ExecutiveOrdersEO
EO 13479Executive OrderG.W. Bush · R Quiet signal

Executive Order 13479

Transformation of the National Air Transportation System

Defense & SecurityDefense & SecurityEnergy & EnvironmentEnergy & EnvironmentEconomy & LaborEconomy & LaborFederal WorkforceFederal Workforce

In simple terms

This executive order directs the Secretary of Transportation to lead implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), a modernized air traffic control system. It establishes interagency coordination requirements across Defense, Commerce, Homeland Security, and NASA, with specific deadlines for creating support staff and an advisory committee.

Federal Register Open PDF 73 FR 70241

Record & deadlines

  1. Signed

    Signed by the President

  2. FR published

    Published in the Federal Register · 73 FR 70241

    Federal Register PDF

  3. Biennial progress reports to President (ongoing every 2 years)

  4. Establish advisory committee for NextGen implementation advice

  5. First quarterly Senior Policy Committee meeting

  6. Establish DOT support staff (including interagency personnel)

Key directives

  • Secretary of Transportation to implement NextGen in safe, secure, timely, environmentally sound, efficient, and effective manner
  • Secretary of Transportation to convene quarterly Senior Policy Committee meetings unless less frequent meetings deemed sufficient
  • Establish DOT support staff within 60 days
  • Establish advisory committee within 180 days
  • Secretary of Defense to collaborate on NextGen defense needs and furnish data streams for civil-military integration
  • Secretary of Commerce to develop aviation weather and spectrum management capabilities for NextGen
  • Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure aviation security capabilities in NextGen
  • NASA Administrator to carry out duties consistent with EO 13419 and this order
  • Agency heads to provide information, personnel, and resources to DOT as agreed
  • Senior Policy Committee to report biennially to President on progress and recommendations
  • Senior Policy Committee to review agency budget proposals affecting NextGen and make recommendations to OMB

Who is ordered

Related orders

What to expect

Immediate

  • EO establishes policy and assigns roles to cabinet secretaries

Near term (90d)

  • Support staff must be established within DOT by January 17, 2009
  • Quarterly Senior Policy Committee meetings to begin

Long term

  • Advisory committee must be established by May 17, 2009
  • Biennial progress reports to President required
  • NextGen implementation spans multiple years/decades

Risks & tensions

  • Interagency coordination depends on voluntary agreements for personnel/resources (Sec. 4(e)), creating potential resource conflicts
  • Quarterly meeting requirement has escape clause if Secretary deems less frequent meetings 'consistent with effective implementation'—vague standard
  • Implementation explicitly subject to 'availability of appropriations' (Sec. 6(b)), creating funding dependency
  • No enforcement mechanism for agency cooperation beyond OMB budget review role
  • NextGen was already authorized by statute (Vision 100 Act); this EO largely organizes implementation rather than creating new authority
Executive Order 13479: Transformation of the National Air Transportation System · Executive Orders