ATCA Fireside Chat with Administrator Dickson
By Alana Natke
The second day of ATCA Annual’s programming began with an ATCA Fireside Chat between ATCA’s President and CEO Brian Bruckbauer and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. Their shared experience in the US Air Force and careers dedicated to aviation and air traffic safety set the stage for an informative conversation about moving on from COVID’s grip on the industry and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
COVID and Airspace Operations
They kicked off the conversation with how the aviation community is operating through COVID and the recent challenges brought about by the Omicron variant. Dickson shared that the FAA saw impacts across the board, from labor partners to leaders, controllers, technicians, aeromedical staff, and beyond. Contact tracing and protocols helped protect the workforce, but like many other industries, the workforce needed to adapt to workplace changes.
The highly contagious nature of the Omicron variant increased cases in control towers yet again, but Dickson said that in the last 10 days there had been a significant decline in cases. He also talked about adapting to the changes in consumer behavior and demand. While the demand for air travel is down, cargo and freight are within five to seven percent of pre-COVID levels, Dickson reported.
The rise in virtual interactions has provided opportunities to engage more regularly with communities, international regulators, and ANSPs. Dickson explained that the pandemic opened doors to engage with counterparts and stakeholders from all different parts of the world, all in the same day. The FAA plans to “take the best and leave the rest” regarding what worked and didn’t work from the past two years and keep those lessons learned in mind going forward.
The Infrastructure Bill
Dickson feels the same way that many other panelists feel about the Infrastructure Bill; it’s a once-in-a-career or once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve airports. Air traffic controllers will see ATC facility improvements, which are particularly beneficial for facilities that are not qualified under the normal F&E process. “The bipartisan infrastructure law provides a billion dollars a year over the five-year period to do those much-needed replacements and upgrades. We’ll combine that with our existing F&E account to address more locations, more quickly than we would be able to within our normal budget process,” he explained. Dickson wants to reduce the average age of the facilities since they play a critical role in supporting the National Airspace System (NAS).
Cybersecurity
The President’s Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity put emphasis on protecting the nation's critical systems. Dickson talked about how protecting the NAS is a huge undertaking that involves protecting current systems but also making sure new vulnerabilities are not introduced with each new advancement. The FAA works closely with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on these efforts.
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The FAA has proactive processes and measures in place to measure cyber risks across the agency, including the 24/7 monitoring of systems from the command center. But Dickson reminded the audience that this is not just the responsibility of the government. The FAA work with many vendors who play a role in NAS operations, as does the rest of the government. “Like safety, you are never finished. And like safety, it’s a team sport, not just the responsibility of the government.”
5G Interference
Dickson testified before the House Transportation Committee last week about the aviation safety risk of 5G, so Bruckbauer asked him to talk about the path forward. “This day has been coming,” said Dickson, “and we need to have a strategy, as a country and as an industry where we can allow these innovations to go forward in a systematic way.” He acknowledged that the spectrum will have a role in unmanned traffic management (UTM), and someday 5G will move to 6G, so this conversation is far from over.
According to Dickson, at the end of December, the FAA gained access to telecommunication company data but has since done safety analyses and flight testing to determine how the signals impact aircraft. However, he believes there is a way through this that involves government agencies working with stakeholders to enable innovation but also ensure safe operations in the coming age of aviation.
For full coverage from ATCA Annual, please reference our other articles from the conference.
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The Air Traffic Control Association was established in Washington, D.C., in 1956 by a group of air traffic controllers, and has been from the outset dedicated to progress in the science of air traffic control and the preservation of a safe flight environment.