New ATC system command center operational

Posted by John McHale
WASHINGTON, 12 April 2011. Officials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened a new air traffic control (ATC)command center in Warrenton, Va., -- the David J. Hurley Air Traffic Control System Command Center.
The Command Center is responsible for managing the overall use of the national airspace system. Traffic management specialists balance air traffic demand with system capacity, working with aviation stakeholders to handle any constraints in the system, such as weather, runway closures, and delays. They coordinate with air traffic controllers at facilities throughout the country to ensure that air traffic moves as smoothly as possible.
The new Command Center is co-located with the FAA's Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON, a consolidated approach and departure control facility that opened in 2002. About 600 employees work at the two facilities.
"If you think of our national airspace system as an orchestra, the command center's the conductor," says Deputy FAA Secretary John Porcari. "It's a 24/7 operation where the traffic flow is set for the entire day."
"With 5,000 aircraft in the sky over the U.S. at any given moment, the command center plays a critical role in ensuring that all of that traffic is handled safely and efficiently," says FAA administrator Randy Babbitt.