Future of Aviation

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is required to meet the present and future aviation needs of our nation. Robust and dynamic aviation partnerships among government agencies, industry, and academia are a critical component of NextGen. The Federal Aviation Administration has entered many partnerships to deliver NextGen. Among these is an agreement and lease with the South Jersey Economic Development District for 58 acres of FAA property located at the William J. Hughes Technical Center to construct the Next Generation Aviation Research and Technology Park.

The technical center’s multi-modal complex gives research park tenants access to the nation’s leading aviation and air traffic management Federal Laboratory – a unique collection of laboratories situated on a 5,000 acre complex that replicates the National Airspace System – and the FAA’s top-caliber technical expertise.

In June 2010, the technical center opened its newest laboratory, the NextGen Integration and Evaluation Capability display area. The NIEC is a research platform where scientists will use simulation to explore, integrate and evaluate NextGen concepts, including area navigation (RNAV), trajectory-based operations, flying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system (NAS), and more. The NIEC display area compliments the existing unique facilities and aviationbased equipment at the Technical Center.

The NIEC complex features an air traffic control simulation area, a cockpit simulator, an unmanned aircraft system suite, a simulated tower cab interior and a multi-purpose display area.

The multi-purpose area can be used to show weather and traffic management data, operate as a simulation monitoring station or simulate an airline operations center. Each NIEC component mirrors a key area in the NextGen “gate-to-gate” spectrum.

This is just one example of the type of state-of-the-art technology to which Next Generation ARTP tenants will have access.

The environment at the WJHTC is ideal for collaboration, and the new Next Generation ARTP will enable the FAA to develop NextGen in close cooperation with the aviation community. This unique partnership will help faciliate NextGen development and improve air travel safety and convenience.