AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: SMALLER TERMINAL SYSTEMS' CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS NEED TO BE DEFINED

The General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) efforts to provide automated safety enhancements for air traffic controllers at smaller Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities. To implement the enhancements and upgrade existing automation systems at these TRACONs, FAA is deploying the Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS) IIA. GAO's objectives were to (1) determine the extent of and reasons for delays in developing, testing, and deploying the ARTS IIA hardware and software, and (2) determine if FAA has adequately identified current and future computer capacity requirements for smaller TRACONs. Results, in brief, are as follows: Installation of safety enhancements at smaller TRACONs has been delayed about 3 years because FAA did not properly manage the program. FAA also does not have a computer capacity and performance management program for its smaller TRACONs. FAA is uncertain whether ARTS IIA will meet FAA's needs at smaller TRACONs. FAA needs to improve management of future TRACON automation acquisitions and upgrades by making production decisions only after development is complete, controlling system requirements changes after contract award, and requiring contractors to perform integrated testing. Further, FAA needs to implement a computer capacity and performance management program for smaller TRACON automation systems, and define future capacity requirements prior to expanding ARTS IIA.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report to Congressional Requesters.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1990-6

Media Info

• Features: Appendices;
• Pagination: 14 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Approach control; Automated radar terminal system; Automation; Computers; Management; Needs assessment; Radar air traffic control; Terminal air traffic control; Traffic delays
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Capacity
• Old TRIS Terms: Terminal radar approach control facilities
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00600588
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/IMTEC-90-50
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 1990 12:00AM