Upgraded FAA Equipment Okay; But Many Buildings Are Beyond Useful Life

An audit conducted by the FAA has determined that the money the agency has invested in new air traffic control equipment has been well spent; but the buildings that house the equipment "are aging and showing signs of deteriorating physical conditions." The average expected useful life of one of the buildings is 25 to 30 years, but the audit found that 59 percent of the FAA buildings were more than 30 years old. Auditors recommended that new-build facilities focus on compatibility with the NextGen initiative and the agency should identify the type of buildings it will need for the new system. Also, target dates for the upgrades should be established and the agency needs to establish "realistic funding requirements for maintaining existing sites until those dates."