Attachment 1 FMDS SOO 250922.pdf

United States Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

Statement of Objectives (SOO)

FINAL, Version 1.0 Date: September 2025

Revision History for FMDS Statement of Objectives (SOO)

Revision # Description Document Date

1 Draft 1 Challenge-Based Acquisition 09/22/2025

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides Air Traffic Services (ATS) to more than 45,000 flights every day, with more than 2.9 million airline passengers traveling across over 29 million square miles that comprise the National Airspace System (NAS).

To meet its mission of providing the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world, the FAA cooperates closely with the airlines and other NAS users to implement Traffic Flow Management (TFM) programs, reducing delays and ensuring smooth and efficient traffic flow through FAA-controlled airspace. The fundamental goal of TFM is to strategically manage the flow of air traffic to minimize delays and congestion in response to changing weather and system constraints. The Traffic Flow Management System (TFMS) covers traffic flow in the en route airspace. The FAA is currently seeking innovative solutions to replace TFMS and modernize traffic flow management in the NAS.

1.2 Purpose

This Statement of Objectives (SOO) details the FAA’s goals and expectations for the modernization of TFMS. The Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) effort will provide the means to modernize the existing or legacy TFMS, add enhancements, and eventually transition into full sustainment. This SOO is issued as part of a Challenge-Based Acquisition (ChBA) focused on evaluating solutions for speed, safety, efficiency, and innovation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces a rapidly growing, complex, and demanding aviation sector, with commercial air travel returning to pre-COVID levels. In addition, there are new entrants in the NAS, including drones, advanced air mobility, and commercial space. The air traffic control system is based on outdated technologies that are unable to meet these demands. The system is showing its age – which leads to delays and inefficiencies.

This ChBA for Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) seeks to transform the United States’ air traffic management system from its antiquated system to a modern system capable of meeting the demands of today and the future. The FAA plans to implement a new, state-of-the-art, TFM system that will enhance the safety and efficiency of our national airspace.

1.3 Scope

FMDS will address legacy TFMS shortfalls while leveraging best practices and new technology to provide the agency with a level of flexibility that is not currently available.

Additionally, stakeholder-desired features and functionalities that are not currently possible in TFMS due to legacy and architecture constraints will be realized via a consolidated FMDS situation display. The ultimate goal is to fully replace legacy TFMS with a state-of-the-art traffic flow management solution.

FMDS will provide a foundation for efforts to achieve future FAA goals such as:

• Quickly identify lessons learned to support continuous TFM planning processes;

• Gate-to-gate integration of flight and flow data;

• Standardize operational metrics across Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) and planning timeframes;

• Integrate new entrants into the NAS;

• Improve response of NAS operations to uncertainty:

o Rapid weather developments;

o Other rapidly developing situations; and

• Improve underlying TFM algorithms as described in the Attachments to better support predicting and managing demand and capacity.

Additionally, FMDS seeks to leverage new and emerging technologies, where applicable, in order to meet the FAA’s requirements.

2.0 PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The schedule below represents the goals of the FAA for this ChBA with resulting production award. Through this process, an integrated schedule that demonstrates deliveries in support of the agency goals will be developed.

Identified opportunities and risks associated with accelerating FMDS deployment prior to the respective project completion dates are preferred by the FAA.

Milestone Activity Anticipated

Schedule

Phase 1 Challenge 1 – Concept Papers Q1 FY26

Phase 1 Challenge 2 – Demonstration/Oral Presentations Q1 FY26

Phase 2 – Challenge – Prototype Q2 FY26

Phase 3 – Follow-on Production Vehicle Q3 FY26

Initial Operating Capability (IOC) Q1 FY29

At the time of production award, the FAA currently anticipates a PoP of ten (10) years, including options.

The FAA anticipates work to be performed at both government-site and remote locations; to be finalized upon production award. See Attachment 8, FMDS Master Site List.

3.0 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

The overall performance objective of this SOO is to design, develop, test, implement, and support a solution that provides a reliable automation system to sustain FAA- specific TFM functions. Through Phases 2 and 3 the FAA will engage with participant(s) on the terms and conditions of a production award. The FAA is not restricting flexibility in all elements of business approaches or methods of delivery and deliverables as long as the conditions comply with applicable laws and regulations and the product best satisfies the FAA’s performance requirements and goals.

3.1 Core Objectives

The solution will leverage new technologies and approaches to software development and deployment to further enhance and accelerate the delivery of modern TFM automation capabilities. FMDS will employ a new software architecture that will align with agency goals and evolutions in the FAA Enterprise Architecture and infrastructure. The new architecture and infrastructure will allow TFM activities to scale to projected air traffic growth. With an architecture designed for flexibility and extensibility, FMDS will provide a foundation for future TFM capabilities that will leverage new technologies and operate in a more interconnected operational and technical environment. In achieving this, FMDS will address shortfalls in legacy TFMS related to the current inability of its architecture and hardware to support long-desired features and functions. The new system will execute, at a minimum, the recommendations and enhancements as identified by the legacy TFMS Program Office (PO).

The three (3) core objectives to meet FMDS requirements include:

• FMDS Situation Display (SD)/Remote Site Replacement;

• FMDS System Deployment/TFMS Retirement; and

• Additional Baselined System Capabilities

3.1.1 Core Objective 1 - FMDS SD (Remote Site Replacement)

For FMDS SD, the solution will be deployed and will replace all the applications by deploying an integrated SD application at the remote sites. The SD will be accessible via new hardware requiring an integration and deployment plan across all remote site facilities. The FAA’s priority during this step is schedule acceleration.

3.1.2 Core Objective 2 - FMDS System Deployment (TFMS Retirement)

For FMDS, the solution will be deployed and assume all flight data management functions, including ingesting and processing, trajectory modeling, and publication. All other critical TFMS core functionality will be replaced, such as TMI modeling and implementation.

Legacy web applications will be retired and replaced by new capabilities consolidated within the NAS Status portal.

3.1.3 Core Objective 3 – Additional Baselined System Capabilities

This third objective, subject to change based on advances in technology, will usher in the development and implementation of capabilities such as, but not limited to:

• Improved Demand Prediction (IDP)

• Improved Departure Time Prediction

• Improved Trajectory Model

• Probabilistic Demand Predictions

• Restriction and TMI Modeling

• Integrated Departure Route Planning (IDRP)

• Automated Problem Resolution

• Alternatives Modeling

FMDS also seeks to integrate new and emerging technologies, where applicable, in order to meet the agency’s requirements. This includes exploring the ability for FMDS to leverage a modular architecture with shared NAS services.

3.2 Technical Objectives

To meet the overall requirements of this SOO, the Respondent’s solution must execute the technical objectives identified in the table below:

Core

Objective #

Technical

Objective

Technical Objective Description

C o re

O b je ct iv e

F M

D S it u at io n

D is p la y

R em o te

S it e

R ep la ce m en t)

Establish software (SW) development and testing processes that conform to modern industry standards and FAA guidance.

Design, develop, test, deploy, and support SD and supporting Services.

3 Design, develop, test, deploy, and support FMDS interfaces.

Deploy site hardware nationally, with access to FMDS services, based on operational needs.

5 Develop and conduct training for FMDS Users.

6 Establish testing and training environment for FMDS Users.

7 Establish customer and site support for FMDS Users.

C o re

O b je ct iv e

F M

D S

S y st em

D ep lo y m en t

(T F

M

R et ir em en t)

8 Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain modernized auxiliary web applications.

Design, develop, test, deploy and maintain Flight Data Management functions.

10 Establish and execute cutover process from TFMS to FMDS.

11 Design and develop the tools and processes to modernize the adaptation data management process.

C o re

O b je ct iv e

A d d it io n al

B as el in ed y st em C ap ab il it ie s

Design, develop, and test Enhancement 4 (E4)/Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) capabilities (IDP, IDRP, Surface Viewer

(SV), and Departure Sequencing Program (DSP) capabilities).

Update training capabilities and customer support to address E4/ TFDM capabilities.

14 Support deployment of E4/TFDM capabilities.

15 Leverage new and emerging technologies to meet the FAA requirements.

16 Leverage a modular architecture with services that can be shared.

4.0 CONSTRAINTS AND REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Operating Constraints

All proposed solutions must be designed to RTCA DO-278A Assurance Level 5 (DAL5).

Additional operating constraints are to be determined upon production award.

4.2 Technical Requirements Documents

When working on its solution, the Respondent must take into consideration the specifications identified in the following documents found in the Attachments:

• Attachment 2, FMDS Final Program Requirements Document (fPRD)*

• Attachment 3, FMDS System Specification Document (SSD)*

• Attachment 3a, FMDS SSD – Appendix A

• Attachment 4, FMDS Interface Requirements Document (IRD)*

• Attachment 5, FMDS Concept of Operations (ConOps)

• Attachment 6, FMDS Functional Analysis Document (FAD)

• Attachment 7, FMDS Human Interface Guidelines (HIG)

• Attachment 8, FMDS Master Site List

Those documents identified with an * contain system, service, or process requirements.

4.3 Security Constraints

The FMDS SSD identifies the security requirements that the Respondent must consider in the design, development, test, deployment, maintenance, and support of FMDS. The Respondent must abide by these constraints in conjunction with applicable FAA security orders to ensure that FMDS is protected from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.

The Respondent must comply with all applicable security regulations, directives, requirements throughout the entire performance of the production award. Additionally, the Respondent must perform the requirements of the production award in a manner that aligns with evolving security industry best practices.

5.0 PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The following performance measures will inform the determination of whether the identified objectives are met successfully:

• Service Availability

• Service Continuity

• Usability

• Schedule

Additional performance measures may be developed and included prior to production award. Previously approved performance measures may be adjusted during the period of performance.

6.0 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED ITEMS (GFI)

GFI is not anticipated at this time.

7.0 ACRONYMS

Acronym Definition

ConOps Concept of Operations

DevSecOps Development/Security/Operations

DSP Departure Sequencing Program

E4 Enhancement 4

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FMDS Flow Management Data and Services

FY Fiscal Year

GFI Government Furnished Items

HIG Human Interface Guidelines

IDP Improved Demand Prediction

IDRP Integrated Departure Route Planning

IOC Initial Operational Capability

IRD Interface Requirements Document

NAS National Airspace System

PO Program Office

PoP Period of Performance

RMA Reliability, Maintainability, Availability

RTCA Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics

SD Situation Display

SOO Statement of Objectives

SSD System Specification Document

SV Surface Viewer

SW Software

TFDM Terminal Flight Data Manager

TFM Traffic Flow Management

TFMS Traffic Flow Management System

TMI Traffic Management Initiatives

3.2 Technical Objectives