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.
Digital Government
Air traffic systems need better security monitoring, says watchdog
A critical inspector general report found that the FAA's air traffic systems aren't properly linked to Department of Transportation's CIO for cyber oversight purposes.
Digital Government
FAA looks to take over commercial space traffic control
The Federal Aviation Administration is making the case that it and not the military should police commercial space traffic, and Congress is helping the flight agency take the first step.
Digital Government
DARPA wants to make drone radio controls more secure
New technology could safeguard drone communications by submerging radio control signals into everyday background noise.
Digital Government
University UAS researchers share information network with NASA
UAS researchers and NASA can see each other's drone flights via a secure data network.
Digital Government
Government approves first-ever private moon voyage
In what could be considered peak privatization, the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared a commercial firm to conduct a lunar landing.
Digital Government