Air transport officials meeting in Lisbon this week are expected to agree when controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) can become operational in North Atlantic airspace. Canadian air traffic services provider NavCanada has completed an upgrade of its Gander, Newfoundland, oceanic control centre and plans to make CPDLC operationally available next quarter.
How quickly airlines can take advantage of CPDLC will be paced by crew training, says NavCanada's manager, flight data services engineering John Fekkes. Aircraft already equipped for automatic dependent surveillance (ADS) waypoint reporting - about 30% of North Atlantic traffic - will be able to use CPDLC, but only after additional crew training, he says. Requesting an altitude change to escape turbulence is expected to take less than a minute using CPDLC, compared with 15-20 min using HF voice radio.
ADS and CPDLC are capabilities of the Version 21 upgrade of the Gander Automated Air Traffic System (GAATS).
The Gander flight information region handles up to 1,000 flights a day and NavCanada will be the first to provide CPDLC services on the North Atlantic, having completed 18 months of technical tests, says Fekkes. The US Federal Aviation Administration plans to introduce it as part of a $200 million upgrade of its oceanic control centres, while the UK is still looking into providing the service.
Source: Flight International
