With the advancements in SatCom and the use of Satellites to communicate with and track todays’ commercial aircraft, it is a natural evolution for our ground-based air traffic control system to transform to a satellite-based Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. “NextGen” is the acronym for the ongoing transformation of the National Airspace System (NAS) which is vital to meeting the future demand of the commercial transport aircraft industry and to avoid gridlock in the sky and at our nation’s airports.
NextGen will open the skies to continued growth and increased safety while reducing aviation’s carbon footprint. NextGen will allow more aircraft to fly closer together safely on more direct routes, thus reducing delays. The benefits of NextGen are unprecedented for the environment and the economy as the transformation will reduce pollution, fuel consumption, and noise.
ATM modernization plans emphasize broad use of data link communication, GNSS navigation and the various surveillance capabilities to improve flight deck situational awareness and enhance performance based operations. L2 is the forefront of integrating the airborne systems necessary for operation in the evolving Communications Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) environment.
We are actively collaborating in the advancement of the airborne systems necessary to integrate the Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), the NextGen successor to radar for tracking aircraft and Performance Based Navigation (PBN), which is predicated on the transition to procedures and routes defined by latitude/longitude fixes.
Combined with the advancements in Data Communications, ADS-B and PBN will increase the safety of air travel, increase capacity, save time and fuel, and to improve our ability to reduce both noise and carbon emissions.
The NextGen implementation plan is the roadmap to integrating new and existing technologies, policies, and procedures to deliver a better travel experience by reducing delays, fuel usage, and emissions. L2 is actively pursuing the integration of the NextGen technologies with our global aviation partners and our products will adhere to the policy and procedures of the following Regulatory bodies.
- Federal Aviation Administration NextGen Program
- Single European Skies ATM Research (SESAR) Program
- Japan Collaborative Actions for Renovation of Air Traffic Systems (CARATS)