Visions of the future aeronautical data network

Operations relevant for air traffic management are based on procedures communicated through speech commands. These procedures are human centric, thus un-automated. Following predictions of air traffic growth forecasts, air traffic will increase no matter which forecast model is taken into account. High density air traffic areas become inefficient to handle through un-automated procedures. As a result air traffic management requires support of automated and consequently data based processes. Such processes could only be supported if data communication services are offered homogeneously in relevant areas. That is, data link and network services have to be interoperable on a worldwide basis. Currently large scale industry consortia in Europe and the United States are focusing on increasing efficiency of air traffic management through advanced concepts based on data communication applications. These activities demand a lot of coordination amongst participating organizations in order to achieve technical, economical, and political consensus amongst all partners. This paper addresses the status quo of aeronautical data communication services, visions of possible emerging aeronautical data links, and the integration of these data links into an all IP based communication system relevant for air traffic management and operations, respectively.