FAA Upgrades NOTAM Aviation System with New Technology to Prevent Disruption

Illustration of the flight system (photo: FAA)

JAKARTA - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will launch a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) service, which will alert pilots and flight planners about changing conditions in the airspace.

The new NOTAM is scheduled to be released this year, much earlier than originally planned. The FAA is cutting through bureaucratic processes through innovative vendor challenges, in order to expedite this important work.

"The Notice to Airmen system is extremely outdated and shows serious signs of deterioration," said US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy on the FAA's official website.

In fact, he said, over the past few years they have seen several system disruptions that have caused regional flight shutdowns, massive delays, and damaged the American public's flying experience.

"It's time for our technology to enter the 21st century. Modernizing NOTAM is the first step in our efforts to deliver a completely new air traffic control system that makes air travel safer," said Duffy.

The NOTAM system itself records more than 4 million pieces of information each year, including things like runway closures, airspace restrictions, and other temporary flight obstacles.

Previously, the system was often complained about because it was complicated and difficult to access in emergency situations. This modernization will enable real-time data exchange, strengthen cooperation between stakeholders, and use a cloud-based architecture that is more robust and easy to develop.

The FAA also appointed CGI Federal, Inc. to work on the modernization of the NOTAM system and the launch of its services. CGI is currently on an accelerated schedule to launch NOTAM Modernization Services by July 2025, and the FAA is targeting an operational launch of the service by September 2025.

“The American people deserve the best aviation system in the world,” said Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. “We are working with the best and brightest to deliver an accelerated approach to bringing our technology into the 21st century.”