ADS-B oppdatering - USA

FAA chief: We won't extend deadline to change aircraft tracking equipment

Michael Huerta, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

Aircraft owners have until Jan. 1, 2020, to update their aircraft to be compliant with new satellite-based aircraft tracking technology, and it's a deadline the Federal Aviation Administration's top officer told stakeholders in Wichita this week that won't be changed.

The technology, known as ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast), will be the cornerstone of the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System, dubbed NexGen.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told the Wichita Aero Club on Tuesday that the requirement for operators to have 100-equipage by the deadline is set in stone.

FAA chief stresses importance of partnerships to aviation's future

But, he added, the FAA is working with industry partners to ensure a smooth transition.
Throughout his speech to the Aero Club, Huerta repeatedly referred to the importance of innovation in aviation, and the move to the NextGen system will be a series of innovations that will influence the nation's airspace, aircraft owners, manufacturers and pilots for decades to come.

Aircraft will be required to be equipped with ADS-B Out technology by the deadline, which transmits information about airspeed, location and altitude collected through GPS. That information is transmitted to ground stations and other equipped aircraft in the area. Air traffic controllers can use the data for more precise traffic management.

ADS-B, though not part of the mandate, allows equipped aircraft to receive traffic and weather information.


According to information from the Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association, the cost of upgrading to be compliant with the mandate - $5,000 to $6,000 - has been a hindrance.

The FAA estimated that only 10 percent of the general aviation fleet had been upgraded at the end of fiscal year 2014.