Portal serves air traffic controllers

FAA Office of the Assistant Administrator for Information Services and Chief Information Officer

The Federal Aviation Administration has installed a service portal designed to give air traffic controllers easier access to critical data.

The National Airspace System Adaptation Services Environment (NASE) presents customized information, based on users' requirements and roles. The previous process for culling data—regarding topics such as runway layouts and aircraft—was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

The NASE also acts as a repository, providing a centralized flow of information through the FAA's technical center in New Jersey.

A prototype of the portal is supporting the high-profile Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), according to a Jan. 13 news release from ATG, the company whose technology the NASE is built upon.

STARS presents radar and flight plan data on color displays that show detailed weather information, and it is one of the core initiatives slated to make modernization a reality in the next five years.

The Center-Tracon Automation System, which assists controllers in the agency's regional air route traffic control centers, is next in line for the portal. Eventually, it could serve up to 50 of the FAA's programs, according to ATG.

The agency's information services office (AIO) developed the NASE with Northrop Grumman Corp.'s help.

"This portal is in line with the AIO's overall data management initiatives and provides the FAA with a platform upon which it can build new applications in an e-business model," David Hinman, Northrop's director of technology, said in the release.

The NASE could be used as a repository for other agency initiatives, such as the Operational Evolution Plan, a mix of information technology and other projects designed to expand capacity to meet passenger needs, according to ATG.

"The NASE portal is the perfect example of a government agency modernizing information practices and creating a new system that will increase efficiency across the board," John Dragoon, a senior vice president of marketing and product management at ATG, said in the release.