Airport RFP Questions FAA Response.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 24 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 693KA8-26-T-00016
About this file
This file is a Questions and Answers (Q&A) document from the Federal Aviation Administration addressing clarifications related to the Remote Tower Systems (RTS) for the National Airspace System (NAS) Request for Proposal (RFP 693KA8-26-T-00016). The document addresses 32 numbered questions spanning eligibility requirements, funding scope, technical specifications, evaluation criteria, and operational expectations for airport sponsors proposing RTS implementations. Key eligibility details include that non-operational control towers do not prohibit participation, non-airport entities may serve as formal teaming partners (with the airport as prime signatory), and airports need not be part of the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. States may submit coordinated proposals on behalf of multiple airports.
Regarding funding and scope, the FAA will support the minimum System Design Approval (SDA)-compliant RTS equipment, installation costs, and controller training. Airports are responsible for siting, civil/construction work, Remote Tower Center leases, mast construction, fiber, power, communications, Minimum Equipment List (MEL) items, and ongoing controller staffing and maintenance. Currently, only Raytheon/Frequentis is pursuing SDA approval, with anticipated completion by September 2026. The FAA plans proposal evaluations in July-August 2026 with site visits, final selection by end of August 2026, and staggered OTA awards August through December 2026. Single-runway airports receive higher technical scores (5/outstanding) compared to multi-runway airports (3/acceptable), as the initial SDA applies only to single-runway configurations. The FAA will establish vendor contracts for equipment pricing but will support negotiated lower pricing if airports secure better terms. Funding amount per airport may vary based on the number of qualified responses, and in-kind contributions and state-level cost-share commitments are evaluated equivalently to direct cash contributions.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| RT - Request for Proposal - Amended.docx | DOCX document | |
| RT - Request for Proposal.docx | DOCX document | |
| RT - OTA Non-Fed Airports (Draft).docx | DOCX document | |
| Airport RFP Eval Criteria.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet |
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Text version
Sheet1
| Remote Tower Systems (RTS) for the National Airspace System (NAS) Questions & Answers (Q&A) | |||
| Number | Question | Response | Additonal Comments |
| 1 | If the airport has a non-operational control tower does that prohibit participation in the OTA? | No, having a non-operational control tower does not prohibit an airport from participation. | |
| 2 | Can a non-airport entity be included as a formal teaming partner in an airport sponsor/operator’s submission, and if so, must the airport remain the prime/signatory and what (if any) teaming documentation is required (e.g., letter of commitment or MOU)? | A non-airport entity can be a formal teaming partner with an airport. However, the airport must be the prime/signatory as any potential Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) will be between the airport and the FAA. No specific teaming documentation is required, just that the RFP response must clearly state the relationship between the airport and its team members as well as all team member's roles and responsibilities. | |
| 3 | Is the statement “small or rural community air service” mean the airport must be part of the Essential Air Service (EAS) program? | No, the statement "small or rural community air service" does not require the airport must be part of the EAS program. | |
| 4 | Is there a single vendor for the Remote Tower systems (RTS) or are there multiple vendors and what are their names? | Currently, there is only one vendor, Raytheon/Frequentis, pursuing FAA's System Design Approval (SDA) process. Once SDA is achieved by additional vendors their RTS will be added to the Qualified Vendor System List (QVSL) and approved for use in the NAS. | |
| 5 | Is August 2026 for the Frequentis SDA approval still a good date? | Raytheon/Frequentis and the FAA are working toward achieving System Design Approval (SDA) by the end of September 2026 (FY26). | |
| 6 | Specifically what components of the remote tower system are eligible for funding? | The FAA will contribute towards the purchasing of the minimum SDA compliant equipment, installation, and controller training for the RTS. Airports will be responsible for siting, civil/construction work (e.g., Remote Tower Center leases/construction, furniture, camera mast(s), power, fiber, comms, etc.), Minimum Equipment List (MEL) items (e.g., radios and other equipment required to operate a tower), and maintenance. | Depending on the number of acceptable responses the FAA may vary the amount of funding allocated to each airport. The FAA will at least provide funding for the minimum SDA compliant equipment, installation of that equipment, and controller training. |
| 7 | Is the vendor’s cost to install the remote tower equipment included in the funding provided by the FAA? | Yes, the installation cost of the RTS itself and supporting threshold cameras (if required) will be covered by the FAA. | Depending on the number of acceptable responses the FAA may vary the amount of funding allocated to each airport. The FAA will at least provide funding for the minimum SDA compliant equipment, installation of that equipment, and controller training. |
| 8 | Is the funding for the FCT MEL included in the FAA funding package? | No, FCT MEL items will not be funded by this package | |
| 9 | Are FTI comm for shout lines and FDIO eligible for funding? | No, FTI comm for shout lines and FDIO are not elegible by this package. | |
| 10 | Has the FAA developed a siting criteria for remote towers? | Siting will be conducted by the RTS vendor & Airport Sponsor and verified by the FAA. This verification will be to ensure that all movement areas of the airport are visible and key airspace locations (arrival/depature aproaches, key areas of the pattern, etc. ) remain within continuous operational view for the controllers. | |
| 11 | What will be the process for siting the camera mast(s)? | The RTS vendor and airport will generate potential locations where they would like the RTS to be located. This will take into account the airport's preferences on the airfield, the airspace around the airport, and the technical factors the RTS vendor needs. Once complete the RTS vendor will conduct an on site visit with a camera system and conduct a test at the selected locations. This will ensure that if the future RTS were located there it would have good airfield/airspace visibility. Finally, geological and enviromental surveys at the potential site(s) will need to be conducted to ensure that the soil/enviroment can support implementation. | |
| 12 | Will an NCP be required for a digital tower center, not located on one of the remote tower airports? | Potentially. If the proposed Remote Tower Center (RTC) introduces changes to NAS infrastructure, operational procedures, communications architecture, or service delivery outside of the airport where services are being provided, the FAA may require a NAS Change Proposal (NCP) or other applicable NAS integration/safety evaluation documentation. | |
| 13 | What will the FAA do or assist in securing the NCP(s)? | If required the FAA will coordinate with the selected airport and RTS vendor to identify required NAS approval activities and provide guidance regarding the applicable FAA processes, stakeholders, and documentation required to support implementation. | |
| 14 | Would a state be able to respond to the RFP on behalf of, or in conjunction with, one or more airports? | Yes, a state can respond in conjunction with multiple airports. | |
| 15 | Given that the cost for the remote tower system, infrastructure and facility are estimates, the responder will be unable to make a funding commitment at the time of submission. What is the expectation? | The expectation is that the submission includes an esitmate of what the total project cost is expected to be and broken out as depicted in Appendix A of the RFP. It is expected that the respondent be able to commit to the specific amount based on a best effort in determining estimated costs. | |
| 16 | Will in-kind contributions — including sponsor-provided project management, operational staffing, facilities access, and sustainment commitments — be evaluated as cost-share equivalent to cash contributions? If so, what documentation is required to establish in-kind value? | Yes, in-kind contributions will be evaluated along with other cash contributions. Please include with response | |
| 17 | Will cost-share contributions made by a state aviation agency on behalf of an airport sponsor be evaluated equivalently to direct sponsor contributions? | Yes, contributions made by a state, which is supporing an airport, would be evaluated the same as if they were from the airport itself. | |
| 18 | May a state aviation agency submit a coordinated proposal on behalf of multiple airport sponsors, or is each airport required to submit independently? If independent submissions are required, may a state agency submit a supporting letter of commitment alongside individual airport proposals, and will that letter be considered in evaluation? | Yes, a state can respond in conjunction with multiple airports. | |
| 19 | The RFP expresses a preference for single-runway configurations. Will multi-runway airports be evaluated as fully competitive on technical merit, or does the single-runway preference carry material weight in scoring? | Per the Scoring Notes from the techinical evaluation criteria in the Airport RFP Eval Criteria.xlsx file: single runway airports will receive an "outstanding" score (5) and multi runway airports will receive an "acceptible" score (3). | The initial SDA for the Frequentis RTS will only be fo single runway airports. In parallel with the finalization of the single runway SDA, both Frequentis and the FAA are working on the multiple runway SDA for the Frequentis RTS. Due to this the FAA plans to first start deployments at single runway airports and then transistion to the multi runway sites once the second SDA is complete. |
| 20 | The RFP requires a plan for supporting controllers post-installation. Is sponsor-funded controller staffing the expected long-term sustainment model under this program, or does the FAA anticipate a transition pathway — such as FAA Contract Tower eligibility — following a defined operational period? | Yes, the expected long term model for supporting controllers is for the sponsor to support them. Airports that demonstrate they are committed to this model will score higher in evaluations. However, the FAA's Federal Contract Tower (FCT) program will support an RTS option in the future. | FCT candidate airports can also respond to this RFP |
| 21 | Following selection, will the FAA coordinate directly with the remote tower system manufacturer on equipment pricing for awarded airports, or is each airport sponsor responsible for independent vendor negotiation? | The FAA will estabish a contract with the vendor to purchase the RTS. However, if the airport is willing/able to negotiate lower pricing with the vendor then the FAA will support that pricing too. | |
| 22 | What is the FAA's expected period of performance for a remote tower OTA under this program, from award through initial operational capability? | Once the airport is selected the period of performance will align with the proposed timeline by the sponsor | |
| 23 | Does the FAA have an estimated timeline for proposal evaluation and anticipated award(s) following proposal submission? | The FAA plans to conduct evaluations in July-August 2026 which may include site visits. Final selection will be made around the end of August 2026. Staggered OTAs awards will be released August - December 2026. | |
| 24 | Can the FAA clarify whether supporting visual materials such as Airport Layout Plans (ALPs), system illustrations, conceptual RTS architecture diagrams, and other illustrative technical figures may be submitted as appendices or attachments outside the 10-page response limit? | ALPs, system illustrations, conceptual RTS architecture diagrams, and other illustrative technical figures that are not imbedded in the written response would all be considered appendices and not subjected to the 10 page limit. | |
| 25 | Can the FAA clarify whether the pilot program intends to support: |
- RTS operations dedicated to a single airport,
| - or RTS concepts in which a Remote Tower Center may support multiple airports using separate operational positions/controllers for each airport? | The FAA intends on supporting both RTS operations dedicated to a single airport and RTS concepts in which a RTC may support multiple airports, as long as the configuration meets system technical requirements e.g. data transfer, latency, cyber security. | ||||
| 26 | Can the FAA confirm that existing FAA-approved airport systems (e.g., ASOS/AWOS, NAVAIDs, existing communications systems, lighting systems, surveillance feeds, etc.) remain outside the RTS System Design Approval (SDA) baseline unless specifically modified or replaced as part of the RTS implementation? | Yes, all Minimum Equipment List (MEL) items, ASOS/AWOS, NAVAIDs, existing communications systems, lighting systems, surveillance feeds, etc. are outside of the scope of the RTS SDA. These systems should be procured, installed, and utilized in the same way that they would be in a traditional tower. | |||
| 27 | Can the FAA clarify whether a proposed long-term sustainment strategy that includes future participation in the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Program would be viewed positively, neutrally, or negatively during proposal evaluation? | If the airport is able to demonstrate that they are able to meet the qualifications or they have a multi-year plan to meet the qualifications for the FCT program that would be viewed nuterally to positively. | |||
| 28 | The RFP states that the equipment table does not cover supporting infrastructure such as “mast construction,” but does not explicitly address the RT mast structure/equipment itself. For airports requiring a dedicated RT mast installation to support SDA-aligned operations, can the FAA clarify whether the RT mast itself is considered part of the SDA-compliant RTS equipment package, or supporting infrastructure to be separately funded by the airport? | The RTS equipment package consists of just the minimum SDA compliant equipment for the RTS. The FAA will also provide funding for the installation of this equipment and training for the controllers on the equipment. The airport will be responsible for siting, mast construction, threshold mast construction (if required), civil engineering, power system installation, MEL items, maintenance, and controllers. | See Q&A #6 as well |
Depending on the number of acceptable responses the FAA may vary the amount of funding allocated to each airport. The FAA will at least provide funding for the minimum SDA compliant equipment, installation of that equipment, and controller training.
29 The RFP indicates that construction-related support may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Can the FAA clarify which categories of construction and infrastructure costs are potentially eligible for FAA reimbursement under the OTA, and whether any categories are excluded?
Examples may include:
- RT mast construction,
- fiber installation,
- utility upgrades,
- control room modifications,
- backup power,
- cybersecurity enhancements,
| - communications circuits. | If the number of qualified respondents is low and the FAA is able to commit more funding to individual sites, then a selected airport and the FAA can discuss what areas the airport would like the funding to go to. The FAA will only require that the funds be spent within the scope of the deployment of the RTS at the airport. All items listed in the question are valid areas to allocate those funds. However, maintenance items/tasks will likely not be agreed to be supported by the FAA nor will controller support. | |||
| 30 | Can the FAA clarify whether operational staffing and/or support costs associated with the pilot evaluation phase — including, for example, controller staffing, operational evaluation support, and related operational activities — are potentially eligible for reimbursement or FAA support under the OTA? | No, these are not areas the FAA is willing to support as part of the OTA agreement. | ||
| 31 | Can the FAA clarify whether the estimated $4–10 million RTS cost range is intended to include normal system integration, commissioning, and installation activities associated with deployment of the SDA-compliant RTS package, or only the RTS hardware/software components themselves? | The $4m - $10m range covers only the cost of the base RTS and optional compoenents. It does not include the installation costs of these systems. However, the FAA will support the installation cost of this equipment. | ||
| 32 | Can the FAA clarify whether it anticipates all RTS operational validation activities to occur at the airport site, or whether portions may occur at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center? | Prior to commissioning RT services, each airport will have to go through site specific operational validation activities at the airport to ensure the system meets applicable operational and safety requirements. This is seperate from the FAA's SDA process that is conducted at the William J. Hughes Technical Center (Tech Center). | ||
| 33 | The RFP emphasizes expanding Remote Tower capabilities to rural and small community airports. Can the FAA clarify how local financial contribution and cost-sharing will be balanced against broader program objectives such as supporting underserved airports, Essential Air Service (EAS) communities, and airports that may have limited local funding capacity but strong operational and strategic value? | The funding itself is statutorily directed to rural and community airports which are untowered. How much the FAA will be able to distribute to individual sites will be determined based on the number of qualified respondents to the RFP. |
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