U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has revealed that the Federal Aviation Administration is moving forward with the process of hiring a prime integrator, which will lead the design and manage the creation of a new air traffic control system. The FAA said Thursday that companies can submit their proposals through a request for solutions on Sept. 1.
DOT and FAA are aiming to have the new air traffic control system ready in three to four years, as part of an effort to enhance flight safety, reduce outages and modernize outdated technology by replacing core equipment like radar, software and telecommunication networks. They are speeding up their process of choosing contractors and using a new type of procurement contract that rewards contractors for meeting goals and penalizes them for missing deadlines. The prime integrator will oversee the project, including acquiring capabilities and implementing new technologies. This comes after Duffy initially announced in June that the FAA was seeking contractors to implement a new air traffic control system.
Remarks from DOT’s Sean Duffy, FAA’s Bryan Bedford
Commenting on the development, Duffy said, “This is the next important step to making our skies safer and air travel more efficient. To avoid the missed deadlines and mistakes of the past, we’ve designed an innovative process to select and contract with one Prime Integrator.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford also welcomed the development.
“Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, we have the down payment to start building a new system. The next step is getting the integrator on board, and we are on track. We are ready to get to work to make sure our controllers have the very best technology,” he said.
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