FAA Updates and Expands Its OEP

The FAA has published the first version of its expanded Operational Evolution Partnership (OEP), in which it defines its path to America's Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

The agency's latest OEP, which was first published in 2001, and known then as its Operational Evolution Plan, now includes all of its NextGen-related activities through 2025, rather than its previous main focus on improving system capacity.

The new OEP covers ATC operations, airport development, and requirements for aircraft and their operators, including the important interdependencies between them that need to be fulfilled in order to achieve many of the anticipated benefits.  It also outlines an avionics implementation plan meant to help aircraft operators make informed equipage decisions.

The latest version also includes strategic research, development and prototyping, along with specific policy and certification activities, in addition to its previous focus only on initiatives with approved business cases and full funding.

In this updated version, the agency attempted to assess the benefits of potential initiatives, "in terms of functionality and cost-effectiveness," and create a "a strategic timeline that shows exactly what steps are needed, how long each will take, and who will be responsible for each."

More information can be found at the FAA's OEP Website.  07-18-2007.

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