FAA NEXTGEN: The movement to the next generation of aviation is being enabled by a shift to smarter, satellite-based, digital technologies and new procedures.  Combined, these elements make air travel safer, more convenient, predictable and environmentally friendly.  

As the nation’s largest airports continue to experience congestion, NextGen efficiency improvements are enabling FAA to guide and track aircraft more precisely on more direct routes, reducing congestion, delays, fuel burn emissions and noise. NextGen is also vital to preserving aviation’s significant contributions to our national economy.  For more information on FAA’s NextGen Initiative and how it relates to DFW:  http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/

FAA Optimization of Airspace & Procedures in the North Texas Metroplex (OAPM): One of the first phases of NextGen implementation is an initiative called the Optimization of the Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex (OAPM). Also referred to as "Metroplex", a Metroplex is a geographic area that includes several commercial and general aviation airports in close proximity serving a major metropolitan area and a diversity of aviation stakeholders.  By optimizing airspace and procedures in the metroplex, the FAA provides solutions on a regional scale, rather than focusing on a single airport and set of procedures.  Redesigning the congested airspace above major centers of operations such as metroplexes creates a more integrated, efficient and predictable system. The North Texas Metroplex Plan is one of several being implemented across the US.  The North Texas Metroplex was implemented in September 2014. 

DFW RNAV DEPARTURE PROCEDURES: FAA, airlines and the Airport worked together to implement Area Navigation (RNAV) departure procedures in September 2005.  RNAV is an FAA NextGen initiative that transitions navigation from ground-based navigational aids to satellite based aids.  The results include consolidated flight tracks, reduced noise over surrounding communities, and reduced air emissions by shortening the amount of time an aircraft is inside Metroplex airspace.