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Aviation Weather: FAA and the National Weather Service Are Considering Plans to Consolidate Weather Service Offices, But Face Significant Challenges

GAO-09-887T Published: Jul 16, 2009. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2009.
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Highlights

The National Weather Service's (NWS) weather products are a vital component of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) air traffic control system. In addition to providing aviation weather products developed at its own facilities, NWS also provides staff onsite at each of FAA's en route centers--the facilities that control high-altitude flight outside the airport tower and terminal areas. Over the last few years, FAA and NWS have been exploring options for enhancing the efficiency of the aviation weather services provided at en route centers. GAO was asked to summarize its draft report that (1) determines the status and plans of efforts to restructure the center weather service units, (2) evaluates efforts to establish a baseline of the current performance provided by these units, and (3) evaluates challenges to restructuring them.

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Air traffic control systemsAircraft safetyAviationAviation securityCost effectiveness analysisEvaluation criteriaInteragency relationsPerformance measuresProduct evaluationReporting requirementsSafety standardsStaff utilizationTransportation planningTransportation safetyWeatherWeather forecasting