Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) is the surface management solution for NextGen. With growing congestion on the airport surface due to the increase in commercial air traffic nationwide, the need for efficient aircraft traffic planning on the airport ground is critical. The TFDM Overview (PDF) provides a high level system description.

TFDM is one of the seven NextGen Transformational Programs and one of three Traffic Management Programs in the FAA's Decision Support Systems.

TFDM – Surface Management Tool for NextGen

  • Streamlines the sequence of aircraft scheduled to depart, while accounting for aircraft scheduled to arrive, to maximize airport efficiency and reduce delays.
  • Optimizes the experience for flying public, Air Traffic Control (ATC), and the airline industry.
  • Modernizes Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) equipment and provides electronic flight strips to controllers.
  • Uses surface surveillance and flow-management capabilities in its predictive modeling for improved departure management, ground movement, and flight coordination.

TFDM Capabilities

  • Electronic Flight Data
  • Traffic Flow Management
  • Collaborative Decision Making for the Surface
  • Systems Consolidation

Read more about TFDM Capabilities.

TFDM will deploy two configurations, A and B.

As demand for our nation's airspace grows, smarter NextGen technologies are making air travel more efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly. TFDM's powerful Collaborative Decision Making tools will help stakeholders make flights more efficient from gate to gate, and greatly improve the current traffic prediction state. Its capabilities will be implemented incrementally beginning in 2020.

Program Management Organization (PMO)

TFDM is part of the Program Management Organization (PMO). Within the PMO, the Air Traffic Systems (ATS) Directorate is responsible for systems that support tactical operations today, as well as for developing new surveillance and automation tools that are the basis for NextGen. Within the ATS, Decision Support Services (DSS) facilitates the NextGen vision through multiple programs, including TFDM.

TFDM Points of Contact (POC)