Air-to-ground digital connectivity is a fundamental element of trajectory-based operations (TBO). TBO is a key enabler for more efficient operations, aimed at reducing the air traffic management (ATM) environmental footprint, in particular CO2 emissions. A recent EUROCONTROL study estimates an ATM- related benefit pool of 9.3% (in CO2 emissions) for the EUROCONTROL area in 2023. This is significant. TBO will play an important role in addressing this benefit pool.
Air-to-ground connectivity is a technological and operational support that enables the removal of unnecessary buffers while continuing to improve the level of safety of operations. It is a matter for the aircraft to provide reliable, accurate and trustable digital information to the air traffic controllers.
Digital connectivity also means a “digital closed loop” between the aircraft and the air traffic controller (ATC). This complements voice exchanges with a means of communication that supports very reliable and more sophisticated exchanges between the flight crew and their aircraft systems and the active controller and the entire ATC/ATM system. This digital enabler will allow active control centres to better control and manage the flow of aircraft, avoiding non-necessary manoeuvres, enabling more direct routings or more optimised level changes. This will help to reduce tracked miles, and to allow each aircraft to fly as close as possible to its optimal trajectory. Progressively equipping more and more aircraft with the required enablers will contribute to the optimisation of the entire airspace all along the trajectories to destination.
Is this research or reality? Both! The research has already delivered. Digital air-to-ground connectivity has started in European continental airspace with the deployment of “Aeronautical Telecommunication Network Baseline 1” (ATN B1) – i.e. CPDLC – and has made a very significant step ahead with the introduction of the latest ATN B2 EPP and CPDLC A320 and A330 avionics combined with early mover ANSPs. The EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) is a forerunner in using and taking more and more advantage of this technology. Operations are showing both the huge potential of such technologies and demonstrating tangible benefits from using it.