ATFM team in Beijing, China, during the ATFM Final Program Review meeting

In June 2008, Volpe Center representatives took part in a final program review of the Chinese Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) program in Beijing, China. The Center is part of the U.S. China Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP) ATFM team, which includes individuals from the Civil Aviation Administration of China/Air Traffic Management Bureau, Metron, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the MITRE Corporation, Boeing, and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). Dr. Nelson H. Keeler, director of the Volpe Center's Office of Aviation Programs, serves as the senior U.S. government representative on the team.

ATFM is an important part of the Chinese aviation authority's response to the fast-growing demand for air travel and air cargo shipments. Volpe Center's participation in this program review is part of an ongoing relationship with Chinese colleagues who have previously visited the Volpe Center to learn about best practices for air traffic management and about the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS). The Volpe Center is responsible for the development and daily operation of ETMS, the primary system used to support the FAA's mission to track, predict, plan air traffic flow; analyze the effects of ground delays; and evaluate alternative routing strategies. ETMS integrates weather and flight data from multiple sources and presents it in a graphical format, allowing the FAA to anticipate and balance air traffic flow across the national airspace.

ETMS initially focused on North American air travel, but is expanding into the international arena, both because the FAA needs an interface with international aircraft arriving in the U.S. and in response to the growing needs of emerging markets and developing economies.