Checking a Notice to Airmen before a flight will be a more reliable process now that the FAA has successfully implemented Phase 1 of an overhaul and upgrade of the NOTAM system.
According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the NOTAM upgrade, known as the NOTAM Management Service (NMS), will prevent nationwide airspace shutdowns, enhance safety, and improve communications.
In 2023 an accidental file deletion led to a collapse of the NOTAM system, resulting in a nationwide grounding of aircraft. Airliners sat on the ground while federal officials tried to identify the issue, considering all possibilities ranging from a damaged database to a more serious cyberattack.
NOTAMs contain flight-critical information that pilots need to fly safely, such as airspace changes, temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), obstacles, runway and taxiway closures, communications frequency changes, navigational aid outages, and the lack of availability of fuel at airports. Pilots are required to check NOTAMs as part of compliance with 14 cFAR 91.103, which states “each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight.”
Some 4 million NOTAMs are issued annually.
Failure to check NOTAMs can result in pilots landing on closed runways, communicating on the wrong frequency, or committing accidental airspace violations, such as entering the U.S. presidential TFR, a 30 nm bubble of airspace that travels with the president, that can result in pilot certificate suspension.
A DOT statement noted the legacy NOTAM system was “prone to failure” and pointed to the January 2023 NOTAM shutdown that grounded flights across the country.
“The last administration handed us a 40-year-old aviation alert system on the verge of complete collapse,” said Duffy. “Instead of waiting for another nationwide ground stop, we moved at the speed of Trump to build a brand-new, modern system—and we did it years ahead of schedule. Successfully completing Phase 1 of the NOTAM transition is just another example of how the Trump administration is tackling the toughest challenges and delivering results.”
The DOT also said the previous administration had indicated the modernization of NOTAMs would not be complete until 2027. However, as of April, the FAA has completed Phase 1 of the modernization effort “at record speed, and are well on our way to transitioning the entire system.”
“Our transition to this state-of-the-art NOTAM system strengthens safety and reliability across the National Airspace System [NAS],” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “We are focused on building a modern aviation system for the future—one that is resilient, efficient, and capable of meeting the demands of the world’s busiest airspace.”
To expedite the process, the FAA used a “streamlined, innovative vendor challenge to cut through red tape to get this work done as fast as possible. In collaboration with CGI Federal, the agency developed the new service while engaging with the stakeholders who use it.”
The transition is happening in phases. In the first phase, the FAA shut down the legacy U.S. NOTAM System (USNS). In mid-April thousands of NOTAM users transitioned over to the new service.
The next phase will occur later this year when the FAA retires the legacy Federal NOTAM Service (FNS). The NOTAM Management Service will then be the single authoritative source for all NOTAMs, delivering a modern, reliable foundation for the NAS.