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FAA Actions Are Urgently Needed to Modernize Aging Air Traffic Control Systems

After a shutdown of the national airspace in 2023 due to an aging air traffic control (ATC) system outage, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted an operational risk assessment to evaluate the sustainability of all ATC systems. The assessment determined that of its 138 systems, 51 (37 percent) were unsustainable and 54 (39 percent) were potentially unsustainable.

These challenges are due to, among other things, availability of parts, growing airspace demand, and expanding mission needs. FAA anticipates continued growth and forecasts that air travel will increase, on average, by 6.2 percent annually.

GAO is making seven recommendations to FAA to help address these issues.
Date: Sep 23, 2024
Runtime: 00:00:47
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Air Traffic Control: FAA Actions Are Urgently Needed to Modernize Aging Systems
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