Flight management systems information exchange with AERA to support future air traffic control concepts

A goal of the future air traffic control (ATC) system is to permit aircraft to fly according to their preferences (e.g., direct routes and optimum altitudes). Towards this goal, advanced automated en route ATC (AERA) concepts are currently in the research and development phase to provide a gradual evolution of ATC automation capabilities. The airborne flight management systems (FMSs) can provide accurate information on aircraft states needed to meet the automation objectives of advanced AERA concepts. The impact of user-preferred flight paths and altitudes on future ATC operations is analyzed. The results highlight potential fuel savings for the airspace users. Air/ground functional integration and information flow are discussed to minimize data ambiguities, and to reduce duplication of data in the airborne and ground computers. Computer/human interface requirements are also addressed. Key technical issues which must be addressed in order for the ground system to support flexible use of airspace, and increase system capacity in a diverse mix of aircraft operations are identified. The results presented show that FMS-equipped aircraft could realize significant fuel savings if permitted to fly preferred altitudes using step climbs