The Department of Transportation is looking for a partner in the private sector to spearhead a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system.
The department on Tuesday issued a request for information, which allows interested companies to explain how their expertise and capabilities would advance the project. A request for information usually precedes a request for proposal (RFI), which solicits bids from potential contractors.
The RFI is seeking an “integrator,” or lead contractor, who would handle nearly every aspect of the ATC rebuild, including the construction of new facilities and the installation of new telecommunications and radio equipment and surveillance systems.
The document poses 38 questions hitting on topics from past experience to timetables and cost-saving measures. Interested parties are also asked what obstacles they foresee and how they stand apart from their likely competitors.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA are hosting “Industry Days” at DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C., next week to encourage companies to participate and discuss the plan.
“We have an antiquated air traffic control system that is showing its age,” Duffy said Tuesday.
“In order to implement President Trump and I’s plan for a brand new system, we need the technical expertise and management experience from the best innovators in the world.”
New Vision
The DOT’s modernization plan calls for the construction of six new ATC centers and 15 towers, the biggest buildout of its kind since the 1960s.
Every piece of equipment currently used by air traffic controllers, from radios and computers to navigation tools, would be replaced, and archaic technology like floppy disks would be phased out. The plan also envisions the integration of fiber-optic cables, wireless devices, and satellite systems into the broader ATC network.
The effort has taken on added urgency following periodic ATC outages at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) in New Jersey that caused hundreds of flight delays and cancellations.
The Trump administration expects to complete the rebuild in three years. It has not said how much the project will cost.
At the time the overhaul was first announced, Trump said it would be his preference for a single contractor to handle the entire project. He suggested IBM and Raytheon as possible candidates.
