Photo: Renata Ty / Shutterstock The United States Department of Transportation announced today (Tuesday, May 12, 2026) that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed the first stage in modernizing the NOTAM system, a critical flight alert platform for civil aviation in the United States and around the world.
The system provides pilots and flight planners with real-time updates on temporary changes such as runway closures, airspace restrictions, and various obstacles.
According to the DOT, the previous system was active for decades and was prone to malfunction. One major incident occurred in January 2023, when the NOTAM system failed and led to a nationwide grounding of flights across the United States.
As part of the first phase of the project, the NOTAM system was migrated to the cloud in April 2026, thus replacing the legacy USNS platform. Thousands of users have already transitioned to the new system, known as NMS.
The FAA noted that the next project phase will take place later this year, when the aging FNS system will also be decommissioned. Upon completion, the NMS will become the single, central source for all NOTAM alerts in the United States.
FAA data shows that more than 4 million NOTAM alerts are issued annually. The agency stated that moving to the new system is designed to improve reliability, prevent widespread shutdowns, and enhance aviation safety throughout American airspace.
Bryan Bedford, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration:
"Our transition to this state-of-the-art NOTAM system strengthens safety and reliability across the National Airspace System,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “We are focused on building a modern aviation system for the future, one that is resilient, efficient, and capable of meeting the demands of the world’s busiest airspace."
Sean P. Duffy, United States Secretary of Transportation: "The last administration handed us a 40-year old aviation alert system on the verge of complete collapse. Instead of waiting for another nationwide ground stop, we moved at the Speed of Trump to build a brand new, modern system, and we did it years ahead of schedule. "