FAA Awards CGI Federal for NOTAM System Overhaul
Date: May 7, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a contract to CGI Federal Inc. based in Fairfax, Virginia, to spearhead the modernization of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. This crucial safety tool is responsible for notifying flight personnel about significant hazards and changes in flight conditions, including runway closures, airspace restrictions, and equipment outages that could impact aircraft operations.
Currently, the NOTAM system operates on outdated infrastructure and primarily utilizes text-based alerts, which can be challenging for pilots and air traffic controllers to interpret promptly. The notices are issued in a coded format with minimal filtering, necessitating manual sorting of vast amounts of information by pilots and dispatchers.
CGI Federal, a subsidiary of CGI Inc., will lead a collaboration including Google Public Sector, NG Aviation, and Mosaic ATM to replace the aging system with a modern, cloud-based platform. It aims to provide near-real-time data exchange, enhanced alert clarity, improved collaboration among stakeholders, and greater security and resilience.
Alisa Bearfield, Senior Vice President of CGI Federal’s Civilian Business Unit, stated, “CGI Federal is proud to partner with the FAA on accelerating the delivery of a modernized NOTAM system. We are leveraging nearly four decades of global aviation experience and our collaborations with federal agencies to enhance the safety, resilience, and reliability of our airspace.”
This initiative comes in response to increased pressure on the FAA to modernize the NOTAM system after a nationwide ground stop in January 2023, which resulted from a system failure that caused numerous flight delays and cancellations. The updated NOTAM system will be constructed on FedRAMP’s high-compliance cloud services, ensuring adherence to stringent federal cybersecurity requirements. A timeline for the full deployment of the new system has yet to be announced by the FAA.
