The Evaluation of Data Communication for the Future Air Traffic Control System (NextGen)

Abstract

Data communication (Data Comm) between controllers and pilots is one of the core initiatives in the development of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). We evaluated the effect of the following factors on Data Comm: human-machine interfaces, the proportion of Data Comm equipped aircraft in the sector, and data-communication failures. Our experimental results showed that controllers preferred the most flexible human-machine interface, the Combined mode. The significant contribution of Data Comm occurred at the equipage level of over 50%. The Data Comm failure by an individual aircraft did not give a noticeably negative effect, but partial and system-wide failures did. Data Comm would relieve some of controllers' activities, but it will add new tasks and force them to change their work habits. Our experimental results and concerns presented in this paper will help the FAA design an efficient Data Comm system and a training program.