The FAA built 11,389 separate schedules for its air traffic overhaul. None connect.
The Government Accountability Office published GAO-26-107992 on 15 September.
It found no comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate or integrated master schedule for the first phase of the FAA's air traffic control overhaul.
What it found instead was "11,389 individual project schedules that are not integrated". Work at the same sites is therefore not coordinated to limit disruption to controllers.
GAO warned of cost overruns and delays, writing that "these risks increase the likelihood of FAA repeating its history of cost overruns, delays, and unmet performance" targets.
The day before, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told a House Appropriations subcommittee: "It's costing $16 billion to do phase one." Matt Ryan reported the hearing for AVweb on 15 September.
Congress appropriated $12.5 billion, with $9 billion for modernisation and $3.5 billion for facilities. FAA says it is covering the $3.5 billion gap from its own facilities and equipment budget. It is asking Congress for at least $10 billion more for phase two.
GAO made two recommendations. The Department of Transportation partially concurred with both, while GAO says it "believes both recommendations are sound and should be fully addressed".
Phase one is still targeted for December 2028.
How many separate project plans are open in your transformation, and who reconciles them?
Sources
For your next steering committee
- 1Ask which design decisions in your programme would be expensive to reverse, and when each was last reviewed.
- 2Ask which expected benefits change if the implementation approach changes.
- 3Ask who owns a decision to change course, and where it would be recorded.
Issue 01 of the ERP LEADERS brief puts a timeline, the three-number review and six questions on one page. Read issue 01
Welcome back. · Issue 01