FAA’s new air traffic control system unstable, less capable than old system (with video)

The Federal Aviation Administration has begun deploying new computers systems for its air traffic controllers despite warnings that the system suffers from unstable requirements, lacks key safety capabilities and requires training that has yet to be given to workers, a government watchdog warned Monday. 

The problems with the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) are so widespread right now that the new system already being installed at the Dallas airport actually has fewer capabilities for air traffic controllers than the old system it was designed to replace, the U.S. Transportation Inspector General reported.

One of the missing capabilities is a special warning that alerts controllers of loss of separation between aircraft, a potential safety hazard, the IG said. Officials are scrambling for an upgrade this month to fix that problem.

“The STARS deployment incorporates fewer capabilities than the CARTS system it aims to replace,” the inspector general wrote in a memo of warning made public Monday.

The warnings are the latest for the troublesome STARS system. The IG first raised red flags about STARS’ implementation back in a May report, warning the new system was in danger of falling “short of providing promised capabilities for controlling takeoffs and landings — the most critical phases of flight.”

FAA proceeded with installing the system in Dallas and the inspector general subsequently went to that airport to observe the installation. “As a result of this examination, we determined that the risks we identified in our earlier report remain,” the IG reported. “… Notably, FAA has yet to stabilize STARS software requirements.”

Cost is just one of the concerns. The IG says STARS has already cost nearly $338 million out of $438 million approved funding for its implementation, and that if FAA deploys the new system at 11 of the nation’s largest airports, the project will exceed its baseline approved funding by $19 million.

FAA acknowledged that identifying, stabilizing, and validating STARS requirements has been problematic, according to the report.

The IG investigators, the internal watchdogs at the Transportation Department for agencies like FAA, also say that the training for the new system has raised concerns, especially as lack of custom training specific to each airport’s needs.

“Questions about the adequacy of FAA’s training and certification of technical operations specialists raise additional concerns about the Agency’s management of STARS deployment,” the report said.

FAA says it believes the training provided to specialists at the FAA Academy was successful based on positive feedback from a majority of training participants.

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