The RTCA Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee (ATMAC) held its final meeting August 4th at RTCA headquarters, completing more than six years of important service advising the FAA on issues affecting the safety and efficiency of the US air traffic control system. This consensus-based committee has been instrumental in addressing emerging issues such as ADS-B, Data Comm and global harmonization, as well as operational issues such as access to special use airspace and collaborative decision making. The Committee was also helpful in encouraging the FAA to form an RTCA Task Force on NextGen Near-Term Implementation that completed its work last fall.

"We are pleased with the tremendous effort by the members of ATMAC. They have served the community well," said RTCA President Margaret Jenny. "We agree with the FAA that it is now time to expand the engagement model between the industry and the FAA as we move ahead with modernizing the aviation system."

That is why the FAA has asked RTCA to create a new committee to build on the FAA-Industry collaboration that was so effective during and since the RTCA NextGen Implementation Task Force (TF5). The FAA has asked that the new advisory group include industry participants who speak for safety, airport, environmental, security, and global harmonization, as well as air traffic interests. This new committee will focus on issues related to near and mid-term implementation, with the FAA’s Deputy Administrator, Michael Huerta, serving as the Designated Federal Official.

"We are at a point that we need to broaden the scope of our advisory work for the FAA to encompass the entire scope of what NextGen entails – in the US and around the world," stated Jenny.

RTCA and the FAA are currently in the process of developing the Terms of Reference for this new committee which should hold its first meeting this fall.