Developing a controller pilot data link communication simulator

Radio frequencies for controller pilot communication are becoming a scarce resource due to increasing air traffic worldwide. The controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) technology, which is already mandatory in new aircrafts, aims at reducing radio interferences and misunderstandings of commands by allowing routine voice conversations to be carried out via text messaging. This paper describes the requirements, architecture, and development of an air traffic management (ATM) system with CPDLC capabilities in the context of a national air navigation service provider. We discuss some challenges and limitations that we encountered, and highlight the importance of building the CPDLC system based upon the existing framework for ATM simulation, which is designed to support on job training and system testing.