The FAA predicts a 60 percent increase in the number of passengers and a doubling of cargo volume by 2010, resulting in a 25 percent increase in aircraft operations. Having more planes using the air traffic system will exacerbate the impact of bad weather, because there will be less slack in the system. With several hundred RJs coming into the airlines' fleets each year, these popular planes will be a factor in delays. Although new technology for the air traffic system is not a silver bullet, it can expand somewhat the effective capacity of our nation's airways and runways. Queues must allow enough separation to ensure that one plane's wake does not create dangerous turbulence for the next plane in line.
New technology can also increase the safety of air travel.
However, the FAA's effort to modernize its air traffic system technology has not kept pace with either the emergence of new hardware or the growing demand for air travel. Despite significant improvements in recent years, some modernization projects are delayed and over-budget. Moreover, in part because of federal budget regarding agency borrowing, the FAA has not always had all of the funds needed for long-term capital investments and research and development. Because of its overriding importance to the safety and security of American travelers, air traffic control is an inherently governmental function. Nevertheless, in several key respects the air traffic system has characteristics that make it best managed as a separate unit distinct from the rest of FAA activities.