The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it
tapped Lockheed Martin to operate the agency’s automated
flight service stations, a contract worth $1.9 billion
over five years, which FAA says will be made up in savings
after ten years.
FAA said Lockheed “demonstrated ability to deliver
high-quality safety and services and technical excellence
at a competitive cost while providing a seamless
transition to new operations,” and will operate under
agency oversight.
The 2,500 FAA employees at 58 AFSS stations throughout
the nation will remain in place throughout the phase in,
and according to FAA’s air traffic organization, will be
followed by “an incremental and orderly consolidation
of flight services,” scheduled to be complete by March
2007.
Some of the affected employees are flight service
specialists who provide weather briefings, in-flight
radio communications, flight planning and search and
rescue support for private and non-airline commercial
pilots.
FAA said many of the service stations use outmoded
equipment and are in need of newer technology and
infrastructure, and that it spent $500 million on the
stations in fiscal 2003, at which time it announced
the competition.
