Creating New Operational Concepts for Global Automated ATM Systems

Abstract

With the availability of new CNS (Communications, Navigation and Guidance, Surveillance), tools as described by the ICAO FANS agreement and the potential of new tools for Automation at the ATC controller’s console, the aviation world is once again in the same position as it was in 1945 when radar and ground based radio-navigation aids were introduced to create the present forms of ATC operations. But instead of providing the tools and waiting to see what the operational people will create in the form of new ATC operating procedures with them, the size and global scope of the new investments make it necessary to do a proper, top down approach to engineering a new ATM system which brings real benefits to the aviation community. This means predetermining the set of new Operational Concepts and the details of their procedures which are safe and economical, which allow compatible transitions under mixed old and new operations, and which provide a significant increase in capacity needed in certain high density traffic areas. This paper is concerned with establishing a framework for describing and analyzing new ATC Operational Concepts.