Aircraft Data-link Technologies in Congested Skies

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Overview of Next General Air Transport System
Rationalization of the Program
Rudiments of NextGen Systems
Challenges Facing the Neaten Program
References

Introduction

The current system applied in the US to control air traffic is very congested. The Very High Frequency and Amplitude Modulation channels utilized by air traffic personnel to control the movement of pilots in the commercial airline is said to be congested. Due to this, the National airspace System is now declared inefficient, leading to losses and wastages.

The inefficient systems are known to cause delays, diminutive profits in the air sector, a compromise in the safety of passengers, as well as the cabin crew. In the air industry, some scholars and stakeholders have suggested a number of theories and concepts that would help ease the congestion witnessed currently.

Such concepts include the introduction of models such as Free Flight and Satellite-based Air Traffic Management. Such models would require heavy investments and extensive research, which would take years before they are implemented.

Since data-linking technology is critical to the safety of air transport, it is advisable for the state agencies concerned with passenger safety to introduce reliable systems such as NextGen systems, which would address the many problems faced in the air sector as regards to congestion (Dempsey, 1997).

NextGen system would offer an effectual and consistent communications between pilots and air traffic regulators. However, the NextGen systems are faced with a number of challenges. This paper aims at analyzing the rudiments of NextGen systems as proposed by the FAA. The paper would further describe the main challenges that face the program.

Overview of Next General Air Transport System

NextGen system is popularly used to refer to the National Airspace System, which is to be implemented in the due course in various parts of the US, between the year 2012 and 2025. In the proposal, the NextGen system aspires to transform the air traffic-control system in the US. This means that the program aims at reforming air operations by substituting the ineffective ground-based system with a satellite-based system.

In particular, the program would bring in GPS technology that would condense the air routes, save time and energy, decrease traffic interruption, augment capability of the airports, and allow the air regulators to supervise and administer planes with superior security limits.

In this regard, it is expected that aircrafts would fly closer to each other, utilize direct routes, and keep off from unnecessary delays brought about by airport stacking. Under such a scenario, planes are forced to wait for open landing strips. The main challenge to the aviation authority is to come up with measures that would facilitate smooth implementation of the NextGen policies.

This would imply that the Federal Aviation Administration would be expected to carry out an analysis of various systems in order o guarantee transformation of the air transportation system. Since its inception, the NextGen program has always had an aim of plummeting gridlock in the airspace and in the airports.

The US government has been serious about the introduction of the program since in 2003, the congress approved the establishment of a joint committee referred to as JPDO. The committee would be charged with the responsibility of planning and coordinating the growth of the new system (NextGen System).

Rationalization of the Program

Available literature shows that the US would lose an approximated $22 billion by the year 2022 because of congestions in the airspace and in the airports. With the introduction of the NextGen system, the US economy would grow steadily since fuel consumption would reduce by an estimated margin of 1.4 billion gallons by the year 2018.

Moreover, the country would reduce emission of dangerous gases by 14 million tons and save an estimated $23 billion in costs that are often associated with emissions. Aviation experts claim that for each mile covered in the air, the airline company spends at least 0.10 dollars to 0.15 dollars in expenses.

This expenditure is unnecessary since it is spent on flight crew and fuel implying that nothing is obtained in terms of profit. Therefore, it is recommended that such costs would be eliminated in case congestion in the air and in the airports are solved (Ball, Leandros, & Ozur 1999).

NextGen system is unique since it permits pilots and other air transport officials to choose their suitable flight paths other than utilizing the grid-like highway system, which is believed to be inefficient and cost full. FAA is planning to complete the initial preparations by the year 2020, meaning that aircrafts would be fitted with gadgets that would allow pilots to determine their locations in relation to other aircrafts.

This would allow pilots to fly next to other planes without necessarily inconveniencing other airspace users. NextGen systems would allow pilots to acquire adequate information as regards to their flights hence aircrafts are expected to land faster and safely. In this regard, taxi times would be reduced, which would allow airports to operate efficiently.

In other words, the new technology is aimed at augmenting the capacity, quantity, and allocation of air information. Consequently, these would facilitate the smooth landing of aircrafts, advance weather forecasts, enable computerization and information distribution, and would decrease taxi times.

NextGen system is the only solution to the congestions witnessed in the US airspace. Congestions are responsible for the slow growth of the economy. Businesses register little profits due to congestions that cause delays (Hansman, 2000).

Rudiments of NextGen Systems

There are five basic elements of NextGen program. The first one is the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), which is expected to utilize global positioning system (GPS) outpost indicator to offer air traffic managers with efficient data. The information provided by GPS would be used to safeguard the aircraft while in space.

In other words, this means the aircraft would be monitored easily while in the sky, as well as in the runways. Through the GPS enabled system, plane transponders are expected to receive signals and utilize them in finding out the exact position of the plane in the airspace.

After acquiring the above critical information, the pilot would then communicate to other operators, as well as the air traffic mangers regarding the position of the aircraft in space. The technology is designed in a way that would help the air traffic managers to see similar real-time display in the sky hence reducing risks and improving the security.

It should be noted at this point that through the technology, pilot of an aircraft as well as the air traffic controllers would be in a position to note the position of the aircraft in relation to others. The Federal Aviation Association has put in place measures that would permit the implementation of the above element, one of them being ensuring the avionics are present, which would allow smooth implementation of ADS-B.

The second rudiment of the program established by the FAA is system wide information management (SWIM), which is intended to offer a single infrastructure and information control system. This would be utilized to supply information to other airspace users.

From the above information, SWIM technology would diminish information redundancy and would instead facilitate multi-user information allocation. This is because the entire program aims at reducing the existence of various types of interfaces and systems. In other words, the main aim would be to come up with a single efficient system.

Various pilots would use the single system at the same time, unlike the existing systems, which do not allow this. Consequently, the implementation of SWIM technology would allow pilots and other aircraft controllers to make informed decisions easily since information would be easily accessed by anyone in the air industry. From this perspective, it would be impossible for air traffic to form since pilots would be in full control.

The third element of Neaten program pertains to data communication. It is established that the existing communication links between the cabin crew and air traffic control are full of pitfalls since messages are transmitted through voice channels. Even between air-traffic management staff, communication is largely through voice channels.

By introducing data communication systems, the air transport would benefit from additional means that have the capacity to pass information in a two-way version. In this regard, experts claim that this would enhance air-traffic control since clearances would be simple. Moreover, the air control staff would be able to generate universal instructions that would be followed by all airline operators.

For instance, the air traffic personnel would be in a position to offer advisory services based on the obtained data. Based on the requests and reports forwarded by the flight crew, air-traffic control personnel would be able to act immediately to prevent any hazard in the sky or in the airport. Since many planes would be fitted with data link equipments, it would be possible to exchange messages between controller pilots.

On the other hand, data communication technology would facilitate clearances through data links hence enabling the concerned staff to handle traffic with ease. In general, scholars note that this would enhance productivity in the air industry, which would improve the safety of travelers, as well as the quality of services offered (Mayer, & Todd, 2001).

Network enabled weather is another issue that the Neaten program would be targeting to tackle. NNEW would aim at reducing the delays caused by weather conditions. A report submitted to the FAA indicated that over seventy percent of all delays are usually caused by bad weather. In other words, it means that bad weather is the main cause of air traffic in the US.

The new technology under NNEW would solve all weather related problems. Program strategists have an aim of reducing weather related delays by at least half before the year 2020. Under NNEW, all global weather observations reports and sensor gadgets would be gelled into a single system.

This means that airborne and other space related data would be used effectively to provide information to pilots and other staff in the air industry in real time. The information provided under NNEW technology would be updated from time to time in order to provide accurate information to the stakeholders in the air industry.

From the above observation, it is true that NNEW technology will offer critical information related to weather. This implies that operators in the air industry would be able to make critical decisions in time, which would perhaps prevent wastages, accidents, congestions, and unnecessary delays (Hooey, 2000).

The last element in the Neaten program is the NAS voice switch technology, which is intended to replace the existing systems perceived to be ineffective. In the existing NAS system, there are an approximated seventeen different voice systems but all of them have failed to offer a lasting solution for the last twenty years of their operation.

Experts claim that the new technology would replace the old voice systems with a single system that would have a capability to link the operations of pilots in air, as well as the activities of airline companies in various destinations.

Challenges Facing the Neaten Program

Since its formation, the Neaten program has always faced a number of difficulties ranging from external to internal problems. One of the major problems facing the project is the costs associated with implementation. For instance, policy implementers are faced with meeting the deadlines since there are insufficient resources to fund the projects related to the Neaten program.

A report prepared in 2011 showed that the major problem faced was related to costs since the project is believed to be very expensive. For instance, the program managers are unable to acquire some of the materials owing to shortages of funds.

Other dependent projects aiming at reducing congestions in the American airspace have stalled because of the slow implementation of Neaten program (Stallings, 1991). Maintenance costs of the program are also high. A report published in 2011 indicated that implementation of ERAM was being slowed down by high costs of the system. Acquisition costs were estimated at $ 330 million while monthly costs were expected to be $7 million.

Another challenge is that Neaten program must be implemented together with other programs meaning that the program depends on the success of other programs (Kjellberg, 1998). For example, ADS-B cannot be implemented without executing the tenets of ERAM since former depends on the later. Furthermore, the other two elements of the program that is, data communications, and SWIM depend squarely on ERAM.

Therefore, the delay of ERAM would mean that the program might not be successful. The ongoing economic meltdown in the world has also delayed the implementation of the program. Financial crisis has forced the US government to cut reduce budgetary allocations for various projects, including Neaten program.

In the year 2012, the allotted amount was reduced by $2.8 billion, which is equivalent to twenty percent. Due to protocol issues, the US has not been able to relate with Europe as regards to the implementation of the project. Finally, the project has faced difficulties related to the environmental impacts.

The program does not have clear strategies on how to preserve the environment. A report published under the auspices of GAO showed that some communities would be affected when aircrafts are redirected to comply with the provisions of Neaten program. The communities would be affected by the noise hence a clear program on how to handle the problem ought to be established.

References

Ball, M., Leandros T., & Ozur, E. (1999). Next generation satellite systems for aeronautical systems communications. New Jersey: University of Maryland.

Dempsey, P. (1997). Air Transportation: Foundations for the 21^st Century. Chandler: Coast Air Publications.

Hangman, R. (2000). The Dynamics of the Emerging Capacity Crisis in the U.S. Air Traffic Control System. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Hooey, B. (2000). Integrating Data-link and Cockpit Display Technologies into Current and Future Taxi Operations. The 19^th Digital Avionics Systems Conference, 2(1).

Kjellberg, R. (1998). Capacity and Throughput using a Self-Organized Time Division Multiple Access VHF Data Link in Surveillance Applications. Stockholm: University of Stockholm and the Royal Institute of Technology.

Mayer, C., & Todd, S. (2001). Network Effects, Congestion Externalities, and Air Traffic Delays: Or Why Not All Delays Are Evil. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania.

Stallings, W. (1991). Data and Computer Communications (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

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