US FAA System Outage

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is NOTAM?
• What are the features of NOTAM?
• An example of a NOTAM
• When are NOTAMs used?
• News Summary: US FAA system outage

Why in news?

• Recently, thousands of flights, within, into or out of the United States were delayed or cancelled due to a technical glitch.
• The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that flights were grounded due to failure of a key pilot notification system called Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM).
  • FAA is the largest transportation agency of the US government that runs a centralised NOTAM system.

What is NOTAM?

• According to the FAA’s website, “a NOTAM is a notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations but not known far enough in advance to be publicized by other means.
• NOTAMs basically provide information about potential hazards or changes to flight operations that may affect safety.
  • E.g. – Without NOTAMs, aeroplanes are at a risk of running into flocks of birds or remaining unaware of slippery conditions on runways.
• NOTAM is different from air traffic control system that helps in keeping planes at safe distance from each other while on air.

What are the features of NOTAM?

• NOTAMs indicate the real-time and abnormal status of the National Airspace System (NAS) impacting every user.
• NOTAMs concern the establishment, condition, or change of any facility, service, procedure or hazard in the NAS.
• NOTAMs have a unique language using special contractions to make communication more efficient.

An example of a NOTAM

• The system relays information about changes in conditions such as weather, volcanic activity, airspace restrictions and other factors, as well as unusual events such as parachute jumps, rocket launches and military exercises. 
• It also advises pilots of extraordinary situations at airports, including icing, malfunctioning lights and the presence of flocks of birds, reported Simple Flying.

Image caption: Example of NOTAM

When are NOTAMs used?

• NOTAMs are typically issued on a short-term basis, and they are meant to be used by pilots, air traffic controllers, and other aviation professionals to stay informed about changes to flight operations.
• They are also used by airport operators and other organizations that need to be aware of potential hazards or disruptions to flights in order to plan accordingly.
• Pilots are typically required to check NOTAMs before taking off in order to ensure that they are aware of any hazards or changes that could impact their flight.
• Overall, the NOTAM system is an important tool for ensuring the safety and efficiency of flight operations by providing pilots and other aviation professionals with critical information about potential hazards and changes to flight operations.

News Summary: US FAA system outage

• The US airline industry is now gradually beginning to resume its services after a glitch in the FAA system led to hundreds of flights being grounded.
• Earlier, FAA announced that all domestic flight departures were being briefly halted across the country due to NOTAM system outage.
  • The NOTAM system outage implies that the computers were unable to send out information to those involved in different flights across the nations.

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Image caption: US FAA system outage News Summary

Q1) What is US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is an operating mode of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is the largest transportation agency of the US government whose aim is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.It issues and enforces regulations and minimum standards covering manufacturing, operating, and maintaining aircraft.

Q2) Which agency is responsible for regulation of civil aviation in India?

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation, primarily dealing with safety issues in India. It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards.

Source: NOTAM system failure disrupts US flights: What happened  |  Federal Aviation Administration   |   Times of India  |  The Economic Times