NextGen Governing Principles for Avionics Equipage

Introduction

NextGen will require investment by both the government and the private sector to be successful in delivering the desired NAS performance improvements. While lesser equipped aircraft will still be accommodated in the NAS, ensuring that a significant portion of the aircraft fleet is appropriately equipped to take advantage of NextGen infrastructure improvements is perhaps the most critical issue in achieving success. It will be extremely difficult for either operators or the FAA to realize the NextGen benefits without the installation of the equipment described in Appendix A. However, the FAA recognizes that a strong business case is necessary for operators to equip their aircraft.

Governing Principles

The following high-level governing principles establish a foundation for an integrated avionics equipage strategy aimed at accelerating NextGen operational capabilities in the 2012-2018 mid-term timeframe. These principles span possible operational, financial and regulatory actions, and will serve as the basis for future FAA decision-making, specific policy development activities, and engagement with industry stakeholders:

• Target equipage and associated capabilities to maximize operational benefits for the specific locations or airspace that require a higher performance level in order to elevate system performance and to satisfy demand.
• Leverage and maximize the benefit of existing equipage.
• Take advantage of normal maintenance cycles to minimize disruptions to operators when installing new equipment.
• Leverage operational evaluations and other cooperative arrangements with industry to accelerate NextGen equipage.
• Consistent with safe and efficient operations, provide “best-equipped, best-served” priority in the NAS to early adopters.
• Minimize the business risk associated with early deployment of NextGen equipage, such as those resulting from application of initial certification standards; FAA may assume portions of that risk or otherwise incentivize operators.
• Target government provided financial incentives for new equipment toward aircraft that will meet evolving environmental requirements.
• Harmonize operations, performance requirements and avionics solutions globally to ensure maximum benefits to operators who fly internationally.

The FAA will work with the aviation community in 2009 on further definition and application of these principles. The FAA expects to work through the RTCA NextGen Implementation Task Force on the policy aspects of these principles, while working on aircraft-specific application of the principles and policies with individual operators and manufacturers.

Reference

• Targeted Mid-Term Avionics