GAMA Commends FAA Deputy Administrator's Reaffirmation to ADS-B Mandate

Washington, DC — The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today applauded the newly appointed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell for reiterating the FAA’s firm commitment to the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) compliance deadline for all aircraft flying in designated airspace, in some of his first public remarks at the NextGen Advisory Committee meeting earlier this week.

“You have heard my predecessors say this before and I will continue to communicate this important message,” remarked Elwell. “The ADS-B Out equipage mandate will not change. The December 31, 2019, date is firm.”

Air traffic control system modernization activities are accelerating worldwide and general aviation has been at the forefront of this transformation. From early adoption of GPS capability in the cockpit, to rapid equipage with Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) technologies to enable GPS based approaches at thousands of airports, through pioneering the development of ADS-B with the Capstone Program in Alaska, to the rotorcraft community's enthusiastic embrace of ADS-B equipage in the Gulf of Mexico, general aviation has led the way.

“We have confirmed across the full spectrum of general aviation associations that our industry strongly supports air traffic control modernization to include having the ADS-B Out mandate stand firm, as the FAA has consistently communicated, by December 31, 2019," said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. “We look forward to working with the Deputy Administrator to facilitate accelerated equipage rates for fixed and rotor wing aircraft as the mandate deadline approaches.”

For additional information, please contact Sarah McCann, GAMA Director of Communications, at +1 (202) 637-1375 or smccann@gama.aero.

GAMA is an international trade association representing over 100 of the world's leading manufacturers of general aviation airplanes and rotorcraft, engines, avionics, components and related services. GAMA's members also operate repair stations, fixed based operations, pilot and maintenance training facilities and manage fleets of aircraft. For more information, visit GAMA's website at www.GAMA.aero.