The Future Air Traffic Control System

Presented by:

Geoffrey Bailey Kors van den Boogaard Don Willis

Eurocontrol International Air Transport Association U.S. Federal Aviation Administration

“The Wright Brothers created the single greatest cultural force since the invention of

writing. The airplane became the first World Wide Web, bringing people, languages, ideas and values together.”

- Bill Gates

Overview

• The importance of civil aviation to the global community

• Aeronautical radio spectrum – in general

• The global players

• Future aviation technologies

• The way ahead

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Civil Aviation Importance• Total direct impact of air transport

on gross world output amounts to at least US$1,360B

• Air transport itself provides 28 Million jobs worldwide

• Health and welfare…brings people together…makes our world smaller

• International commerce…business travel…transport of goods

• Stringent technical requirements for aeronautical safety systems stretch technological capabilities

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Aeronautical Radio Spectrum• General goals for aeronautical radio spectrum supporting international safety

services:– Allocated exclusively for aviation– Allocated globally

• Aeronautical radio spectrum required to:– Navigate through the airspace – Monitor aircraft movements– Communications; to provide safe separation and avoid collisions

• Why these requirements?– Need for high levels of integrity– Need for high levels of availability

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Radio spectrum used for Aeronautical operations

NDB

190KHz - 535kHz 74.8MHz - 75.2MHz

ILS Marker Beacon

HF Air/GroundComm unications

3MHz - 30MHz

1215MHz - 1400MHz960MHz -

DME, SSR,SatNav

En Route Radar,SatNav

ILS G lide Slope

328.4MHz - 334.6MHz

W eather Radar

5350MHz - 5470MHz

Surface Movem ent Radar

15.4GHz - 16.4GHz

Approach Radar

9000MHz - 9500MHz

Radio Altim eter

4200MHz - 4400MHz

Approach Radar Approach Radar

2700MHz - 2900MHz - 3100MHz

SatelliteComm s (Uplink)

1626MHz - 1660MHz

Satellite Navigationand augm entations

SatelliteComm s

(Downlink)

- 1610MHz1525MHz - 1559MHz

Aeronautical Radionavigation

(MLS etc)

5030MHz - 5250MHz

Key High spectrum issues

Medium

Low Navigation

Com m unications

Airborne

Surveillance

DopplerNavAid

8750MHz - 8850MHz

Doppler Radar

13.25GHz - 13.4GHz

Loran -C

90 kHz 110 kHz

108MHz - 112 MHz - 118MHz

VOR, GBAS

ILS Loc, VOR, GBAS

VHF Air/Ground

Comm unications

- 137MHz

The Global Players

• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): Plays the key role in developing international standardization to implement a truly global air traffic system; 188 Contracting States

• International Air Transport Association (IATA): Brings together approximately 270 airlines, including the world’s largest. Flights by these airlines comprise more than 98% of all international scheduled air traffic

• Eurocontrol, ASECNA, COCESNA, and the civil aviation authorities: Provide air traffic control services to ensure safe and efficient air travel

• International Telecommunication Union: key agency in providing the global spectrum allocations needed for global air traffic control system; ICAO, IATA, Eurocontrol, and other aviation bodies are observers to ITU and provide inputs on aviation matters

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“…the future development of international civil aviation can greatly help to create and preserve friendship and understanding among the

nations and peoples of the world, yet its abuse can become a threat to the general security…”

Preamble to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, 1944

Future Aviation Technologies

• Civil aviation need to support traffic growth for increased levels of safety, security and efficiency drives future aviation requirements

• Communications: primary issue is shortage of bandwidth to support all air traffic control communications requirements

• Navigation: increased traffic requires increased navigation accuracy

• Surveillance: goal is to provide the pilot and controller with more tools for better situational awareness and improve safe separation in remote airspace

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RADIOLOCATION

System Trends

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COMMUNICATIONS

NAVIGATION

SURVEILLANCE

RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS

RADIONAVIGATION

NEW DEFINITION(S) ?

INTEGRATED SYSTEMS

System Trends…Examples…

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COMMUNICATIONS

NAVIGATION

SURVEILLANCE

SIGNAL IN SPACE APPLICATIONS

AUTOMATICDEPENDENT

SURVEILLANCE

GNSS ENHANCEMENT

SITUATIONAWARENESS

Spectrum Congestion

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AIR TRAFFIC CAPACITY GROWTH

INCREASEDCNS

CONGESTED RADIOSPECTRUM

(e.g., VHF COMMS)

DEMANDS

DEPENDENT UPON

Spectrum Congestion…Possible Solutions…

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• Need to be able to move applications to new radio spectrum

• Adoption of advanced technology

• New definition(s) for use of aeronautical radio spectrum by global aviation

Communications Future Technologies• Currently there are three AM(R)S standards to support unique

requirements around the world:– Double-sideband, amplitude modulated voice (25 kHz channelization): used

around the world except in parts of core Europe – Double-sideband, amplitude modulated voice (8.33 kHz channelization): used in

parts of core Europe due to severe radio spectrum congestion– Digital modulation: global standards exist, however, the system has limited

implementation

• International civil aviation is currently studying its future needs for AM(R)S spectrum to support air traffic control communications– WRC-2007 Agenda Item 1.6

• One of the critical needs: enhanced aviation security

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Navigation Future Technologies

• International civil aviation vision is for a space-based global navigation system, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)– Lessens the need for ground infrastructure – Provides true global capabilities

• Several complementary systems make up the GNSS:– GLONASS provided by Russian Federation– GPS provided by U.S.– Future Galileo provided by Europe

• Radio spectrum to support a modernized GNSS was allocated at WRC-2003

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Surveillance Future Technologies

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• Goal is to provide more autonomy to the pilot:

– Allow self-separation in certain airspace – Provide air-to-air surveillance in uncontrolled and remote airspace– Enhance situational awareness

• ICAO has standardized:

• Mode S extended squitter (1090 MHz)

• VDL-4 (spectrum allocated at WRC-2003)

• An additional system, UAT, is currently being standardized by ICAO and spectrum to accommodate complete functionality will be identified at WRC-2007

The Way Ahead and Issues

• Administrations support ICAO position as possible in their Positions and with Proposals to WRC-2007

• There are many WRC-2007 agenda items of importance to international civil aviation; in particular, Agenda Item 1.6

• In future years, work within ITU to develop international radio regulations and allocations that support the future needs of international civil aviation

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