Air Transport Association Says ADS-B Proposed Rule Increases Cost Without Achieving Stakeholder Benefits

WASHINGTON, March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines, today submitted its formal response to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out Performance Requirements to Support Air Traffic Control (ATC) Service. The proposed rule would require that ADS-B systems be installed in aircraft in order to operate in most airspace within the National Airspace System (NAS).

ATA supports ADS-B as the cornerstone of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and we appreciated FAA’s extensive, groundbreaking work underlying the NPRM, much of which is not credited in the proposal. However, ATA holds concern that the NPRM, as written, does not increase system capacity, efficiency or environmental performance. The NPRM commits the industry to significant investments in equipage, yet fails to return any real benefits to stakeholders.

The ATA proposed alternative provides a two-phased approach that would accelerate the public benefits of ADS-B technology, advance the development of ADS-B applications and reduce the risks of future equipage that may be required.

“The FAA proposal calls for a Porsche when a Chevy can do the job,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May. “The industry needs a test vehicle, not a race-ready one and the current proposal adds unnecessary cost and complexity.” May continued, “The ATA approach, at almost half the cost of the FAA proposal, would accelerate stakeholder benefits through demonstration projects and incentivizing early equipage.”

ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For additional information about the industry, visit www.airlines.org.