U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has deployed the first phase of a brand-new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) service months ahead of schedule. The NOTAM service, which provides critical safety alerts about changes in the airspace, was originally built in 1985. It has experienced multiple outages in recent years, including a 2023 nationwide failure under the last administration. This important deployment milestone was achieved on-time and on-budget after Secretary Duffy accelerated the modernization effort.
“This is the promises made, promises kept administration. We are bringing our aviation system into the 21st century at lightning speed to enhance safety in our skies. The new NOTAM system is an important proof point of how we can quickly and effectively modernize our skies under the leadership of President Trump,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
The new NOTAM Management Service (NMS) began operations on September 29, initially distributing NOTAMs to early adopter stakeholders. This initial deployment establishes the framework for the new service, enabling testing and validation with early user adopters. The full transition to the new single-source NOTAM service is on track for late Spring 2026.
“We built a brand-new NOTAM service from the ground up in record time,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “It is resilient, user-friendly, and scalable, and will significantly improve airspace safety and efficiency.”
Additional Information
NOTAMs communicate temporary changes such as runway closures, airspace restrictions, and obstructions to pilots and flight planners. More than 4 million are issued annually.
The new NMS has a streamlined, modern interface. It provides near-real-time data exchange, enabling efficient data flows and better stakeholder collaboration. The system is securely hosted in the cloud and has a scalable and resilient architecture designed for high availability.
The FAA accelerated its NOTAM modernization efforts after the existing system experienced repeated failures, including outages that heavily impacted travelers.
The FAA used a streamlined, innovative vendor challenge to cut through red tape to get this work done as fast as possible. In collaboration with CGI Federal, the agency developed the new service while engaging with the stakeholders who use it.
The new initial core distribution services will operate in parallel with the existing legacy NOTAM System for the next few months.
The next phase of the NOTAM modernization will be complete in February 2026 when the new service fully replaces the legacy and aging US NOTAM System (USNS) that runs on outdated hardware and software.
Full transition will be complete in late Spring 2026. This involves migrating more than 12,000 NOTAM users worldwide, enabling the retirement of the second legacy system called the Federal NOTAM System (FNS). This transition will establish NMS as the single authoritative source for all NOTAMs, delivering a modern, reliable foundation for the national airspace system.
