FAA Seeks Industry Concepts for Next-Gen Tower Simulation Training

The agency aims to deploy enhanced simulators at 102 training sites by 2028 to improve air traffic controller certification.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a request for industry input on an enhanced air traffic control tower simulator system. The goal is to accelerate controller training and expand access to high-fidelity simulation across the U.S. National Airspace System. The FAA currently operates 111 simulators supporting training at 264 air traffic control towers, and plans to deploy 102 enhanced simulators by 2028 to reduce the need for controllers to travel to remote facilities.

Why it matters

The FAA's tower simulation program is part of a broader effort to modernize the nation's air traffic control infrastructure. Improved simulation capabilities can help address staffing shortages and delays in controller certification by enabling more efficient and accessible training.

The details

The FAA is seeking solutions that provide high-fidelity simulation of tower operations, enable rapid updates to training scenarios, support realistic virtual pilot communications, and incorporate modern software development practices. Proposed systems must also support remote software updates, real-time monitoring, and access to usage data.

  • The FAA issued the Request for Concept Papers on March 9, 2026.
  • Responses to the inquiry are due by March 24, 2026 at 2 p.m. Eastern.
  • The FAA plans to deploy the enhanced simulators at 102 training sites by May 2028.

The players

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The U.S. government agency responsible for the regulation and oversight of civil aviation.

Peraton

The prime integrator contractor for the FAA's Brand-New Air Traffic Control System modernization portfolio.

Manish Patel

The primary point of contact for the FAA's Tower Simulation System Enhancement 2 (TSS E2) program.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The FAA's concept paper request represents the first phase of a challenge-based acquisition process, which may include demonstrations, prototypes, and additional evaluations before the agency selects one or more vendors to provide the hardware, software, and services required for the TSS E2 system.

The takeaway

The FAA's efforts to enhance its tower simulation training capabilities are part of a broader modernization of the nation's air traffic control infrastructure. Improved simulation can help address staffing and certification challenges, while enabling more efficient and accessible training for air traffic controllers.