The FAA has installed its 100th Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) system. The surveillance technology uses ADS-B data to help air traffic controllers track aircraft and vehicles in real time, even during poor weather or low visibility.
ATC
smartATIS Automates Weather Broadcasts at KAPF
Naples Airport in Florida has modernized its operations by implementing the Frequentis smartATIS system, replacing manual updates with automated real-time weather and airfield broadcasts. The upgrade reduces controller workload, alleviates radio frequency congestion, and guarantees pilots receive the most current information before landing.
College’s Future Takes Flight Campaign Gets First Donation
The donation will fund the purchase of a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tabletop simulator, an advanced training tool designed to replicate real-world runway environments, including layouts modeled after Beaver County Airport (KBVI), Pittsburgh International Airport (KPIT), and the FAA training academy in Oklahoma City, according to college officials.
New Tower In the Works for KISM
The City of Kissimmee has secured a $10 million federal grant through the FAA Contract Tower Program to build a new air traffic control tower at Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM), replacing the airport’s aging facility built in 1997.
FAA To Replace Towers Across The Country
The agency will replace eight towers and TRACONs, as well as invest more than $85 million to upgrade contract towers.
What’s Behind the Controller Shortage?
A data analysis of 94,000 NTSB accident records and NASA reports reveals a controller workforce in crisis.
Mandatory Reporting: Fact vs. Fiction
Justin, a private pilot in Texas, writes: “There’s a lot of chatter online about Air Traffic Control Towers “having to” report any mechanical issue a pilot has to the FAA and pilots having to follow up on incidents with the FSDO. Is this new? Where does this come from? What rises to the level of being reported? And what should you do if the FAA calls or writes?”
Replace How Many Radars?
The new contract calls for replacing 612 radars by June 2028.
FAA names company that will oversee ATC modernization
Peraton will coordinate the design, testing, and deployment of a modernized ATC system, representing a major shift from decades of incremental fixes. Peraton will also ensure new technologies are brought online safely and work seamlessly across the National Airspace System.