The United States' air traffic control system is the safest in the world.

To keep it that way, FAA and its Air Traffic Organization work continuously to improve the system. This includes incorporating new equipment and facilities as well as determining where that equipment and those facilities will be most effective.

The FAA is working on a plan now to make the best use of new and existing technology, infrastructure, and employees to handle the doubling and tripling of air traffic expected in the coming decades. The Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, will transform the national airspace system from one that is based on ground radars to one that uses satellite technology.