals of launch and reentry vehicles,

safety systems, processes, services and/or 

personnel. 

● Enhance safety for launch at federal and nonfederal launch sites through continued improvement of internal processes and partnerships

with the Air Force, other government agencies,

and the commercial space transportation 

industry.

Performance Target

● No fatalities, serious injuries, or significant

property damage to the uninvolved public during licensed space launch and reentry activities.

INCREASED SAFETY
21 | www.faa.gov

STRATEGY

Identify operational error collision risks and influence their reduction.

Initiatives

● Enhance and expand tools (e.g. Janus) designed

specifically to identify causal factor in air traffic

incidents to facilitate development of appropriate mitigation strategies.

● Implement and continue to improve

Performance Enhancement Based Training.

● Modify the evaluation process to facilitate the

reduction of operational errors.

● Conduct Airspace Complexity Studies at

selected facilities to identify measures of airspace

complexity and develop recommendations to

reduce errors.

● Evaluate the use of high fidelity simulation to

improve ATC training for local facilities.

Performance Target

● By 2009, reduce the number of Category A and

B (most serious) operational errors to no more

than 563, equivalent to a rate of 3.18 per million activities.

STRATEGY

Design, develop, and implement a 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 SMS using a phased approach with

initial implementation focusing on targeted

NAS changes.

● Introduce SMS processes FAA-wide to assess

risk and to monitor effectiveness of risk-mitigation strategies.

● Expand the collection, consolidation, and analysis of safety data to enhance reporting and

assessment.

● Expand SMS to include safety-significant

changes to the NAS. 

Performance Target

● Apply safety risk management to at least 30 

significant changes in the NAS.

OBJECTIVE 7. Enhance the safety of FAA’s air traffic systems.

INCREASED SAFETY
22 | www.faa.gov

GREATER CAPACITY

Goal: Work with local governments and airspace users to provide 

capacity in the United States airspace system that meets projected

demand in an environmentally sound manner.
Capacity is the stuff of headlines and headaches. Just as with safety, capacity is both a priority and a

necessity. Getting more people and planes in the air is only half of the equation. Getting them to their

destination on time is the true barometer of capacity. The problem is complex. Airlines’ business plans

and passenger habits help determine schedules. Rush hour in the air is similar to rush hour on the 

road. Everyone wants to come and go at just about the same time. Morning and evening traffic jams 

in aviation can cost millions in time, wasted fuel, unmet schedules, and can negatively impact the 

environment. 

The dip in passenger traffic after 9/11 contributed to tough times for the airlines. But even in the face

of these economic woes, by the summer of 2004, air traffic and passengers were back. We will continue

to work with local governments and airspace users to improve the design and performance of both aircraft and ground systems to ensure that they meet the capacity demands of the future. 

When all is said and done, much of this success comes down to cooperation. Earlier this year, the FAA

conducted a first-ever conference, “Growth Without Gridlock,” at which the airlines, the military, and

private aviation groups agreed to bolster capacity and efficiency. We created “express lanes in the sky”

and allowed minor delays spaced strategically across the country to avoid major delays. By 2006, the

FAA, with industry, intends to create further collaborative measures that enhance on-time performance

and increase our ability to predict and minimize disruptions to the system. The result will be a national

aviation system that is more efficient, more cost-effective, safer, and meets projected demand in an environmentally sound manner. 

As part of Vision 100, the FAA’s recent reauthorization legislation, the FAA was encouraged to take an

active hand in helping the system handle the resurgence in air traffic. Particularly at busy bottlenecks

such as Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the ability to ask airlines to come to the table and bring

about changes in over-crowded schedules has been helpful to the agency. Just this year, the FAA

achieved a 7 percent reduction in flights and smoothed out the schedule at O’Hare, which helped ease

congestion across the system. This is a necessary, but only short-term measure. 

We’re taking steps elsewhere around the country as well. The FAA is easing congestion in eight

metropolitan areas, which include 22 airports. We are improving overall capacity at the nation’s top 35

airports by 30 percent and working with stakeholders to build new runways and enhance access to

reliever airports for general aviation operations. We are also increasing traffic coordination and communication by using new technologies. 

The FAA is working to increase the number of flights at America’s top airports by one percent annually.

While that number may seem insignificant, it will have a tremendous impact on a national scale. While

this goal is supported primarily by the placement of new runways, it’s roughly equivalent to more than

500 additional takeoffs per day at our 35 busiest airports. 

OVERVIEW

GREATER CAPACITY 23 | www.faa.gov
● We opened new runways at Orlando

International Airport and Houston

Intercontinental Airport.

● We installed the Traffic Management Advisor,

which smoothes the flow of high altitude aircraft into busy airports, at Hartsfield-Jackson

Atlanta International Airport and Houston

Intercontinental Airport. 

● The FAA also supported master plan and environmental studies for capacity-enhancing projects at Ft. Lauderdale, Washington Dulles,

Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

● We installed a system that predicts the weather

for controllers, pilots, and airlines at Miami

International Airport and Lambert-St. Louis

International Airport.

● We significantly modernized our terminal

automation system by installing the Standard

Terminal Automated Replacement System,

known as STARS, at 10 cities (Milwaukee,

Cleveland, San Antonio, Boston, Columbus,

Seattle, Charlotte, Daytona Beach, Kansas City,

and Raleigh-Durham).

● We tested a new approach—Continuous

Descent Approach—at Louisville Regional

Airport. It reduces flight time and saves fuel,

while minimizing noise and gaseous emissions.

● The FAA achieved a 23% percent decrease in

the number of people exposed to significant 

aviation noise.

● With the National Academy of Science, we

started developing analytical tools to study noise

and emissions. We’re getting smarter at dealing

with noise and emissions through new policies

as well. A new FAA order was published on

schedule that enhances our ability to inform

governments and the public about our decisions

that affect the environment.

● We funded noise abatement projects to benefit

12,500 citizens living near our airports. 

● An analysis of U.S. commercial operations

showed that U.S. commercial aircraft are burning 5 percent less fuel, as measured by the fuel

burned per mile flown.

24 | www.faa.gov

TOP CAPACITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FY 2004

GREATER CAPACITY

Circulating the draft plan for comment wasn’t just a good

idea. Archie Muckle, Special Assistant for Economic Environmental analysis in Washington, D.C., and Nancy LoBue,

the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Environment and

Policy, both noticed that the Joint Planning and Development Office—responsible for developing a national roadmap for aviation—wasn’t properly highlighted in the

Flight Plan. It is now.
25 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 1. Increase capacity to meet projected demand. 

STRATEGY 

Evaluate existing airport capacity levels and set

investment and infrastructure priorities. 

Initiatives

● Enhance the analysis and develop solution sets

for airports contained in the Future Airport

Capacity Team report, “Capacity Needs in the

National Airspace System,” to verify whether

they will meet future demand. 

● Establish priorities for infrastructure investments to maintain existing capacity in a costeffective manner. 

● Provide operational support for new runway

construction. 

● Support master plans for airfield improvements

at the 35 Operational Evolution Plan (OEP)

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 and apply new streamlining provisions in the Executive Order 13274 at the 35

OEP airports.

STRATEGY

Improve airway access to existing capacity through

operational and procedural changes. 

Initiatives

● Redesign terminal airspace and change procedures. 

● Implement the performance-based navigation

roadmap by using and developing RNAV and

RNP routes and procedures.

● Utilizing a newly created intra-agency team,

develop recommended standards and action

plans for runway procedures, such as endaround taxiways, and establish databases and

data collection tools to improve airport flight

operations, while maintaining an optimal balance among safety, capacity, and efficiency considerations.

● Enhance NAS system 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.

● Airlines and other segments of aviation, to

improve traffic flow in bad weather. 

● Develop and implement RNP approach procedures to increase airport and runway use when

visibility is restricted. 

GREATER CAPACITY
● Develop technology and procedures to increase

the use of parallel runways in adverse weather

conditions (for example, Precision Runway

Monitor and Final Monitor Aid). 

● Increase airport capacity through the use of

Traffic Management Advisor. 

● Analyze and disseminate weather information

through new automated systems.

● Evaluate the effectiveness of FAA and National

Weather Service weather information in reducing weather delays.

STRATEGY

Modify separation standards and procedures to

allow more efficient use of congested airspace.

Initiatives

● Implement domestic Reduced Vertical

Separation Minimum (RVSM). 

● Increase arrival and departure rates through

wake turbulence monitoring, operational procedures, and controller tools.

● Develop a strategy to streamline and improve

the Notice to Airmen process. 

STRATEGY 

Meet the new and growing demands for air transportation services through 2025.

Initiatives

● Deliver the JPDO integrated plan for a Next

Generation Air Transportation System to ensure

the system meets its safety, security, mobility,

efficiency, and capacity needs in an environmentally sound way.

● Lead the Integrated Product Teams for four of

the eight transformation strategies in the plan.

Performance Targets

● Achieve an average daily airport capacity of

104,338 arrivals and departures per day by

2009 at the 35 OEP airports. 

● Open as many as seven new runways, increasing

the annual service volume of the 35 OEP airports by at least 1% annually, measured as a

five-year moving average, through 2009. 

● Sustain adjusted operational availability at 99%

for the reportable facilities that support the 35

OEP airports.

GREATER CAPACITY 26 | www.faa.gov
27 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 2. Increase or improve aviation capacity in the

eight major metropolitan areas and corridors that most

affect total system delay. For FY 2005, those areas are: New

York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington/Baltimore,

Atlanta, Los Angeles Basin, and San Francisco.

STRATEGY 

Identify airport improvements that are most likely

to reduce the major causes of system delay. 

Initiatives

● Monitor and maintain scheduled progress for

Environmental Impact Statements at Chicago,

Washington Dulles, new South Suburban, Los

Angeles, and Philadelphia Airports. Monitor

milestones and completion dates to support

efforts by Philadelphia, Washington/Baltimore,

and Chicago to update master plans for major

airport development that add capacity to the

metropolitan areas.

● Conduct regional studies in the New York, New

England, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas.

● Direct Airport Improvement Program (AIP)

funding to support development of secondary

and reliever airports located within these

metropolitan areas.

● Work with the aviation community to establish

the most feasible policies to enhance capacity

and manage congestion. 

● Update which metropolitan areas we project

will have the greatest impact on the total system

for delays over the period of the Flight Plan.

STRATEGY 

Redesign the airspace and traffic flows.

Initiatives

● Redesign the airspace of eight major metropolitan areas: New York, Philadelphia,

Washington/Baltimore, Boston, San Francisco,

Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles Basin. 

● Expand use of time-based metering at air traffic

control centers.

Performance Targets

● Achieve an average daily airport capacity for the

eight major metropolitan areas at 44,428

arrivals and departures per day by 2009. 

GREATER CAPACITY
28 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 3. Increase on-time performance of scheduled 

carriers. 

STRATEGY

Promote use of automated systems that provide

more accurate and timely information for all system users. 

Initiatives

● Improve operator and passenger access to flight

information. Use data from the DOT’s Delay

Reporting System to develop solutions for remedying causes of delay within the FAA’s control. 

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.

● Develop and implement Advanced Technologies

and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) software.

Performance Targets

● Through FY 2009, achieve an 88.4% on-time

arrival for all flights arriving at the 35 OEP 

airports, equal to or less than 15 minutes late

due to NAS related delays.

● Beginning in FY 2005, increase the number of

oceanic en-route altitude change requests that

are granted through the end of FY 2009 to 80%.

GREATER CAPACITY
29 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 4. Address environmental issues associated with

capacity enhancements.

STRATEGY

Develop better technologies and analytical tools to

evaluate aircraft noise and emissions.

Initiatives

● 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.

● Along with stakeholders, increase aircraft noise

and emissions mitigation activities at the new

environmental Center of Excellence. 

Performance Targets 

● Reduce the number of people exposed to significant noise by 1% per year through FY 2009, 

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% per year through 2009, as

measured by a three-year moving average, 

from the three-year average for calendar years

2000-2002.

GREATER CAPACITY
30 | www.faa.gov

INTERNATIONAL

LEADERSHIP

Goal: Increase the safety and capacity of the global civil aerospace 

system in an environmentally sound manner.
Setting the standard for excellence isn’t enough. We want to promote safety across the globe. The FAA’s

air traffic management system handles almost half of the world’s air traffic. The actual numbers provide

an even more compelling case. The United States certifies more than two-thirds of the world’s large jet

aircraft and provides direct or indirect aviation assistance to over 100 countries. Every day, 130 domestic

and 118 scheduled international air carriers serve the United States. U.S. industry sets the pace for

developing and implementing new technologies to create a safer, more efficient global airspace system.

The United States is also the largest contributor of technical and financial support to ICAO, which represents 188 of the world’s civil aviation authorities and sets the international aviation standards.

We continue to advance safety internationally by broadening our strategic partnerships, providing targeted technical assistance, and promoting harmonized safety solutions. To achieve this goal, the FAA

works with aviation partners and ICAO to promote common safety standards, interoperable air traffic

procedures and technologies, including RVSM, RNP, and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

We also work with organizations, such as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to facilitate the

exchange of aeronautical products, technologies, and services. We are increasing support to Asia and the

Americas to help them meet the challenges of unprecedented growth. Finally, we are supporting underdeveloped aviation systems and building new systems in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. Our reach

extends to wherever planes fly. The FAA’s ultimate objective is to ensure air travel is as safe and efficient

abroad as it is at home. We’re making significant progress toward making that happen.

OVERVIEW

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 31 | www.faa.gov

Daniel O’Rear, an Electronics Engineer, and Donald Willis,

Manager of the Spectrum Planning & International Office,

thought we were making a mistake by not featuring the

World Radio Communication Conference. They were

right—it’s now an initiative.
● We signed aviation safety agreements with

Brazil, Singapore, and Iceland. 

● We provided targeted technical assistance and

training to 30 countries and regional aviation

authorities, including Afghanistan and Iraq. 

● We led ICAO’s adoption of international noise

and emissions standards. 

● We developed and implemented a comprehensive program to support China in its effort to

meet the aviation challenges brought on by its

growth rate.

● We agreed with Transport Canada to sponsor an

academic research center for noise and emission

reduction in aviation.

● We helped Panama, Portugal, Cape Verde, and

Poland to meet international aviation safety

standards. 

● We worked with U.S. funding agencies, such as

the Agency for International Development and

the Trade Development Agency, to increase

funding to international aviation safety programs. 

● We supported the recently enacted Cape Town

Treaty, which extends existing commercial

finance laws to international transactions

involving aircraft and aircraft engines.

● The FAA and the George Washington

Consortium conducted seven International

Aviation Safety and Security Summits for 48

countries. 

TOP INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FY 2004

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 32 | www.faa.gov

Give credit where credit’s due. Chris Poreda, the Regional Counsel in

Boston, wrote, “The draft does not mention... getting the Cape Town

Treaty passed and ratified.” Good point. We supported the Cape Town

Treaty that was signed into law in August. It will extend existing commercial finance laws to international transactions involving aircraft and aircraft

engines.
33 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 1. Promote improved safety and regulatory oversight in cooperation with bilateral, regional, and multilateral

aviation partners.

STRATEGY

Provide technical assistance and training to key

developing foreign civil aviation authorities.

Initiatives

● Strengthen aviation safety oversight relationships and build strong, sustainable, mutually

beneficial partnerships with key civil aviation

organizations in Asia and Latin America. 

● Implement Presidential international civil 

aviation safety programs for Africa, Asia, the

Americas, and the Middle East.

● Support creation of government industry partnerships to facilitate the transfer of aeronautical

products, services, and technologies to key

developing regions.

STRATEGY 

Work with key international partners to enable

the transfer of aeronautical products, technologies,

and services to promote civil aviation worldwide.

Initiatives

● Establish an effective partnership with the

European Union and EASA to ensure the highest level of cooperation for aviation safety and

an efficient exchange of products, services, and

technologies.

● Focus resources on achieving optimal bilateral

agreements recognizing safety, certification, and

approval systems with global aviation partners

to enable technology transfer and global aviation safety. 

STRATEGY

Secure external funding for global safety initiatives.

Initiatives 

● Promote processes and procedures that increase

intellectual and financial assistance from U.S.

government organizations, multilateral banks,

and industry to support projects that enhance

the infrastructure of global aviation. 

● Establish a centralized management function for

external funding initiatives.

STRATEGY

Support ICAO and other international and

regional organizations. 

Initiatives

● Provide U.S. technical participation and leadership in ICAO meetings to achieve U.S. objectives.

● Support creating at least four regional aviation

authorities or organizations capable of meeting

globally accepted safety and efficiency standards.

● Increase recruitment of qualified U.S. technical

personnel to fill positions at ICAO.

● Provide technical participation and leadership in

the World Radio Communication Conference.

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
STRATEGY

Work with global partners and industry to

develop and implement technologies and processes

that enhance safety.

Initiatives

● Seek global harmonization of fractional ownership regulatory policy.

● With the worldwide aerospace community,

develop methods and demonstrate tools and

processes for collecting, analyzing, and sharing

information and data. 

● Provide technical leadership to the international

community to achieve safety oversight goals.

Performance Targets

● Advance U.S. aviation safety leadership in

developing regions by significantly increasing

safety infrastructure in 10 priority countries by

2009 through implementation of model law

and regulations for safety oversight, extensive

technical assistance and training activity, and

concluding bilateral agreements.

● Conclude four new or expanded bilateral agreements with current partners.

● Secure a yearly increase of 20% in intellectual

and financial assistance for international aviation activities from the United States and international government organizations, multilateral

banks, and industry. 

● Promote the creation of four new regional aviation authorities or organizations capable of

meeting globally accepted safety standards.

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP 34 | www.faa.gov
35 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 2. Promote seamless operations around the globe

in cooperation with bilateral, regional, and multilateral aviation partners.

STRATEGY 

Advocate the global implementation of the Air

Traffic Management Operational Concept and

promote harmonization and interoperability of

emerging technologies to support enhanced global

safety, capacity, and system efficiency. 

Initiatives

● Encourage adoption of enabling technologies

and processes to improve safety of flight operations. 

● Develop and implement capacity enhancing

applications, embracing current operational

capabilities to the maximum extent possible. 

● Improve interoperability of automation tools

and operational procedures to increase user flexibility and efficiencies.

● Promote key safety and efficiency technologies

and procedures on a global basis, including,

RNP/RNAV, GNSS, and RVSM. 

STRATEGY 

Work within the ICAO Committee on Aviation

Environmental Protection (CAEP) to develop and

adopt global environmental standards, best practices, and written guidance.

Initiative

● Work with CAEP members to address interdependencies between aircraft noise and gaseous

emissions, and between various emissions.

Performance Targets

● Expand the use of U.S. NAS technologies and

procedures to six priority countries.

● Ensure that international environmental standards, recommended practices, and guidance

material adopted by ICAO are globally and uniformly applied, reflect the best available technology that can be integrated into the fleet,

provide real environmental benefit, are economically sound, and take interdependencies

between environmental parameters into

account.

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
36 | www.faa.gov

ORGANIZATIONAL

EXCELLENCE

Goal: 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.
The only way for the FAA to achieve the goals of the Flight Plan is to become a world-class organization. We must serve the public, but do it with a results-oriented approach that focuses on the taxpayers’

bottom line. This will require strong leadership, performance-based management, improved fiscal

responsibility, and a clearly defined focus on our customers.

The people of the FAA and the values we commit to uphold are the keys to achieving our mission. But

it doesn’t stop there. We are committed to eliminating barriers to equity and opportunity because fairness and diversity translate directly to the strength and productivity of the FAA. We are committed to

giving our employees the tools they need to succeed. And, to operate more like a business, we’ve taken

the step of linking employee performance to employee compensation. 

A safe work environment is also critical. The last thing we want is for our employees to be injured, especially by accidents that are preventable. That’s why we’re implementing an Employee Safety

Management System to prevent accidents before they happen. 

The President’s Management Agenda tasks the FAA with setting targets, measuring our performance,

and being accountable for our results. This agenda also is designed to make the government more “citizen-centered, results-oriented, and market-based.” To achieve these objectives, we must focus on the following seven areas:

● Strategic management of human capital;

● Competitive sourcing initiatives;

● Improved financial performance;

● Expanded electronic government;

● Budget and performance integration;

● Federal real property management; and

● Eliminating improper payments.

Human capital planning is how we employ, deploy, development, and evaluate our workforce. Through

the strategic management of human capital, we make sure we have the right people in the right places

to perform effectively. Our human capital planning and measurement efforts focus on the size of our

workforce and the knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable us to remain prepared for our current and

future mission.

Controlling costs is essential to achieving the President’s Management Agenda. Working with our

employees and industry partners, we must continue to invest in programs and services that produce

results, while cutting those that don’t. We are establishing an agency-wide, cost control program and

have accelerated the development of data and analytic tools that will help us make management decisions based on sound business principles. This will ensure that the projected cost efficiency and productivity investments are realized. We are also incorporating financial and business management skills in

our core management training to reduce operating costs. 

OVERVIEW

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 37 | www.faa.gov
● For the first time, the FAA met its annual major

acquisitions goal—91 percent were on schedule

and within 10 percent of budget in FY 2004.

The FAA has also moved to re-baseline some

programs, restructure other programs into

smaller, more useful, and manageable work segments, and justify, cancel, or modify other programs based on an evaluation of benefits.

● The agency launched a cost accounting system

to eliminate unnecessary spending and provide

cost data to make better, more business-like

decisions.

● We’re changing how we communicate. In June

2004, the American Customer Satisfaction

Index cited the FAA website as one of the two

most improved in government, and we have

launched a major internal communications initiative.

● The FAA is becoming more efficient by consolidating personnel transaction processing and

records maintenance from 12 separate sites into

three locations.

● We launched a new FAA careers’ website,

www.faa.gov/jobs/index.cfm, and we’ve also

conducted recruitment outreach efforts to

minorities and people with disabilities. Overall,

the agency conducted 70 recruitment efforts to

strengthen employee diversity.

● We’re opening an Early Dispute Resolution

Center. Employee issues will be addressed and

resolved more quickly at a substantial savings to

the taxpayer. 

● We cut worker’s compensation costs by $2.9

million.

● We continue to achieve ISO 9000 accreditation

throughout the agency. ISO 9000 is recognized

as the international standard for quality assurance. Our logistics, acquisition, instruction, and

flight maintenance teams at the Aeronautical

Center continue to operate at ISO 9000 levels.

Our Flight Standards service in Washington,

D.C., received ISO 9000 accreditation for rigorous management and auditing procedures. 

● To ensure consistency in dealing with customers

across the country, we successfully implemented

a service feedback initiative for pilots and airlines. 

TOP ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

IN FY 2004

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE 38 | www.faa.gov

Dr. Dana Broach, a research psychologist from Oklahoma City, felt that

staffing should be one of our goals. He cited the post-controller strike

retirements as an example. We took his advice with a specific goal now

included in the Organizational Excellence section.
39 | www.faa.gov

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 

Build stronger leadership to achieve strategic goals

and manage resources effectively.

Initiatives

● Track the Employee Attitude Action Plan and

monitor and evaluate results.

● Establish and implement corporate supervisory

training programs in the areas of core human

resources and leadership disciplines.

● Develop and implement new selection procedures and probationary periods for new supervisors and managers.

STRATEGY 

Increase the commitment of all employees to fulfill organizational goals.

Initiatives 

● Directly link all employee performance plans to

their organization performance plan, and link

both to the FAA’s strategic goals (including

alignment, accountability, responsibility, and

results). 

● Market e-learning and supervisory skills training. Measure employee and managerial participation, successful completion, and satisfaction.

● Undertake a timely and effective approach to

conflict management.

● Develop and implement an automated, webenabled Employee Attitude Survey process.

STRATEGY

Improve our ability to acquire, develop, and retain

a diverse, highly skilled workforce.

Initiatives

● Monitor and evaluate workforce and succession

plans developed by lines of business and staff

offices.

● Monitor and evaluate progress of the Air Traffic

Control Specialist and First Line Supervisor

Workforce Plan.

● Expand the HR Selections within Faster Time

(SWIFT) automated suite to all mission-critical

positions and those positions that cross organizational lines, i.e., finance, budget, human

resources, and information technology.

● In external recruitment efforts, implement corporate recruitment strategies that result in

attracting high quality candidates to the FAA

for employment.

● Undertake and sustain agency human capital

planning and measurement processes.

● Improve the process for hiring air traffic controllers to ensure we have the capacity to handle

the anticipated staffing requirements. 

● Implement an Employee Safety Management

System to enhance FAA worker safety.

● Establish corporate employee training programs

that ensure knowledge and skill development.

Performance Targets

● Increase Employee Attitude Survey scores in the

areas of management effectiveness and accountability by at least 5%.

● Directly relate 100% of all employee performance plans to FAA strategic goals and their

organization’s performance plans.

● Reduce the time it takes to fill mission-critical

positions by 20% over the FY 2003 baseline.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE
40 | www.faa.gov

OBJECTIVE 2. Control costs while delivering quality 

customer service.

STRATEGY 

Develop and implement ways to better control

costs.

Initiatives 

● Finish implementing the new FAA financial

management system, DELPHI, Cost

Accounting System (CAS), and Labor

Distribution Reporting System (LDR) and

make use of the systems to manage the FAA.

● Put in place an agency-wide cost control program. 

● Improve the overall management of cost-reimbursable contracts through the Defense

Contract Audit Agency audit process. 

● Fully fund the Flight Plan initiatives by the

beginning of each fiscal year.

Performance Targets

● Develop and implement a centrally managed

and highly visible cost control program to lead

the agency in reducing costs. Each FAA organization will contribute at least one cost reduction

activity each year to its Business Plan with measurable, significant cost savings.

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

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE

With all the talk of aviation safety, we failed to highlight our work on employee safety and

what we’re doing about it. Scott Berglund, regional program manager for the environment

and safety in Alaska, Edward Connell, program manager

for Environment, Safety and Health in Oklahoma City, and

Victoria Hershiser, an occupational safety specialist in

Washington, D.C., all said we need to focus more on

employee safety. They’re right. We added it as an initiative. “We cannot attain world class status without it,”

Hershiser said. Our employee safety management system 

is designed to prevent accidents before they happen. 
41 | www.faa.gov

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 tools and training to all current executives and managers on using cost data (i.e., CAS

and LDR information) to make management

decisions and reinforce the use of these skills as

part of the agency-wide cost control program. 

● Use automated software to track and report

progress on Flight Plan initiatives and to establish the appropriate linkages and accountability

for supporting initiatives in each line of business and staff office.

● Expand the use of professional certification programs for managers and employees in key decision-making positions that impact major

acquisitions.

STRATEGY 

Find faster, more efficient ways to collect and

measure customer feedback and satisfaction.

Initiatives

● 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 and stakeholders 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.

STRATEGY 

Improve the security of our data.

Initiative

● Improve the protection of the FAA information

infrastructure using the agency’s cyber-defense

android concept, which is an advanced defense

strategy.

Performance Targets

● By FY 2009, 90% of major system acquisition

investments are within 10% of budget. 

● By FY 2009, 90% of major system acquisition

investments are on schedule.

● Achieve 90% of all performance targets in the

Flight Plan.

● Increase agency scores on the American

Customer Satisfaction Index.

● Achieve zero cyber security events that significantly disable or degrade FAA services.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE
AMASS Airport Movement Area Safety

System 

ASAP Aviation Safety Action Program 

ASDE-X Airport Surface Detection

Equipment-Model X 

CAS Cost Accounting System 

CAST Commercial Aviation Safety Team 

DOT Department of Transportation 

EASA European Aviation Safety Agency 

FITS FAA/Industrial Training Standards 

FOQA Flight Operational Quality Assurance 

FY Fiscal Year 

GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System 

ICAO International Civil Aviation

Organization

JDPO Joint Planning and Development Office

JSC Joint Safety Committee 

LDR Labor Distribution Reporting System 

NAS National Airspace System 

OEP Operational Evolution Plan 

RNAV Area Navigation 

RNP Required Navigation Performance 

RVSM Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum 

SMS Safety Management System 

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System

42 | www.faa.gov

ACRONYM DEFINITION

Photo GA-ASI/Alan Wade

Photo GA-ASI/Alan Wade
Hot air balloons light up the evening skies of New Mexico. Pilots from around the globe take part in a “Balloon Glow” at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Photo © 2004 Matt Davidson/Look Around Media, LLC

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.