The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants a new centralized platform that air traffic controllers can use to receive flight data and move aircraft between different parts of the airspace, the agency said last week.
In a request for information (RFI) posted to the Federal Register on Nov. 20, the FAA said it wants a common automation platform (CAP) solution to replace its current air traffic control (ATC) legacy systems – which are en-route automation modernization and standard terminal automation replacement systems.
“We’re seeking proposals for a single, state-of-the-art platform that will address the growing complexity and evolving demands within aviation. If you’re passionate about shaping the future of air traffic control, we want to hear from you,” the FAA said in a post to X.
Modernizing ATC systems has been a top priority for lawmakers and the Trump administration after several major system outages. Recently, the FAA opened its bidding process to industry for a newly modernized ATC system that will take place over the course of the next three and a half years, and across two phases.
The first phase of the initiative, opened in September, sought to address critical vulnerabilities in national airspace by replacing legacy equipment and facilities.
FAA’s new RFI begins phase two of that initiative, which the agency has said will focus on designing and building new air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs) and integrating six of those ARTCCs into a new CAP.
“CAP will strengthen safety, reduce delays, and ensure America’s airspace is prepared for the future,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.
In its RFI, FAA said it is particularly interested in “an Enterprise Re-Architecture approach that extends and re-architects existing FAA automation assets,” and “an Operationally Proven Platform approach based on a platform with documented operational use by other ANSPs (Air Navigation Service Providers) in domestic or international ATC environments.”
The agency also said it is looking for information on both of those approaches, either separately or through hybrid solutions that combine elements of both approaches.
It also wants answers from vendors that can “deliver the majority of the operational capability already provided today across its en-route and terminal domains.”
Other questions include whether industry systems integrate artificial intelligence or machine learning, and how they account for the increase in unmanned aircraft in national airspace.
Initial funding for FAA’s two-part modernization initiative comes from a $12.5 billion down payment included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. However, lawmakers have voiced doubts about whether the FAA’s fiscal year 2026 budget can support the large-scale overhaul.
Responses to the RFI are due Dec. 19.