Modernization

FAA, FCC tackle hurricane complications

Unauthorized drones in the air over hurricane disaster zone and telecommunications outages are among the myriad issues facing response agencies as Hurricane Harvey churns through Texas.

Digital Government

Senate bill would foster drone development, facilities

New legislation would foster drone tech development, airspace integration and air traffic management.

Digital Government

Senators not sold on privatizing air traffic control

President Trump's plan to privatize air traffic control operations is getting a cool reception from senators on both sides of the aisle.

Modernization

White House funds federal spectrum study

OMB funds research on how to consolidate multiple federal radar capabilities to free up government-owned spectrum for the commercial market.

Modernization

Trump pushes plan to privatize air traffic control

The White House is backing long-held plans to privatize air traffic control operations to jumpstart progress on a massive technology upgrade.

Digital Government

White House seeks authority to track and destroy drones

Under draft legislation, federal agencies would have the authority to disable or destroy drone aircraft deemed dangerous to government operations.

Modernization

GOP continues push to privatize air traffic control

Have the stars finally aligned behind a long-planned push to outsource air traffic control operations?

Digital Government

Court strikes down FAA's drone registration rule

Registration system "directly violates" a 2012 law, a federal appeals court concluded.

Digital Government

Culture clash in FAA's drone push

The FAA's efforts to integrate unmanned drone aircraft safely into U.S. commercial airspace is moving ahead on several fronts, according to the agency's director, but it requires reconciling cultural differences.

Digital Government

FAA rolls out no-drone zones

The agency released new data detailing drone flight restrictions around airports and military bases and has begun a process that could further restrict private drone use.

Acquisition

Trump's budget revives calls for air traffic shift

There are serious obstacles to moving air traffic operations away from the FAA, despite calls to do so in the president's budget.

Modernization

More NextGen rollouts as White House floats air traffic shift

The FAA has NextGen DataComm capabilities working at some of the busiest airports in the U.S., but the White House proposes shifting air traffic control to a private entity, which some say could blunt the effort.

Modernization

Close calls with unmanned aircraft increase

The number of close encounters between civilian aircraft and unmanned drones in national airspace is on the rise, the FAA reports.

Modernization

Senators quiz IGs on NextGen, FirstNet

Senators on the Commerce Committee are looking to agency watchdogs for news and oversight of large IT infrastructure projects like FAA's NextGen and the Commerce Department's FirstNet.

Modernization

Airspace integration takes more than tech

Integrating commercial space vehicles into the National Air Space is an organizational challenge as well as a technical one, experts say.

Modernization

FAA challenged by growing commercial space industry

The flight agency is looking to adapt and expand its mission to meet the demands of growing space commercialization.

Modernization

FAA looks to spur spectrum sharing tech

The FAA is leading a multi-agency effort to encourage commercial innovation in spectrum sharing.

Cybersecurity

Consolidation could be coming to federal radar

Multiple agencies are participating in an FAA-led bid to optimize spectrum use for aircraft and weather surveillance.

Modernization

FAA closes in on Next Gen Data Comms

The Federal Aviation Administration is close to its goal of deploying text communication capabilities to 56 air traffic control towers by year's end.

Digital Government

FAA should examine near-space vehicles, GAO says

GAO has told the FAA to take a look at how it might regulate near-space vehicles as commercialization of the last frontier continues.