Four Cities Cited As Having Deficient Computers And Displays

The FAA isn't upgrading its computers or radar displays fast enough. That was the conclusion of a General Accountability Office report, which cite aging equipment in St. Louis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago and Denver. The equipment that should be replaced most quickly, the report said, is the radar and flight data computers at the FAA's TRACON facilities.

As it stands now, the FAA has no plans to upgrade the computer or display systems in any of the four cities before 2007. In an upgrade that was supposed to cost $940 million, but ended up costing $2 billion, the FAA has had to spread out its acquisition of new equipment. The original plan was to complete the upgrade by next year.

FAA Great Lakes Regional spokesman Tony Molinaro he said the FAA is trying to provide "more enhanced systems for the future."

"We do concur there is a critical need to get new equipment at those sites," he said in an interview with the Twin Cities Pioneer-Press. "but we don't have any problems today at the Minneapolis TRACON."

FMI: www.faa.gov