The Federal Aviation Administration requests $1.24 billion in the coming fiscal year for the air traffic modernization effort known as NextGen. The request represents a 33 percent real increase over the $867.7 million Congress enacted for the program during fiscal 2010, the last year of actual appropriations references by the FAA budget request.

The requested amount is less than the $15.77 billion the agency is authorized to spend on the program by a recently Congress-approved FAA authorization bill that President Obama is expected to sign.

The En Route Automation Modernization software program to replace a three-decade old long-range radar tracking system known as Host would receive about 35 percent less in inflation-adjusted under the budget request than the amount Congress enacted in fiscal 2010. The budget request acknowledges that the program is an estimated 4 years behind schedule and $330 million over budget.

The agency intends to achieve initial operating capability at all air route traffic control centers by the end of fiscal 2013, which ends on Sept. 30, 2013.

For more:
- download the FAA fiscal 2013 budget justification (.pdf)

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