A Stakeholder Approach to Develop a Federal Aviation Administration Weather Strategy

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs a holistic view of business needs for integrated weather that is anchored in current operations but oriented towards the vision laid out by the National Airspace System (NAS) modernization concept, including emerging weather needs of Urban Air Mobility (UAM)/Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and higher airspace services. The goal of this work is to develop a NAS Enterprise FAA Weather Strategy that aligns with the FAA’s modernization vision in the 2040 timeframe and enables its transition, while accounting for the considered compromises and collective priorities of all FAA stakeholder mission areas.

The approach to achieve this stakeholder-focused FAA Weather Strategy included reviewing existing FAA roadmaps, business plans, and high-level strategic documents, and conducting listening sessions with thirty-one FAA organizations and lines of business to align, integrate, define, evaluate, and compromise upon business drivers and methods for vetting across all mission areas that will influence the Strategy. The objective of the listening sessions was to hear each stakeholder’s vision for NAS modernization and their assessment of needs and shortfalls to be able to meet that vision. The stakeholders were instructed not to focus on perceived weather needs but to think broadly about anything that could result in unmet needs. Upon analyzing the listening sessions feedback, the team assessed all inputs to determine if there was a potential weather connection that could be incorporated into the goals and objectives of the Strategy.

This paper will discuss the process used to develop the FAA Weather Strategy and identify initial goals, objectives, a roadmap, and an action plan. It will then describe plans for future work to finalize the FAA Weather Strategy by assigning specific actions to the goals and objectives plus developing a communications plan that will help implement the Strategy.

NOTICE

This work was produced for the U.S. Government under Contract 693KA8-22-C-00001 and is subject to Federal Aviation Administration Acquisition Management System Clause 3.5-13, Rights In Data-General, Alt. III and Alt. IV (Oct. 1996).

The contents of this document reflect the views of the author and The MITRE Corporation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the Department of Transportation (DOT). Neither the FAA nor the DOT makes any warranty or guarantee, expressed or implied, concerning the content or accuracy of these views.

For further information, please contact The MITRE Corporation, Contracts Management Office, 7515 Colshire Drive, McLean, VA 22102-7539, (703) 983-6000.