FAA Unveils Cooperative Ten-Year Plan to Expand Capacity, Manage Delays

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
unveiled today an operationally oriented plan that addresses the
growing gap between demand and capacity in the air transportation
system. FAA Administrator Jane F. Garvey called the plan a first
because it integrates and aligns the agency's activities with those
of the aviation industry and users of the system.

"This far-reaching plan grew out of systematic collaboration with
the airlines, airports and other members of the aviation
community and also reflects a coordinated effort within the FAA,"
Garvey said. The Operational Evolution Plan (OEP) is the FAA's
commitment to meet the air transportation needs of the United
States for the next ten years. It focuses on maintaining safety,
increasing capacity and managing delays.

The OEP calls for:

·Expanding implementation of area navigation (RNAV) procedures;
·Completing the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) of
satellite-based navigation;
·Introducing datalink to reduce voice communications between
pilots and controllers, and
·Reducing vertical separation of aircraft at high altitudes from
2,000 feet to 1,000 feet.

Calling the OEP "a fundamental change in the way we do
business," Garvey said it calls for specific commitments and
schedules on the part of the FAA and also requires the agency's
partners in aviation, particularly the airlines, to make significant
investments in aircraft avionics and pilot training. That is why
the FAA has worked diligently to get broad industry support for the
plan. The agency held numerous meetings with industry and
received a significant number of comments that have been
incorporated into the OEP, she said.

The plan lays out specific tasks to be accomplished in the
near-term (2001 and 2002), mid-term (2002 to 2004) and long term
(2005 to 2010). The FAA and the industry consider the OEP to be
an evolving document that will be modified, particularly to
incorporate new technologies as they emerge.