The NextGen project, aimed at modernizing airspace infrastructure, is on track for initial operational capability, said Edward Bolton, the assistant administrator for NextGen at the Federal Aviation Administration, at ASC15. The fear, however, is that because the behemoth project is a series of programs, and issues such as sequester and the FAA’s reauthorization affecting it, it will not stay on track for long, said Paul Rinaldi, president of National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Bolton added that the “biggest challenge for NextGen is a stable funding system and a new structure.” The FAA is now in the second segment of its NextGen project, having just completed the first segment last year, said Bolton.
Now Is the Time to Boost CCA Investment
June 3, 2026
The Air Force wants about $1 billion to move Collaborative Combat Aircraft into production in fiscal 2027 and accelerate the introduction of this game-changing technology. Congress should support that objective.