Flight Experiments for a Future Seamless Air-to-Ground Communications System for Air Traffic Management

The increasing demand for safe and efficient air traffic management (ATM) requires the modernization of aeronautical communication systems. This study explores the concept of seamless air-to-ground access to an aeronautical information-sharing platform called system-wide information management (SWIM) using a seamless air-to-ground communication system for ATM. To realize this concept, an enhanced media-independent aircraft messaging (e-MIAM) protocol is proposed in this study. The e-MIAM protocol enables Internet protocol (IP) communication, improves security over the legacy aircraft communication addressing and reporting system (ACARS). The e-MIAM protocol integrates different aeronautical communication media, such as legacy ACARS which is a non-IP, low-speed, point-to-point digital communication system operating on VHF, aeronautical mobile airport communication system (AeroMACS) which is a IP based communication system covering airport area, and IP based worldwide satellite communications system (SATCOM). Moreover, we propose a strategic media selection function for the e-MIAM protocol to realize efficient and seamless air-to-ground access to SWIM throughout all flight phases. Flight experiments were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system. Our findings from the flight experiments revealed the coverage, success rates, and delays associated with each aeronautical communication medium during various flight phases. Furthermore, a SWIM demonstration using the proposed e-MIAM protocol demonstrates its capability to facilitate real-time trajectory negotiation and enhance the overall ATM efficiency.