The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a new initiative to upgrade the technology that manages air traffic flow across the United States. The agency is seeking an industry partner to develop a replacement for its current Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS), which is used by controllers to plan and implement strategies aimed at minimizing delays and congestion in the National Airspace. These delays can result from severe weather, airport volume, runway closures, or staffing issues.
The FAA is introducing a vendor challenge to create a new Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) system. This system will be designed as a modern, scalable, and sustainable successor to TFMS. Interested parties are encouraged to visit SAM.gov for details on the request for information.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said, “The new FMDS program will replace current technology that is decades-old and struggling with performance and maintainability issues. If we want the gold-standard of air traffic control, we need to give air traffic controllers the tools they need to succeed. We look forward to partnering with a company who will help achieve our goals of safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System.”
This modernization effort fulfills a requirement in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act for updating the Traffic Flow Management program. It also aligns with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy’s strategy to develop a new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system. The FAA expects to select a prime integrator responsible for building the new FMDS by the end of October.
