Problems plague FAA’s new air traffic control system, IG says

The Federal Aviation Administration's new air traffic control system has numerous technical problems and needs more testing before it is deployed to busy airports, according to the Transportation Department's inspector general.

FAA Administrator Jane Garvey disputed the IG's findings in a letter June 5, saying the system is the "most rigorously tested and seasoned software [system] the FAA has ever deployed."

The FAA is replacing its current air traffic control system with a new, $1.7 billion computer system known as the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). The system is years behind schedule, has cost nearly twice the original estimate, and has been plagued with technical problems. But over the past year, STARS has been improved and installed at a handful of smaller airports. In November, the system will be deployed at its first high-traffic airport, Philadelphia International Airport.

"We have little doubt that STARS hardware and software can be 'installed' by November, but, in our opinion, it is doubtful that it will be operationally suitable by November to control live traffic in Philadelphia and replace [the current systems]," said Transportation Inspector General Kenneth Meade in a June 3 memo to Garvey.

The memo highlighted several concerns about deploying the system at the Philadelphia airport, including:

• FAA's failure to address dozens of technical problems that could keep the system from operating effectively. So-called "critical trouble reports" highlight problems discovered during testing. "FAA has been unable to resolve this issue, and it is not clear whether FAA will allow this situation to go uncorrected at Philadelphia," the IG's memo said.
• FAA's delay in independently testing the system until after it's installed in Philadelphia. "Independent testing provides the final assurance that the product is safe, effective and suitable for full-time use in the real world," the IG said.
• FAA's increased spending on the system in recent months to have it ready by November. The IG says it is concerned that the agency may have made "tradeoffs" in the system's capabilities to have it ready by the fall.

According to Garvey, the agency's trouble reports were a sign of rigorous testing and an aggressive management approach. Garvey said in her reply to the IG that no problems have been identified that cannot be fixed, and any problems that could hamper the system's operation will be corrected before the system is installed in Philadelphia.

"On Nov. 17, the FAA will go operational in Philadelphia with a STARS system that is far superior to the legacy system it replaces. All critical trouble reports will be resolved. The system will be thoroughly tested, and will be proved safe, efficient and maintainable," Garvey wrote.