The implication of new aircraft types on the next generation air transportation system

The future of the National Airspace System (NAS) will be shaped by two fundamental changes currently underway. The first is the transformation of the NAS from a ground and controller-based system to one that is more aircraft-centric with reliance on a range of new communication, navigation, surveillance, and automation technologies. The second change is the continuing evolution of aircraft design that has been occurring over the last century and will accelerate in the next twenty years. The introduction of very light jets (VLJs), very large transports (VLTs), and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) is imminent, while supersonic business jets (SBJs) and cruise-efficient short take-off and landing (CESTOL) may be flying by 2025. This paper explores some of the impacts that might occur when these advanced vehicles are flown in the advanced air traffic control system of the future.