The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expediting an upgrade to its essential Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system, which provides crucial safety information to pilots and flight planners regarding airspace changes. This development is set to roll out this year, sooner than anticipated.
The FAA adopted a streamlined approach to accelerate the modernization effort, effectively bypassing traditional bureaucratic hurdles. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy voiced the urgency, stating, “The Notice to Airmen system is deeply outdated and showing serious cracks. Over the last few years, we’ve seen multiple system outages ground regional air travel, create extensive delays, and otherwise ruin the flying experience for the American people. It’s time our technology enters the 21st Century. NOTAM modernization is the first step as we work to deliver an all-new air traffic control system that makes air travel safer and more efficient.”
The outdated NOTAM system issues over 4 million notices annually, informing about critical changes like runway closures and airspace restrictions. The planned modernization is anticipated to facilitate near-real-time data exchange, bolstering data flows and enhancing collaboration among stakeholders. The new system will be cloud-hosted, offering a robust and scalable architecture.
Motivation for the upgrade is partly fueled by a significant NOTAM system failure in January 2023, which exposed vulnerabilities in the existing setup. As part of the enhancement effort, the FAA has engaged CGI Federal, Inc., to spearhead the modernization and planned deployment of the system.
Work on the NOTAM Modernization Service is moving forward rapidly with a targeted completion by July 2025. The FAA aims to operationalize the service by September 2025. Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau emphasized the agency's commitment, stating, “Americans deserve the best aviation system in the world. We worked with the best and brightest and came up with an accelerated approach to bring our technology into the 21st Century.”
