Houston air traffic controllers are now using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to more efficiently and safely separate and manage aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico. “Safety is our highest priority at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and this new satellite-based technology will help the FAA improve the safety of flights over the Gulf even as air traffic increases,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This is a significant, early step toward NextGen,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a press conference at the Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center. “We’re delivering on time, a system that’s not only more accurate than radar but comes with significant safety and efficiency benefits. This will save time and money for aircraft operators and passengers and reduce our carbon footprint.” ADS-B, which is one of the technologies at the heart of the transformation to NextGen, brings air traffic control to the Gulf of Mexico, an area that has not had the benefit of radar coverage. Before ADS-B, controllers had to rely on an aircraft’s estimated or reported — not actual — position. Individual helicopters flying under Instrument Flight Rule conditions at low altitudes to and from oil platforms were isolated within 20x20 mile boxes in order to remain safely separated from other helicopters. The complex, manual nature of these operations severely reduced capacity and efficiency for the 5,000 to 9,000 daily helicopter operations in the Gulf of Mexico.