• What is the National Airspace System?
• What is the National Airspace System Architecture 6?
• Where does the data for the National Airspace System Architecture 6 originate and how current is it?
• What are the differences between the “Views” listed in the left-hand navigation bar?
• Where can one obtain more information about this site?
• What is the Next Generation Air Transportation System and how does it relate to NAS 6?
• How does this NAS 6 site relate to the NAS Enterprise Architecture?
• What are Service Roadmaps and how do they relate to NAS 6?
• What are Infrastructure Roadmaps and how do they relate to National Airspace System Architecture 6?
  • What is the evolution plan for NAS Automation Systems? (slide 2)
  • What is the evolution plan for NAS Communication Systems?
  • What is the evolution plan for NAS Navigation Systems?
  • What is the evolution plan for NAS Surveillance Systems?
  • What is the evolution plan for NAS Weather Systems? (slide 2)
  • What is the evolution plan for Aircraft Avionics?
  • What is the evolution plan for NAS Facilities?
• What is the Target System Description?
• What is the Operational Evolution Partnership?

What is the National Airspace System?

The National Airspace System (NAS) is the most complex aviation system in the world-consisting of thousands of people, procedures, facilities, and pieces of equipment-that enables safe and expeditious air travel in the United States and over large portions of the world's oceans.

The NAS requires 14,500 air traffic controllers, 4,500 aviation safety inspectors, and 5,800 technicians to operate and maintain services. It has more than 19,000 airports and 600 air traffic control facilities. In all, there are 41,000 NAS operational facilities. In addition, there are over 71,000 pieces of equipment, ranging from radar systems to communication relay stations.

On average, about 50,000 flights use NAS services each day.

What is the National Airspace System Architecture 6?

The National Airspace System (NAS) Architecture 6 (NAS 6) is an update to NAS Architecture 5. NAS 6 represents a continuation of FAA's multiyear framework to measure progress in modernizing the NAS. NAS 6 incorporates many of the different agency plans and programs as well as reflects changes in the FAA's budget and FAA Joint Resources Council decisions. Updates in NAS 6 also reflect changes in the Joint FAA/Industry concept of operations, and FAA Administrator goals and strategies that appear in the FAA Flight Plan.

Specifically, the NAS Architecture overall represents the proposed execution of several key modernization plans: the FAA's Flight Plan; the NAS Operational Evolution Plan, which has been expanded into the NAS Operational Evolution Partnership; the NAS Capital Investment Plan; and the National Aviation Research Plan. NAS 6 is a comprehensive, multiyear plan for improving the NAS and ultimately reflecting the plans for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or the NextGen, to be fully operational in the year 2025. The Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) is coordinating the NextGen, and NAS 6 will be aligned with NextGen planning.

NAS 6 includes a series of Operational Improvements, or OIs, to assist users and manufacturers in planning their operations and investments. The OIs in NAS 6 will be updated in line with the plans for development of the NextGen.

Where does the data for the National Airspace System Architecture 6 originate and how current is it?

The data comes from various FAA planning documents, including the annual NAS Capital Investment Plan, the annual National Aviation Research Plan, Air Traffic Organization Executive Council decisions, and FAA Joint Resources Council Records of Decision. Additionally, some data comes from the individual Integrated Product Teams. The data is entered into NAS 6 as expeditiously as possible after being received.

What are the differences among the "Views" listed in the left-hand navigation bar?

The Executive Views show the evolution of major FAA investments/programs in today's National Airspace System (NAS) services and infrastructures to meet future demand. The roadmaps lay out the strategic activities (service delivery and infrastructure) to improve NAS operations and move toward the NextGen vision. The roadmaps are updated as research and analyses more clearly define the NAS evolution.

The Financial Views show how the FAA funds its various programs and activities. The Program Funding Profile shows how the National Airspace Architecture budget (F&E, R&D, O&M, and AIP) flows from Programs to Projects to Segments and finally to Mechanisms. The Planned F&E (CIP) Functional Area Profile shows how funding is split between various program functional areas, including Automation, Communication, Surveillance, Navigation, and Weather. The Planned F&E (CIP) Service Unit Profile shows how funding is split between FAA Service Units.

The Location Views allow users to locate an FAA facility by entering part of its name or location.

The Mechanism View allows users to search for a Mechanism by either a "Text Search" or "Hierarchy Search".

The Service View allows users to review Service Groups, Services, Capabilities, and Operational Improvements.

Where can one obtain more information about this site?

The Reference and Tutorial Section contains additional information on this site and its use. For further information, use the Comment Link at the top of any NAS page.

What is the Next Generation Air Transportation System and how does it relate to NAS 6?

To ultimately meet U.S. air travel demands by 2025, the Congress set up a Joint Program Development Office (JPDO) to manage a multi agency effort to create the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The NextGen initiative is to transform the U.S. air transportation system by 2025 into a more flexible, resilient, scalable, adaptive, and highly automated system able to meet up to two to three times current air travel demand

NAS 6 records the programmatic information being planned to accomplish the NextGen initiative. Additionally, the Service Roadmaps in NAS 6 are being harmonized with the NextGen Operational Improvements being derived from the NextGen Concept of Operations (CONOPS).

See www.jpdo.aero for more information about the NextGen initiative.

How does this NAS 6 site relate to the NAS Enterprise Architecture?

NAS 6 is a repository of information supporting the NAS Enterprise Architecture (NASEA). NAS 6 provides descriptions, schedules, and funding data for all projects in the current NAS Capital Investment Plan out to the year 2025, in some cases. NAS 6 also includes in the Simplified NAS chart, which identifies "as is" FAA facilities and their respective fielded systems and subsystems. In addition, NAS 6 includes the NAS Infrastructure Roadmaps dealing with the Automation, Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, and Weather domains. Thus, NAS 6 is a foundation for developing the NASEA.

What are Service Roadmaps and how do they relate to NAS 6?

The Service Roadmaps (XV-2 view in the NAS Enterprise Architecture) are multiyear views of the planned service improvements and sustainment initiatives. This view consists of a structured graphic for the roadmap accompanied by a set of assumptions and a list of key decisions. The roadmaps ultimately lead to the NextGen in 2025.

Following are the Service Roadmaps titles: Initiate Trajectory Based Operations, Increase Arrivals/Departures at High Density Airports, Increase Flexibility in the Terminal Environment, Improve Collaborative ATM, Reduce Weather Impact, Increase Safety, Security, and Environmental Performance (Safety, Security, Environment), Transform Facilities.

What are Infrastructure Roadmaps and how do they relate to National Airspace System Architecture 6?

Infrastructure Roadmaps (XV-3 view in the NAS Enterprise Architecture) are multiyear views of planned infrastructure improvements and sustainment initiatives. This view contains programmatic and schedule information that defines the enabling infrastructure (i.e., people, systems, facilities, and support activities) to deliver desired aviation services to the aviation community and aviation services providers. This product consists of a structured graphic for the roadmap accompanied by a set of assumptions and a list of key decisions.

The following domains will have Infrastructure Roadmaps approved by the FAA Joint Resources Council (JRC):Automation (slide 2), Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, and Weather (slide 2).

There is an additional Avionics Roadmap, which will not carry JRC approval because the FAA does not develop avionics, but is involved in certifying them. The Avionics Roadmap shows the user community how changes to the NAS infrastructure will affect them. For example, mandatory equipment in selected airspace would require users to invest in new avionics. The avionics infrastructure roadmap also depicts what the FAA must accomplish to have certified avionics equipment required for the new required system performance paradigm.

What is the Target System Description?

The Target System Description (TSD) was a view developed in 2003 envisioning the National Airspace System (NAS) Architecture for the year 2015. The TSD was based on the joint FAA and industry operational concept for planning and conducting flights with greater safety, flexibility, and efficiency. The result of TSD will be subsumed into the Next Generation Air Transportation System.

What is the Operational Evolution Partnership?

The Operational Evolution Partnership is the FAA's plan for implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The multi-agency Joint Planning and Development Office is coordinating NexGen implementation.

The Operational Evolution Partnership is an expansion of the existing Operational Evolution Plan (OEP). The OEP had been the agency's chief capacity-enhancement document since 2001. With release of version 8 in May 2006, the OEP contained all of the commitments to produce the 30 percent increase in effective capacity that the plan originally promised. This, in itself, was a great success story for the FAA and the aviation industry. As of November 2006, this cross-agency plan contained some 150 operational milestones; a group of top executives-including the Deputy Administrator, the ATO Chief Operating Officer, and key Associate Administrators-are monitoring the milestones' progress.

The Operational Evolution Partnership will become the agency's "one plan" to provide continuity between what is and what is to come. The partnership focuses specifically on the FAA and agency capabilities contributed to the NextGen. The OEP had already gained cross-agency and community support and had a proven monitoring process in place.

The new Operational Evolution Partnership will harmonize existing FAA plans and concepts and, like the OEP, will provide a real and tangible foundation the agency and its partners can use to chart the future.

Additional information at www.faa.gov/programs/oep/partnership/Index.htm