Air travel relies on fast, reliable data. With roughly 16 million flights each year and thousands of aircraft in the air at once, standardized data sharing across FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS) is essential for safety, efficiency, and informed decision-making.

FAA is modernizing two key systems for data sharing with support from the U.S. DOT Volpe Center:
•    System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Terminal Data Distribution System (STDDS) publishes terminal NAS data such as surface operations, Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) activity, departures, and weather to FAA systems and external users through standard interfaces.
•    Store-and-Forward Appliance (SAFA) buffers data, retrieves it when needed, and manages security certificates so aviation systems can access recent historical data securely.

FAA is replacing legacy Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) links with modern Internet Protocol (IP) communications, supporting FAA’s priorities of infrastructure modernization, cybersecurity, and innovation across the NAS. The latest releases modernize how terminal data travels through the NAS by moving from TDM to IP and improving how messages and certificates are stored and shared. This increases data availability, resilience, and security, enabling safer and more efficient air operations.

The U.S. DOT Volpe Center is the prime system developer for STDDS and provides key support for SAFA. Recent upgrades include moving Runway Visual Range components from TDM technology to modern IP, which aligns with broader FAA efforts to enhance data sharing and strengthen the system. Through its SAFA-related work, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center facilitates the seamless publication, storage, and retrieval of vital air traffic data through Application Interface Gateway routers and the Network-Enabled Message Service.
Some key outcomes from the U.S. DOT Volpe Center team’s work include:
•    Better Incident Recovery and Analysis: SAFA now supports up to 15 days of terminal automation data for authorized users.
•    Stronger Cybersecurity: IP-based distribution aligns with current security practices.
•    Improved Decision-making: Standardized interfaces across FAA systems and external data partners.
•    Nationwide Distribution: As of July 2025, STDDS is live at 37 of the 38 TRACON sites. SAFA appliances are installed at 129 of 141 Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) site, nearing 100 percent completion as planned. STARS is a single-state-of-the-art platform installed at TRACONS and their associated air traffic control stations.

The U.S. DOT Volpe Center team is currently focused on completing site deployments for STDDS and SAFA, finishing integration testing, operational handover and user training, and monitoring performance while enhancing security and data distribution as NAS needs evolve.

FAA is establishing a modern, resilient data backbone for the NAS. With the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s support, FAA is moving terminal data from legacy TDM networks to IP communications, strengthening data-driven operations, cybersecurity, and overall efficiency in the U.S. airspace.

About the U.S. DOT Volpe Center

Since 1970, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center has advanced transportation innovation for the public good, providing multimodal applied research, collaborating with federal, state, and industry partners, and multidisciplinary technical leadership and expertise to solve complex transportation challenges. Learn more at www.volpe.dot.gov.