Air Traffic Control

This briefing report provides information on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control modernization program, which is acquiring radars, computers, and communications networks to make air travel more safe and efficient. Facilities and equipment appropriations, the main source of funding for air traffic control modernization, have risen ten fold, from about $260 million in fiscal year 1982 to almost $2.4 billion 10 years later. FAA is seeking $2.7 billion in its fiscal year 1993 budget request, a 13-percent increase over the fiscal year 1992 appropriation. To assist Congress in its review of the fiscal year 1993 facilities and equipment budget and its continuing oversight of the Aviation System Capital Investment Plan, which is what the air traffic control modernization effort is now called, GAO provides cost and schedule information on the plan as a whole as well as on specific projects.

GAO found that: (1) as of October 1991, FAA estimated that 1991 CIP projects would require $31.9 billion through 2000, which is more than one-half billion dollars over its 1990 estimate; (2) the cost increase is primarily attributable to cost changes in original NAS projects that are included in CIP; (3) for fiscal year 1982 through 1992, Congress has appropriated about $13.4 billion of the $31.9 billion that FAA estimates is needed for CIP; (4) the 36 projects FAA has completed comprises approximately 3 percent of the total estimated modernization costs through 2000; (5) the FAA $31.9 billion estimate may not have recognized all of the modernization funding needed, since FAA based the estimate on a constantly changing NAS consolidation plan; (6) although FAA based its current funding estimates on its original plan to consolidate over 200 facilities into 23 facilities, FAA is discussing a new plan that would require over 50 facilities; (7) of the 12 major projects reviewed, all of the projects had either experienced cost increases or schedule delays, and some had experienced both; and (8) the 12 projects reviewed incurred cost increases ranging from $13 million to $219.2 million due to spare part purchases, facility construction, system integration, and changing requirements.