Creating, Funding, and Deploying the Next Generation Air Transportation System

Over the next two decade, the nation's of the world will be called upon to invest significant resources into their aviation infrastructure in order to meet the projected demand for air travel. In the US, the answer to a 21st century aviation system is NextGen, however, as work proceeds on the technologies necessary to deploy a new satellite-based, integrated traffic management system that will allow for precision, high density operations, questions of funding the US$30 plus billion system threaten to stall implementation. The FAA user fee proposal was not endorsed by either House and the agency is currently under continuing appropriation.