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The US federal government will invest $4.2 million into installing NextGen GPS tracking systems on 35 JetBlue airplanes. It is an initiative to speed up the transition from radar based air traffic control to NextGen GPS. The US government has mandated that all airplanes use NextGen GPS for traffic control by the year 2020, requiring a total investment of $20 billion from the airline industry.

The current system of controlling air traffic relies on ground-based radar. The ground-based system uses radio waves to detect objects, which show up as a blip on a screen. The NextGen GPS tracking systems are far more precise and advanced than radar due to newer technology. Instead of radio waves, NextGen uses  global positioning systems satellites, which transmit signals of precise locations to various ground stations.

The primary purpose of the switch to GPS tracking systems is to improve air traffic conditions. Currently, the air is a bit too crowded for comfort and all signs point to the congestion getting worse. Leading experts predict that as the economy improves, more travelers will take to airplanes as their mode of transportation. The NextGen GPS systems are also part of an effort to save money on fuel, reduce flight delays and allow more direct routing on flights.

These JetBlue airplanes are not the first to implement GPS technology, but they are the first to test the NextGen system. The NextGen technology is designed specifically for air traffic control. Packages range from simple and straightforward to complex and detailed. The most comprehensive package will collect data about air traffic, as well as weather and surrounding terrain, and send the information directly to the cockpit.

The cost of installing a single NextGen GPS system can range from $32 thousand to $670 thousand. The least expensive includes the simplest package, installed into a new plane at the factory. The most expensive includes the comprehensive package installed into an older plane, which needs to be “retrofitted”. Dave Barger, the chief executive at JetBlue Airways said this about the cost, “this is just good business, really, independent of the FAA investment. I’ll be delighted to make the rest of the investment.”

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor