The Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) has named Metron Aviation’s vice president and chief strategy officer, Norm Fujisaki, as the winner of the 2010 David J. Hurley Memorial Award for Aviation Traffic Management. The prestigious award is presented annually to an individual working in the field of air traffic management (ATM) for outstanding achievement or contribution in the area of collaborative decision making (CDM), balancing air traffic demand and capacity, or maximizing airspace and airport use, which has added to the quality, efficiency and safety of the national airspace system (NAS).
Mr Fujisaki, worked with David Hurley in the early 1990’s and helped pioneer and enable modern air traffic flow management (ATFM), leading to its adoption not only in the US, but around the world. Mr Fujisaki’s career spans 25 years with the FAA. His tenure includes being vice president for operations planning in the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization where he led strategic business planning, performance analysis, systems engineering, the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, R&D, the operational evolution program (OEP) and international relations. He has contributed to harmonized ATM systems through his work with international organizations such as ICAO and EUROCONTROL. He also helped bring the FAA and airline industry together, enabling the fundamental changes to the ATM system that led to CDM.
“Having known David Hurley personally, I am elated that Norm has won this esteemed award,” said Jack Kies, president. “Norm is a leader amongst peers and is synonymous with being a pioneer in CDM and NAS innovation. He has unwavering dedication to the advancement of NextGen and making our skies more efficient and safer. I speak for the entire company when I say congratulations to Norm, you earned this great award.”
Mr Fujisaki’s breadth of aviation experience also includes creating NEXTOR, the FAA’s center of excellence for aviation operations research. With Mr Fujisaki’s role in introducing collaborative operational concepts, he has made significant contributions to ATM, not just in the US, but globally. CDM and collaborative ATM are substantial components of the foundation for NextGen and optimizing global airspace.