Air-Ground Datalink Technologies (LDACS and Current CPDLC) in Flight Centric ATC: Analysis of a Fast-Time Simulation and Outlook on a Complementary Real-Time Simulation

To handle future growth in air traffic sustainably, increased automation in air traffic management is crucial. New communication systems like CPDLC (VDL Mode 2) and LDACS aim to support automation in air-ground communication. LDACS addresses certain CPDLC shortcomings and allows high-rate transmission of 4D trajectories, enabling trajectory-based operations. Combined with new air traffic management concepts such as Flight Centric Air Traffic Control, which removes sector boundaries, strategically allocates aircraft, and allows the optimization of flight trajectories, these new communication systems can amplify benefits. The “Individual and Automated Air Traffic” project by the German Aerospace Center assesses the impact of automation levels using CPDLC and LDACS in a European-wide Flight Centric ATC airspace. This study aims to optimize airspace efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance air traffic management for future sustainability. A fast-time simulation showed a potential for significant savings in fuel consumption, track miles and flight times through higher levels of automation. It also served as input for identifying validation objectives for a subsequent human-in-the-loop simulation, which investigated the same flight efficiency metrics. Furthermore, the real-time, human-in-the-loop simulation looked into human performance aspects, with a focus on the changes in controller workload when controlling aircraft equipped with only radiotelephony, VDL Mode 2 or LDACS compared to a mix of all three.