Next Generation Air Transport System - Research Paper Example

Next Generation Air Transport System With increased demand for air travel and the predicted further increase, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proceeds with its NextGen system plans. This is considered as one of the most comprehensive, technically complex and expensive undertaking of the Federal government as for the time being (Dilligham, 2007). It is expected to involve a lot of research and to use billions of cash but the federal government believes it is worth undertaking. To undertake it effectively FAA had to collaborate with the Joint Planning and Development office (JPDO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It is the responsibility of Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) to manage public-private partnership in order to make NextGen to be in operation by 2025. National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) is given the responsibility of undertaking all the research required for implementation of this system. All these three organizations continue to face a number of challenges when moving forward with the NextGen Implementation. According to Dilligham (2007), FAA continues facing questions about its management expertise in relation to implementing NextGen system. NextGen is a comprehensive initiative that involves development of new technology and leveraging the existing ones to better air transport and therefore enables it to handle the future expected demands (JPDO, 2012). According to Boehm-Davis (2008), this system is an example of active networking technology that updates itself with real-time shared information. It is tailored to the individual needs of all U.S. aircrafts. This system if properly implemented will enhance safety, reduce delays, save fuel, and reduce aviation’s adverse environmental impact. According to JPDO (2011), this system will include satellite navigation and control of aircrafts, advanced digital communications, and enhanced connectivity between all components of national air transportation system. One of its key components is an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) which is targeted to replace the radar dishes used by the current system. Other key components are digital non-voice communication, advanced networking, network-enabled, network-centric operation, and a layered adaptive security system (Boehm-Davis, 2008). These technological components will be implemented both on the ground and on air to assist both air traffic controllers and the pilots in air navigation. The technological advancement, which will be brought up by NextGen system, will have various impacts on the air transport system. One of the main impacts is that the computerized air transport network will enable aircrafts to immediately adjust to ever changing factors such as weather, traffic congestion, aircraft position via Global Positioning System (GPS), flight trajectory patterns and security issues. These advancements will also enable aircrafts to continuously share information in real time to improve efficiency and safety of air transportation as well as absorbing the predicted increase in demand for air transportation. The automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) which is expected to replace the radar dishes will broadcast aircrafts position, altitude, velocity, and intent more effectively to other aircrafts as well as the air traffic controllers on the ground. Furthermore, the digital non-voice communication, advanced networking will result to network enabled and network centric operations by both air traffic controllers on the ground and pilots in their planes. This technological advancement will also be able to integrate real-time weather information and provide broad area precision navigation which will enable shifting of decision making from ground controllers to pilots. It will also enable an aircraft to have a four dimensional trajectory-based operation. Moreover, it will permit use of higher-density aircrafts and airport operations and in addition reduce the environmental impact of operating aircrafts as well as the airports(Boehm-Davis, 2008). The bad part about transforming to this new system is that many funds are required. FAA has not yet come clear on how it will obtain the cash and neither has it given a clear budget of how the funds will be allocated. Currently it is working only with estimates and assumptions, which might be incorrect. As a result, this project might end up costing the Federal government far much more that it expects it will spend. Another very important issue in implementing NextGen system is the issue of human factors that might affect the system. One of the most predominant of these human factors, which might affect this system, is the ability of people to handle the equipments in use. Another human factor is the design of the equipment which the air traffic controllers and pilots will be exposed to. In addition to this, there is the issue of work environment, which the system might bring, and lastly the form of jobs that might result from implementation of this system. As it is clearly understood, the central assumption of NextGen system is an increased reliance on automation. This in return will dramatically change the roles and responsibilities of Air Traffic Controllers, pilots, and thus raise the human factors issues for the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system. Another issue that should be considered among the human factors is where and how FAA will acquire the professional capacity to run this. There is still a lot which needs to be done in this area and that is why NASA has moved its focus towards such fundamental areas of research (Dilligham, 2008).. Various areas must be considered prior to operating and maintaining this system. For NextGen to be effectively implemented, the key area of air transportation must be considered. This areas are ground systems on the airport and on other air traffic control centers, space based systems and aircraft support system. The space-based systems will include the satellite for navigating air transport, space-based radar system and space based communication system. These space-based systems can have several advantages and disadvantages as well. Their most common advantage is that they can cover a large area (Galati, 1993). Another advantage is that they can be able to obtain information which the ground system cannot be able to obtain thus they are more efficient. The most common disadvantage of this kind of system is that they are difficult to operate. Another disadvantage is that they are very expensive to install and operate. Some of them like the space-based radar can have interrupted surveillance if not well installed. However, some of these disadvantages can be avoided by doing a thorough training on employees who will be using the system (Galati, 1993). This will help in reducing the difficulties they encounter on their work. Furthermore if the installation of these facilities is properly done, continuous surveillance will be guaranteed. The system that is currently in use uses mostly a ground based system. The most common facilities in this system are radiometric remote sensor of the troposphere and the meteorological radar systems. Another kind of equipment found in the ground system is an aerosol LIDAR system and a SODAR and RASS-Wind profiler radar systems. In addition to this, there is the rain gauge and disdrometer. This equipment is used to undertake several purposes in air traffic control. There are those that are used to observe both macro and microphysical property of cloud and rain. There are those that are used to detect meteorological, weather and other hazards and those used in obtaining aerosol chemistry and composition. Others are used in air quality monitoring and prediction (Cimmini, 2010). Like any other kind of system the ground system, have both advantages and disadvantages. Their major advantage is that they are cheap to operate and simple to use. The worst part about them is that they are very inefficient and in future, they might totally fail in handling the large number of air transport that is expected. That is why NexGen system should be adapted to replace them before air transportation increases beyond the allowed capacity. Several transformations are expected to come with the new NextGen system. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast System is expected to replace the radar system that is used by the current system. This equipment will be able to determine location information of an aircraft more precisely and convey streams additional information to the cockpit of properly equipped aircraft. A Collaborative Air Traffic Management Technology (CATMT) will be introduced to enhance the decision-support and data sharing tools used by air traffic personnel. These will enhance a collaborative environment among controllers and operators and thus improve efficiency in the national airspace system. Data Communications (Data Comm) which will be introduced will enable controllers to send digital instructions and clearances to pilots and other flight crews instead of using the currently used voice communication. NextGen will also introduce new equipment called NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW). This will be providing users of the national air space system with quick, easy, and cost effective access to timely and accurate weather information, which will increase safety and support collaborative decision-making. For many years, federal aviation administration has been using the analog voice communication system. NextGen is expected to introduce the National Airspace System Voice System (NVS) to replace this system. This will standardize the voice communication infrastructure among FAA facilities and provide greater flexibility to air traffic control system. Lastly, there will also be introduced a system called System Wide Information Management System (SWIM) which will be a network structure that will be carrying all NextGen information. This system will enable cost-effective, real-time data exchange and sharing among users of the national airspace (NextGen, 2012). There are various advantages expected to come with the implementation of this system. One of them is that it will improve the ways of doing business by making flights more predictable through reduction of delays and flexibility in handling weather problems. It will also reduce the impact of aviation on the environment by making flight quieter, cleaner and more fuel-efficient. It is also expected to introduce alternative fuels which do not pollute the environment, new equipment that are more efficient and operational procedures that are environmental friendly as well as cost effective. It will also enable federal aviation administration to proactively prevent occurrences of air transport accidents through predicting risks and identifying and resolving hazards. One of the strengths of this system is that it will be able to get the right information to the right person and at the right time. This will help operators and controllers to make better decisions. It will also act as a foundation for continued improvement of air transport to accommodate increased demand that is expected to increase immensely in future while strengthening the economy. It is also expected that NextGen will enable communities to make better use of airports in their vicinity in attracting new jobs and expanding their businesses. Lastly, it is expected to meet the increasing needs of national security by ensuring that traveler’s safety is assured. Management of this system calls for highly effective governance structure. To effectively manage the implementation on this system, the federal aviation administration has taken a comprehensive cross-agency portfolio approach that identifies the implementation of NextGen as an integrated continuous effort rather than a series of independent programs. This system will contain interdependent projects that will work together to provide skills and abilities to targeted individuals and areas. There are two executive bodies mandated with the responsibility of overseeing the system implementation. These are the NextGen management board and the NextGen review board. These two boards ensure that the capability that comes from implementation of this system is delivered in an appropriate time and in a coordinated manner. Previously there have been performance snapshot on areas where this system is being tested. These snapshots act as a means for monitoring and evaluating the progress of this project. They are actually designed in a way that enables them to report the progress of this project and thus can be used to predict its capability. Another good thing about them is that they are transparent and can reveal results of this project in simple and understandable manner. Reporting the proceeding of the project to the public enables the public to understand the impact of the project and can use them to estimate its viability. From the initial step to the end, this project will need FAA to invest a lot on resources. The area that will require many funds are the installation of necessary equipment, research, maintenance of the equipment and insurance costs. Since NASA is the organ mandated with research, it will bear the research expenses. The estimates produced by JPDO showed that from the time it was started to around 2025 it would cost the government between $ 5 billion to $ 22 billion. A larger amount of this cash will be used in installation and maintenance cost. Insurance costs are expected to be minimal and thus FAA does not think it is important to consider it. There is still a controversy about why the funds for this project will come from. According to Dilligham (2007), the three options that FAA has for getting the funds are: 1. Borrowing from the government treasury 2. The debt capital market 3. Securitized revenue structure References Boehm-Davis, D. A. (2008). Assessing the Research Development Plan for Next Generation Air … Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Cimmini, D.et al. (2010). Integrated Ground-Based Observing System: Application for Climate. New York, NY: Springer. Dilligham, G. L. (2008). Aviation and the Environment: NextGen and Research and Development Are Keys … New York, NY: DIANE Publishers. Dilligham, G. L. (2007). Next Generation Transportation System Status of the Transition to the … New York, NY: DIANE Publishers Galati, G. (1993). Advanced Radar Techniques and Systems. Herts, SG: Peter Peregrinus Ltd. JPDO. (2012). Joint Planning and Development Office. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved from: http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/today/. NextGen. (2012). NextGen Implementation: Why NextGen Matters. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved from: http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/today/. Read More