Airborne Technology for Distributed Air Traffic Management

Abstract

Worldwide air traffic levels are growing at a rate expected to double the current traffic level by the year 2020. The current technology Air Traffic Control systems are already stretched to their limit and are prone to large delays during the peak summer travel season. There is doubt that the current systems can be scaled up to meet the expected demand levels. Many Air Traffic Management (ATM) automation systems have been proposed to increase the capability of controllers, and some are finding their way into operation. While ATM automation systems will help in handling more traffic, it is still doubtful that they can grow to meet the doubling in traffic levels foreseen. This paper presents an introduction to Distributed ATM – using the capability of airborne electronic systems to further relieve the controller workload. An overview of avionics capabilities is presented, followed by a detailed description of five specific examples of airborne capability that can be used to increase airspace capacity, as listed below.