Evolution of first come, first served to best capable, best served

Since the advent of aerial navigation in the United States and through the formation of the FAA in 1958 until the present day, an under-lying principle of airspace management has always been for controllers to issue clearances and optimize traffic flow on a “first come — first served” basis. Regardless of the equipment or the size of the aircraft, air traffic services were afforded in the order a request was received. As the efficiency of the national airspace system (NAS) is stretched to unprecedented levels, airspace capacity is reaching its limits. Equipment that mitigates this capacity shortfall is available — at a cost. Not all aircraft will be able to equip with this high-end automation, which begs the questions: In these instances is ‘first-come, first served’ the most just policy? Is it possible to replace ‘first-come, first served’ with ‘best capable, best served’ without materially affecting how air traffic control services are provided? Is it possible to provide multiple levels of service to aircraft based upon the equipment aboard in an efficient and safe manner? Is it fair to provide additional benefits to those who can afford to equip? This paper will explore each of these questions in turn. Examinations will include the airborne components and ground components and how the evolution from “first-come, first-served” to “best-capable, best-served” can be made to be beneficial to all.