U.S. National Airspace Modernization

About the client

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), dependent on the U.S. Department of Transportation, is the aviation authority of the United States. Its role is to regulate all aspects of civil aviation and provide air traffic control, certification, airport standards, and support to commercial space operations. In line with its mission to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world, the FAA manages the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) program, an ambitious modernization project that aims to increase the safety, efficiency, capacity, predictability, and resiliency of American aviation.

Challenge

NextGen is leading the way to implement a new air traffic management paradigm known as Trajectory Based Operations (TBO). With this goal in mind, the NextGen efforts need to produce transformational changes in the aerospace infrastructure, enable the entry of non-traditional users into aviation, such as commercial space and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and improve aviation operational efficiency together with reducing emissions. Learn more about our work in Air Traffic Management (ATM) and AAM.

This endeavour is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in U.S. history, as it is composed of complex and interlinked systems, policies, and technologies, which include communications, navigation, surveillance, automation, and information management. Undertaking this challenge requires the participation of the U.S. industry as a whole through an efficient network of collaboration and research. Organizations supporting the FAA undertake diverse roles in research and conceptualization, technology development and deployment, public engagement, and global standardization. Learn more about our experience in Government services.

Our contribution to NextGen

Skymantics is proud to have been supporting NextGen since 2017, providing program management services, conceptualization, architecture design, and software development. We participate in the following Task Orders:

Completed

  • NextGen Info Services Development Support
  • NAS Voice Switch
  • NextGen Operational Information and Data Exchange Analysis and Engineering Support
  • UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Engineering
  • NextGen Technology Developments and Prototyping
  • UTM Concept and Systems Engineering Development
  • Simulation Analysis and Support
  • Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) Assistant
  • Research and Mission Analysis
  • Flight Object Concept Engineering
  • Upper Class E Airspace Traffic Management (ETM) Systems Engineering Development
  • Connected Aircraft Information Analysis & Development
  • Information Exchange Models
  • Nextgen NOTAM Modernization
  • Flow Object
  • Surface Tactical Flow & Mobile Technologies
  • Aeronautical Information Digitization Tools and Services

Ongoing

  • Traditional Alphanumeric Code (TAC) / ICAO Weather Exchange Model (IWXXM)
  • Flight Information Management Concept (FIMC) Engineering
  • Post-departure Coordination and Airborne Coordination (PCAN)
  • AIXM
  • Information Management Enhancements
  • Surface Tactical Flow Mobile Tech
  • Connected Aircraft Information Concepts and Systems Engineering (CAICSE)

Skymantics has provided expert services successfully to the FAA under SE2025 SIR I and SIR II. We look forward to continued support to the FAA ANG organization under the FAA SETIS Contract. Learn more about our Contract Vehicles.

The Skymantics difference

As an 8(a) certified Disadvantaged Small Business, Skymantics is uniquely positioned to provide engineering and research services to U.S. Government agencies. We are part of FAA SE2025 (LST team), SETIS (Veracity and LST teams), and eFAST Contract Vehicles. With a successful past performance supporting NextGen and other aviation research programs (NASA ATM-X, NAS TRB ACRP), we understand all aspects of information management and organizational impact in aviation systems. Learn more about our offering in systems engineering and development.

We bring to the table a creative mindset to conceive and prototype solutions that challenge the status-quo and are here for the long term. We have been known for introducing innovative aspects to aviation systems including microservice architectures, geospatial information for aviation data exchange formats, and Machine Learning. Our collaborative approach facilitates exchange of knowledge and ideas within the working groups we contribute to, including global participation in standards organizations. Learn more about our offering in research and conceptualization.

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