Airspace users and the air traffic management network interact every day and the operation is usually pretty smooth. Of course nobody is happy when there are delays caused by air traffic control capacity constraints, but this is also part of the game. Increasing demand and competition for the same scarce resources, like runways, makes it… Continue reading The pain of retrofit
Tag: CPDLC
The Mortal Sin of not Taking CPDLC Seriously
CPDLC… Controller Pilot Digital Link Communications. It all started when experts predicted that with the increasing demand, congestion on the air traffic control frequencies will make communications impossible and hence a cap will have to be put on the number of aircraft being served simultaneously, severely restricting ATC capacity. CPDLC is in fact non-verbal communications… Continue reading The Mortal Sin of not Taking CPDLC Seriously
European states ignoring Commission Regulations?
It is only a few days ago that airlines in Europe blasted states and ANSPs for creating empty shells which are then sold as operating Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) and the European Commission sent an equally strong message expressing its displeasure. The next round of fire aims at the UK, Italy, Ireland, Austria, Spain and… Continue reading European states ignoring Commission Regulations?
Is SESAR Doomed to Fail?
As some of us will remember, SESAR is not the first attempt to remedy the sad state of air traffic management in Europe. Think EATCHIP and ATM2000+… This latter was especially significant, since the ministers of transport of all ECAC States had signed off on it, promising to implement what was required to make the… Continue reading Is SESAR Doomed to Fail?
Effective Data Communications for NextGen
Beneficial Capabilities Air traffic service (ATS) data communications provide benefits in terms of increased airspace capacity and improved operational efficiency while also enhancing the existing high level of safety. • Increased airspace capacity. In continental/domestic airspace, capacity is primarily increased through basic controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) that reduce controller and flight crew workload as well… Continue reading Effective Data Communications for NextGen
DCIS – What is this?
It was a sunny and warm afternoon when American Airlines captain Russ Chew, IATA European Regional Director Phil Hogge and myself sat down in the little garden behind our house in Brussels to discuss AA’s dissatisfaction with the way the FAA was going about its air/ground digital link program and how AA may participate in… Continue reading DCIS – What is this?
An Opportunity We Should not Miss!
I was talking to an old time, well respected colleague the other day discussing his view that instead of forcing the industry to implement yet another expensive capability, full use should be made of what was already there… Once the benefits start to accrue, airspace users would be much more inclined to take the extra… Continue reading An Opportunity We Should not Miss!
American Airlines in Chapter 11 Protection – Memories of Another Day
It was a sunny afternoon in Brussels when we gathered with Russ Chew of American Airlines and my boss from IATA in our little garden in Zaventem to discuss how to proceed with the implementation of air/ground digital link and controller/pilot digital link communications (CPDLC). American was deeply unhappy with the way the FAA was… Continue reading American Airlines in Chapter 11 Protection – Memories of Another Day
Old habits that refuse to die
Things like the Single European Sky (SES), SESAR, even the FABs were supposed to bring a fresh air to European ATM, dispensing once and for all with bad habits and procedures that kept making life for airspace users unnecessarily hard and expensive. Among those old habits, the persistent mismatch between mandates to equip aircraft and… Continue reading Old habits that refuse to die
FAA Funds ADS-B for JetBlue
Low-cost carriers are not known for their willingness to pay for extra equipment that may be required to improve air traffic management. In this respect they are very much similar to their legacy brethren… Even when there is a clear business case, the mad rush to equip is usually conspicuous by its absence. There are… Continue reading FAA Funds ADS-B for JetBlue