ATA Objects to ADS-B Plan

The ADS-B plan issued by the Federal Aviation Administration increases costs because the equipment is too expensive and does not achieve stakeholder benefits, said the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) as it submitted its comments to the plan yesterday. The comments were directed at the 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).
“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. The ATA approach, at almost half the cost of the FAA proposal, would accelerate stakeholder benefits through demonstration projects and [providing incentives for] early equipage.”