Mike,
Thank you. That is helpful.
That said, while I see an outline of hardware goals in Flight Plan 2026, which
I support, I do not see an operational process goals, let alone metrics of
success.
What I want is hard operational goals like >%5 CO2 reduction, >85% A0, <3% day
to day A0 Standard Deviation, >8-minute scheduled block/gate time reduction per
flight by 2030.
Of course, FAA will say these are airline functions, which is exactly my point.
ATC can, and needs to provide a better infrastructure, but without an
enlightened airline user taking responsibility for the movement of their
aircraft, the airline’s “day of” operation will not improve.
Airlines refuse to take advantage of the flexibility and aircraft control they
already have today. Why does anyone think that this will change with Flight
Plan 2026.
Consider that during the implementation of all of FAA’s past programs, which
failed (slots, MLS, GDP, Miles-in-trail, AAS, ISSS, RNAV, Fans, GPS,
FreeFlight, RNP, ADS-B/C, CPDLC, ERAM, STARS, TBFM, Trajectory Based Ops, CDM,
NextGen, etc.), airlines users expected a dramatic improvement. Never happened.
But even after decades of failures, airlines still believe that FAA will
finally fix it this time and continue to put all their eggs in FAA's basket.
As to Flight Plan 2026 the closest thing to operations I saw was “Implement a
Brand New Air Traffic Control System strategy”.
Any idea what this means?
Like you, I have been at this a long time, and I have heard all these lofty
platitudes for decades. As I said, my problem is that we have seen this over
and over again over the last 5 decades and things are worse, not better.
For example, consider that FAA’s latest ATC plan has the potential to haunt the
airline’s “day of” operation, and all of aviation, for decades (Airline/User
Centric GreenLandings® Aircraft Flow Solution vs. FAA’s ATC Centric TBFM
<https://greenlandings.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GreenLandings%C2%AE-vs.-TBFM-2025-02.pdf>
, 2025-02).
Letting ATC further institutionalize their control over the movement of the
airline’s/user’s aircraft will lock out the airline’s “day of” business goals
now and into the future.
As I keep saying, “Which flight lands first, second, third, fourth, etc. is
critical to the success of an airline’s "day of" operation”.
Michael
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
R. Michael Baiada
cell - (303) 521-6047
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
From: Mike Ball <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2026 07:15
To: [email protected]
Cc: Kathryn Creedy <[email protected]>; Michael Baiada
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Mifnet đź›° 75068] Re: BNATCS?
>From Mike Ball - Peraton was awarded the Prime Integrator contract on Dec 4th.
> They have been tasked to develop a BNATCS business plan to include Ops
>Concepts for the new Infrastructure
FAA Awards Major Modernization Contracts to RTX and Indra
The FAA awarded two cornerstone contracts to RTX and Indra to replace and
modernize the nation’s aging radar and surveillance infrastructure.
Why this matters:
* The contract is part of the multi‑year, multi‑billion‑dollar overhaul
of the National Airspace System.
* It covers replacement of hundreds of primary and secondary radars, many
of which are decades old.
* The program is central to Flight Plan 2026, improving surveillance
accuracy, reducing outages, and strengthening resilience during weather and
high‑traffic events.
* RTX and Indra will provide interoperable systems designed to integrate
with ADS‑B, multilateration, and future AAM traffic‑management tools.
This is one of the most consequential FAA infrastructure awards in years and
will shape the surveillance backbone of U.S. airspace for the next generation.
Congress Returns to Washington
Lawmakers are back in session this week following the holiday recess. While no
full aviation hearings are scheduled in the first days of the session,
committee staff are preparing for:
•     Upcoming FAA oversight hearings on modernization, controller staffing,
and safety reforms.
•     Aviation Subcommittee briefings on shutdown‑protection legislation and
the FAA’s funding gap.
•     Appropriations staff meetings ahead of spring budget hearings, where FAA
Administrator Bedford is expected to defend the agency’s request for an
additional $20 billion beyond current funding levels. This funding is critical
in order for BNATCS to also award the new common automation platform.
FAA PMO leadership is not yet synced with FAA Administrator, Sectrans,
Whitehouse or Peraton. The upcoming hearings are critical to any possibility
of BNATCS success
Mike Ball
On Fri, Jan 9, 2026 at 1:55 PM Kathryn Creedy via Mifnet
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:
That's my problem. No one knows. There is no plan for us to judge whether it
will work or not. But, if all they do is replace outdated equipment it will be
a huge failure.
Cheers -- Kathryn
On Fri, Jan 9, 2026 at 12:55 PM ATHGroup--- via Mifnet <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:
Can someone explain what the Brand New ATC System (BNATCS) looks like when it
is complete?
How does the BNATCS change any of the current ATC, airline and other "day of"
operational processes?
Michael
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
R. Michael Baiada
cell - (303) 521-6047
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: 20250507
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