Abstract :
As laid out in the National Airspace Systems (NAS) Operational Evolution Plan (EOP), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aviation community are planning to make significant investment in NAS improvements over the next ten years. These enhancements involve implementation of communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) technologies, and automation of ground systems in order to improve efficiency, safety, capacity and security. However, the mode of operations during this time frame is expected to continue as it is today. A number of research efforts are underway to consider significant changes to NAS operations beyond the OEP. This paper presents a vision of year 2020 and beyond based on a number of new paradigms that provides a globally harmonized service to conventional aircraft, uninhabited and space-launch vehicles. The key paradigms are: 1) a multi-faceted airport structure of well connected hubs, spoke, satellite and smaller airports; 2) multi-level CNS architecture for seamless and secured operations; 3) problem-free flight planning independent of look ahead times; 4) flexible sector boundaries based on equitable workload; and 5) a universal information service assuring uniformity and security of real time information to all stakeholders and service provider decision support systems (DSS). Potential make up of future air traffic is discussed including a significant number of non-scheduled flights such as on-demand service, charter, ravel club, fractional and short-haul intra-city operations. A concept of system wide information management (SWIM) that provides a virtual electronic collaboration space is described. The operational concepts fully support self-delivery and self-separation for appropriately equipped aircraft. New roles for service providers at national, regional and local air traffic
Keywords :
aircraft communication; aircraft navigation; ground support systems; space vehicles; technological forecasting; Federal Aviation Administration; NAS improvements; air traffic management facilities; aviation community; charter flight; communication-navigation-surveillance technologies; conventional aircraft; decision support systems; equipped aircraft; equitable workload; flexible sector boundaries; fractional intra-city operation; future air traffic; future vision; globally harmonized national airspace system; globally harmonized service; ground systems automation; multifaceted airport structure; multilevel CNS architecture; multiple flight options; national airspace systems; nonscheduled flights; on-demand service; operational concepts; operational evolution plan; problem-free flight planning; ravel club; real time gate-to-gate information; real time information; seamless operation; secured operations; service providers; short-haul intra-city operation; space-launch vehicles; system wide information management; uninhabited vehicles; universal information service; virtual electronic collaboration space;
