Federal Aviation Administration Awards Flatirons Solutions $8M Contract

BOULDER, Colo. — Flatirons Solutions was awarded a two-year, $8 million contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide engineering support for the Traffic Flow Management (TFM) modernization initiative. Traffic Flow Management is a critical component of the National Airspace System responsible for the strategic planning and collaborative management of air traffic demand. The FAA uses the system in cooperation with the airlines to implement programs to reduce delays and to ensure smooth and efficient traffic flow, saving the flying public and airlines millions of dollars in avoided delays.

"We are extremely pleased the FAA has chosen Flatirons to support this program which is so critical to our nation's air transportation system," said Mary Pritchard, President of Flatirons Solutions.

Passenger travel is again nearing record levels and is expected to continue growing rapidly. The TFM modernization initiative will deliver a system capable of addressing the growing capacity demands. New technology and a robust architecture will improve data sharing, arrival and departure management, and congestion management. This will enable the FAA to implement better recognition, prediction, and response capabilities in the dynamic National Airspace System (NAS).

Flatirons will provide expert systems and software engineering services to the FAA. Responsibilities range from requirements specification to performance measurement, operational concept development to advanced functional enhancement R&D. According to Pritchard, "TFM is a complex engineering challenge, but its benefits are extremely significant. The system operates in the strategic time horizon - addressing delays greater than 30 minutes and delay propagation throughout the NAS. These are the most costly delays for airline and air carriers, and most disruptive for the flying public."

TFM is one of several programs where Flatirons is providing engineering support to the FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to research and develop next generation air traffic management systems.