NextGen Metroplex Orlando Media Roundtable

On Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta, JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and aviation partners held a media roundtable at JetBlue University (8265 Hangar Blvd., Orlando, FL 32827) on the FAA’s Metroplex initiative, a collaborative effort to make air traffic control more efficient, help airlines improve on-time performance, and reduce emissions generated by aircraft flying in and out of Central and South Florida airports. 

 The Metroplex initiative is a key component of the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation (NextGen) modernization program. Additionally, representatives from the FAA and JetBlue Airways discussed the importance of NextGen to the state of Florida and highlighted other NextGen programs and efforts underway. 

The Orlando metroplex contains one FAA core airport, Orlando International, and other airports, including Orlando Executive and Orlando Sanford. The Orlando metroplex’s airspace is serviced by the Orlando Terminal Radar Approach Control facility and the Jacksonville and Miami Air Route Traffic Control centers. The Orlando metroplex has been identified by RTCA’s NextGen Advisory Committee as a Tier 2 metroplex. The Orlando metroplex is also home to the NextGen Florida Testbed, one of the FAA’s three NextGen Test Beds, providing real-world testing and demonstration environments that facilitate research and development, as well as real-world demonstrations and evaluations.