Stephen Creamer, ATCA President & CEO

Launch of ATCA Connect 2026, with a focus on modernization, integration, and partnership.

Chris Rocheleau, Deputy Administrator, FAA

A National Vision for a Safer, Smarter NAS

Colonel Jason Parker USAF, Commander Joint Base Charleston

This session centers on BNATCS not as a policy initiative, but as a live operational transformation. Leaders responsible for running, staffing, and safeguarding air traffic operations discuss how modernization decisions are experienced on the front lines—where continuity, resilience, and human performance are non-negotiable. The conversation focuses on how large-scale system renewal can occur without disrupting safety, trust, or service delivery, drawing lessons from both U.S. operations and international ANSPs that have already navigated similar transitions.

The National Airspace System is a shared operational environment supporting commercial aviation, military readiness, and national security missions, often simultaneously. This panel brings together senior military leaders, FAA operational leadership, and industry partners to examine how defense operations are planned, executed, and coordinated within an increasingly congested and modernizing NAS.

Panelists will explore how military training, testing, and Special Use Airspace (SUA) activation interact with civil air traffic flow; how the FAA balances operational efficiency with national security requirements; and how emerging technologies and BNATCS-enabled capabilities can improve coordination, data-sharing, and airspace handoffs. The discussion will focus on practical challenges, operational tradeoffs, and the partnerships required to ensure mission readiness without compromising safety or system performance.

Moderator: Justin Madden, Vice President, Safety and Technical Operations, Airlines for America

Included in Full Access Registration

This panel explores how federal agencies and national partners are aligning policy, vision, and technology to drive the next era of airspace transformation. overview of national modernization priorities and interagency collaboration driving the future of airspace management.

Moderator: Steven Hansen, Chief Operating Officer, CSSI

As the FAA moves from legacy systems toward a more integrated, data-driven National Airspace System, modernization is no longer theoretical—it is reshaping how operations are planned, executed, and managed in real time. This panel examines how evolving systems, shared data, and new operational concepts are changing the rules of engagement for controllers, pilots, airlines, and the military.

Panelists will explore how common automation, cloud-based architectures, and information-sharing tools are altering workflows across en-route, terminal, and tower operations; what these changes mean for training, workforce adaptability, and operational decision-making; and how emerging capabilities are redefining the balance between human judgment and automation. The discussion focuses on how modernization actually shows up on the scope, in the cockpit, and in operational command centers—and what it will take to manage this transition safely and effectively.

Katie Arrington, Chief Information Officer, IonQ

Ms. Katherine “Katie” Arrington is a nationally recognized policy and technology leader who most recently performed the duties of the Department of War Chief Information Officer, serving as the Secretary of War’s principal advisor on information management and IT, cybersecurity, non-intelligence space systems, satellite communications, spectrum, and telecommunications. Previously, she was the Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity, leading the Department of War’s enterprise cybersecurity program, engaging industry to improve information sharing, and representing DoW leadership in international cybersecurity forums. She also served as the first DoW CISO for the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, where she aligned acquisition cyber strategy across the Defense Industrial Base, led the White House COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force for Acceleration, and spearheaded the creation of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Earlier in her career, she was Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Exiger, held senior roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, Centuria Corporation, and Dispersive Networks, and served two terms as a South Carolina State Representative, bringing more than 15 years of experience spanning government, industry, and national security.

As the National Airspace System becomes increasingly digital, cloud-enabled, and data-driven, cybersecurity is no longer a back-office IT concern—it is foundational to operational continuity, safety, and national security. This panel brings together federal leaders and industry experts to examine how cyber resilience, supply chain integrity, and data trust are being built into the next generation of NAS operations. Panelists will explore how modernization expands the attack surface, how cyber risks translate into operational consequences, and how frameworks such as CMMC, zero trust, and resilient architectures are shaping both government and industry behavior. The discussion focuses on protecting not just systems, but the decisions, services, and mission outcomes that depend on them.

Included with Full Access Registration

As commercial space launches, reentries, and test activities increase in frequency and scale, the National Airspace System is being asked to absorb some of its most disruptive operations, often with little margin for error. This panel examines how the NAS can accommodate a growing diversity of users without degrading safety, throughput, or predictability.

Leaders from the FAA, NASA, the Department of War, and industry discuss how commercial space operations depend on core FAA services such as Traffic Flow Management, the Command Center, NOTAMs, weather, and contingency planning; how BNATCS enables scalable integration; and how civil–military coordination and public–private collaboration are essential to managing capacity, governance, and community impact. The conversation focuses on operating the system we have while preparing for the system we need.

Advanced Air Mobility will only scale if it is designed to operate within today’s NAS constraints—not idealized future conditions. This panel focuses on the practical design, policy, and operational decisions required to integrate eVTOL and autonomous operations into existing airspace structures, FAA safety frameworks, and service delivery models.

Building on earlier discussions about system capacity and disruption, panelists explore how AAM can be safely absorbed without compromising existing users, and what policy, governance, and operational tradeoffs must be addressed to move from pilots and demonstrations to routine operations.

Aviation faces an increasingly competitive talent landscape, yet awareness of aviation careers has not kept pace with the industry’s needs or evolution. This panel examines how the aviation workforce pipeline can be rebuilt by rethinking how careers are introduced, marketed, and prepared, drawing lessons from both within and outside the aviation sector.

Leaders from the FAA, academia, industry, the military, and non-aviation fields such as healthcare and technology discuss how training innovation, early exposure, and public–private partnerships can expand access to aviation careers. The conversation focuses on how aviation can learn from other sectors that successfully reframed their workforce challenges and what must change to attract, prepare, and retain the next generation of aviation professionals.

FAA, labor, academia, and industry leaders discuss how new technologies, simulation tools, and competency-based approaches are redefining air traffic controller training for a modernized NAS. This panel focuses on improving training throughput and success rates while maintaining safety, supporting trainees, and operating under phased or uncertain funding conditions.

As major modernization programs move from planning to execution, oversight shifts from milestones to outcomes. This breakout examines how transparency, accountability, and trust are maintained when timelines slip, funding fluctuates, or operational risks emerge. Panelists discuss how governance structures adapt in real time and what effective oversight looks like once systems are operational.

Navigating the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) process can be complex, time-consuming, and unfamiliar for many aviation and defense contractors. This session offers a candid, first-hand look at one company’s experience moving through the CMMC process, from early preparation and internal alignment to audits, challenges, and course corrections along the way. Rather than focusing on theory or policy, the discussion highlights practical lessons learned, common pitfalls, and decisions that mattered most. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to ask real-world questions and compare notes on their own CMMC readiness journeys.

Dinner

On your own