AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

Air Traffic Control (Next Generation) Good Or Bad?



Air Traffic Control (Next Generation) Good Or Bad?

Abstract

Next Generation Air Transportation system (NextGen) of US, is under development phase. The main aim of the system is to replace the traditional radar and voice based aircraft tracking system, with the satellite based systems. This system, including the new capabilities of Air Traffic Control (ATC) promises to improve the system's capacity to accommodate the growth, which is expected in the air traffic over the next few years. For example, one important benefit of the NextGen, lies in its capability of advanced onboard equipage of the aircraft.

This paper argues that the Next Generation Air Transportation system (NextGen) is good for the future air traffic control infrastructure, by discussing major benefits which are expected in the system.

Air Traffic Control Modernization Plans

The NexGen air traffic control system undoubtedly represents the first make over for improving the air traffic management. The main changes which are proposed to be implemented in the new air traffic control system are as follows (Dillingham G.L., 2011):

Deployment of satellite-based surveillance and tracking instead of ground-based radars,

The navigation of aircraft will base on performance rather than following step by step procedures.

The routine voice communications which are prone to errors will be replaced by digital data transmissions.

Efficient organization and management of the currently disjointed data, on which the crew, pilots and controllers currently rely on for operating the system.

The plan of NexGen airtraffic control system is not new, but the Federal Aviation Administration has been planning since 2003. However it is implementing the near-term capabilities in the year 2012, and planning mid-term capabilities to be implemented by the year 2018. Due to this slow progress rate, various concerns have been developed by the stake holders such as Congress, that despite of investment of billions of dollars, FAA has not yet made any remarkable progress. However, FAA has started speeding up its work, and has already demonstrated some capabilities that was proposed for the NexGen system, such as fuel savings. In addition, FAA is also focusing on streamlining its development processes, which promises the development of this new infrastructure by the year 2025, which will lead to the significant improvement of the air traffic control systems and processes.

The next section of the paper discusses the major benefits; the air traffic control system will have with the deployment of these technological changes.

Air Traffic Control Modernization Benefits

The innovative technologies and procedures of Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), promises to introduce new capabilities in the National Airspace System (NAS). These capabilities will result in improvement of overall efficiency and capacity of the system. The general benefits associated with the new system are (as stated by the official of Federal aviation and airline industry), include making the skies safer for aircraft journeys, reducing flight delays, permitting more aircrafts to travel at the same time, reducing carbon footprints in the environment, reducing the workloads of air controllers, and reducing the fuel consumption (Scharader, A, ...