Ireland Degges
The first Terminal Flight Data Manager system, which Leidos developed for the Federal Aviation Administration, is now operational at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio.
The deployment of TFDM is meant to diminish runway departure queues and ensure streamlined air traffic control tower operations, the Reston, Virginia-based company said Friday.
Commenting on the launch, Leidos Transportation Solutions Senior Vice President Fran Hill noted, “Not only will it improve the passenger experience by reducing delays, but it will also lower greenhouse gas emissions through reduced airplane taxi times.”
She additionally emphasized the rise in air traffic nationwide and the importance of airports utilizing technology to maintain a consistent flow of air traffic.
The tower-based TFDM falls under the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System technology program. It looks to enhance information management efforts and works to enable sharing of electronic data among controllers, air traffic managers, aircraft operators and airports to arrange arrivals and departures while maintaining surface traffic flow.
Developing and implementing TFDM required Leidos teams to conduct program management, systems engineering, design and development, system integration and testing, adaptation, hardware production and site implementation activities. The company will also work to ensure the system’s ongoing performance through continuous maintenance support services.
A future deployment build is scheduled for Charlotte Douglas International Airport in 2024. Build 2.0 will deliver new technologies while expanding the share of data to flight operators and other stakeholders.
The implementation of the program across additional U.S. airports will continue throughout the next several years.
Leidos serves as the central developer of TFDM. While prior work on the program was done by Lockheed Martin and Saab Sensis, a merger of the defense company’s information systems and global solutions business with a Leidos subsidiary propelled the latter to the forefront of the project.
Leidos has previously worked with the FAA in developing its Operational Analysis and Reporting System to modernize the administration’s safety analysis tools and capabilities under a $64 million contract.
