The Federal Aviation Administration expects to begin operating its modernised Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system in September, capping a priority project aimed at replacing an ageing technology that has been prone to outages.
The FAA said on 21 April that CGI Federal, a contractor hired to provide the new NOTAM system, “is currently on an accelerated schedule to deliver the NOTAM Modernization Service by July 2025”.
“The FAA is targeting deployment of the operational service by September 2025… much earlier than originally planned,” the agency adds.
It is unclear when the FAA had initially planned to roll out the system. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
September 2025 has been the goal for several years. Former acting FAA administration Billy Nolen cited that timeline when testifying before the US Senate in 2023. Similarly, a 2024 FAA document about the NOTAM modernisation effort cites a roll-out goal of September 2025.
“The FAA used a streamlined, innovative vendor challenge to cut through red tape to get this critical work done as fast as possible,” the agency says.
Indeed, the agency in early 2024 rolled out a “Challenge Based Acquisition” programme aimed at moving the project faster. The FAA had launched the NOTAM replacement effort in 2023.
The FAA NOTAM system has long consisted of two platforms: a legacy technology through which the agency officially issues NOTAMs, and a newer but not-official distribution system.
The legacy system relies on 30-year-old software, Nolen said in 2023.
It has suffered numerous breakdowns in recent years, including a failure in January 2023 that disrupted more than 11,000 flights.
That failure occurred after a contractor mistakenly deleted files while working with a backup database, the FAA said. The NOTAM system also suffered outages in February and March of this year, according to reports.
“The Notice to Airmen system is deeply outdated and showing serious cracks,” Sean Duffy, secretary of the US Department of Transportation, said on 21 April. “NOTAM modernisation is the first step as we work to deliver an all-new air traffic control system that makes air travel safer and more efficient.”
In 2021, the FAA changed the Notice to Airmen name to Notice to Air Missions, a move intended to reflect gender neutrality, according to regulatory documents.
In February, during the opening weeks of the administration of US President Donald Trump, the FAA reverted to the previous name.
