Aviation Innovation Coalition Welcomes NATCA as Member and Assigns Board Liaison Seat

NATCA’s frontline expertise will strengthen AIC’s work to advance practical, workforce-informed modernization of the National Airspace System

WASHINGTON DC, VA, UNITED STATES, June 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Aviation Innovation Coalition (AIC) today announced that the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has joined AIC, bringing the voice and operational expertise of the air traffic controller workforce into the Coalition’s work to support modernization of the U.S. National Airspace System.

AIC also announced that it has assigned NATCA a Board Liaison seat, ensuring that NATCA’s perspective is directly integrated into AIC board-level discussions on aviation infrastructure, technology deployment, facility needs, operational readiness, and the workforce challenges facing the nation’s air traffic control system.

AIC was launched to bring together aviation, technology, infrastructure, operations, and policy leaders to support DOT and FAA’s vision of developing a best-in-class, future-ready NAS. Its mission is to support this modernization through industry collaboration, working groups, research, education, and recommendations focused on technology, infrastructure, safety, and efficiency. The AIC is focused on creating U.S. jobs and the global leadership of the U.S. ATC industrial base. NATCA’s participation adds a critical operational perspective from the professionals who work inside the system every day.

“NATCA’s membership in the Aviation Innovation Coalition is a major step forward for our work,” said Gene Hayman, Chairman of the Aviation Innovation Coalition. “Modernization driven by technology advances is critical, but it also must be grounded in the real-world operating environment of the NAS, the condition of the facilities that support it, and the needs of the highly skilled workforce that keeps it safe every day. NATCA brings an unmatched understanding of those realities, and AIC will be stronger, more practical, and more effective because of their participation.”

NATCA represents nearly 20,000 aviation safety professionals, including FAA air traffic controllers, traffic management coordinators and specialists, flight service station air traffic controllers, staff support specialists, engineers and architects. NATCA has consistently advocated for a comprehensive approach that includes modernizing safety-critical systems, investing in aging physical infrastructure, sustained attention to staffing challenges and the growing operational demands placed on the workforce.

“As the aviation community works to modernize the NAS, the people who operate and maintain the system must have a seat at the table,” said Nick Daniels, NATCA President. “NATCA is pleased to join AIC and contribute the firsthand knowledge of our members, who understand the complexity of the NAS, the realities inside air traffic control facilities, and the workforce challenges that must be addressed for modernization to succeed. We look forward to working with AIC’s members to help ensure that innovation strengthens safety, supports the workforce, and delivers real benefits to the flying public.”

“Assigning NATCA a Board Liaison seat reflects AIC’s commitment to ensuring that modernization is informed by the operational experts who know the system best,” Hayman added. “The NAS is one of the safest and most complex aviation systems in the world. To modernize it responsibly, we need technical expertise, policy alignment, sustained investment, and the practical insight of the workforce. NATCA’s participation helps bring those elements together.”

AIC and NATCA share a commitment to strengthening aviation safety, improving system performance, and supporting the long-term modernization of the nation’s aviation infrastructure. By bringing NATCA’s frontline expertise into AIC’s collaborative forum, the Coalition will be better positioned to support solutions that are operationally sound, workforce-informed, and aligned with the safety needs of the NAS.

About the Aviation Innovation Coalition
The Aviation Innovation Coalition is an industry-led organization bringing together aviation, technology, infrastructure, operations, and policy leaders to support modernization of the U.S. National Airspace System. Through research, education, working groups, and industry collaboration, AIC develops recommendations and advances solutions that strengthen safety, efficiency, innovation, and U.S. leadership in aviation.

About NATCA
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, AFL-CIO represents nearly 20,000 aviation safety professionals, including air traffic controllers, traffic management coordinators and specialists, flight service station air traffic controllers, staff support specialists, engineers and architects, and other aviation safety professionals across the FAA, Department of Defense, Federal Contract Towers, and the private sector.

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