“An analysis sponsored by FAA’s Joint Planning and Development Office indicates that NextGen capabilities originally planned for 2025 could cost the government and airspace users several times the current projected cost estimate of $40 billion,” DOT Inspector General Calvin Scoville told Congress Wednesday in the first hearing to discuss the RTCA recommendations made over the summer. “Further, it is likely that some of NextGen’s advanced automated air and ground capabilities will not be implemented until 2035 or later.” Related Story

With such pronouncements it is little wonder that aviation can gain little budgetary traction on Capitol Hill and FAA did little to assuage concerns. Testimony by FAA NextGen Chief Operating Officer Air Traffic Organization Hank Krankowski seemed to indicate that while the industry is trying to move ahead quickly with what can be deployed, the agency is more interested in establishing additional bureaucracies rather than just getting on with it.

“The task force made 28 recommendations to FAA aimed at leveraging equipment already on aircraft and new procedures, enhancing information sharing among FAA and airspace users, and reducing delays in the air and on the ground, said Scovill. “The report reflects the industry’s perspective and focuses on achieving a rapid return on FAA and industry investments. The task force’s report represents the first time stakeholders have committed to near- or mid-term efforts. Implementing RTCA’s recommendations will require FAA to adjust budgets and plans, as well as establish milestones for initiatives. In addition, FAA will face other challenges — or barriers — in implementing RTCA’s recommendations for NextGen.”

He explained the creation of NextGen Management Board, under which is the NextGen Review Board, as the governance structure put in place to assure successful deployment and implementation. While this may seem laudable, it sounded more like re-arranging the deck chairs. There is also Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (ATMAC) and its workgroups, a Federal Advisory Committee of the RTCA. All three are evaluating Task Force recommendations issued over the summer and it is hoped they will take more actions than meetings.

Meanwhile, the IG outlined an impressive to-do list that FAA could be getting to immediately. “The cost, schedule, and benefits for NextGen are uncertain,” he told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Wednesday, saying the RTCA recommendations cited the same concerns on FAA management of the program as his office has in the past. “Our work shows that a number of operational and management issues must be addressed to successfully transition to NextGen and implement task force recommendations. The findings of the task force are not only consistent with our work but also identify several new areas that will require FAA’s attention, including adjustments to current agency plans and budgets. It is essential that FAA go beyond endorsing the task force’s recommendations and develop plans to initiate action.”

And this is what Congress is looking for if NextGen is to move from drawing table to reality. Krakowski’s testimony compared with Scovill’s, coupled with the 28 RTCA recommendations, only emphasize why aviation issues fail to capture Congressional action. However much the industry extols the virtues of NextGen and the latest limited deployment of NextGen technology, the fact remains that progress is stymied by FAA.

Scovill cited the agency’s failure to change budgets and plans and develop metrics for assessing progress and measuring benefits.

“A top priority will require making fundamental changes in how FAA implements new navigation procedures — Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) — which are key to achieving NextGen’s benefits,” said Scovill. “We also identified major management issues that need to be addressed, such as establishing firm requirements that can translate into cost and schedule baselines for NextGen capabilities and revamping the agency’s Acquisition Management System. Until these challenges are addressed, FAA will be unable to effectively manage NextGen or implement task force recommendations. Further, FAA does not track data that would allow it to determine which RNP procedures are being used and why. In addition, we found that out-of-date air traffic policies on how to use the new procedures at airports with parallel runways have precluded their use.”

He also cited the fact that insufficient training for controllers and pilots have limited the use of RNAV/RNP procedures at some airports. One of the greatest concerns is the failure of FAA to clearly define the role non-government third parties in developing RNAV/RNP procedures. Indeed, FAA program officials and airlines disagree on the extent to which third parties should be used.

“FAA does not plan to use third parties to help speed the adoption of RNP procedures for NextGen,” he said. “However, industry representatives are skeptical of FAA’s ability to deliver the more complex procedures in a timely manner and continue to believe third parties could help speed up the adoption of quality RNP procedures. RNAV/RNP program officials are concerned that air carriers will increasingly request third parties to develop special procedures — rather than rely on FAA’s public procedures — further increasing the complexity of airspace management and the workload of air traffic controllers.”

Scovill indicated that the credibility of the FAA has lost ground since his testimony only six months ago. “It is less certain today than it was when we testified in March 2009 how FAA will realize NextGen’s capabilities,” he said. “FAA has been slow to make a ‘gap analysis’ of the current system and the vastly different NextGen.”

And the IG is not the only one. Committee Chair James Oberstar wondered aloud about the ability of the FAA to manage something this complex, citing its questionable record in the past. This brings into sharp relief the task ahead especially given the difficulty of saying to the agency – if you are not going to help, get out of the way.