NextGen architectures to include pilots in collaborative decision making

Currently, flight crews are cutoff from much of the in-flight replanning between dispatchers and ATC, because there is not an efficient mechanism for sharing information between national airspace (NAS) information sources and pilots. This reduces the pilot's ability to collaborate on strategic decisions during flight. Today pilots rely heavily on voice for information. This increases both pilot and controller workload, limits the scope of strategic options, and reduces overall system operational efficiency. FAA sponsored Aircraft Access to SWIM (AAtS) defines methods for extending the NAS information reach to the onboard pilot, by facilitating information exchange between SWIM-enabled NAS Services and aircraft systems. This allows more effective pilot-controller collaboration, enables more strategic inflight replanning, facilitates more efficient use of airspace, reduces harmful emissions, and adds a layer of resiliency for handling unplanned changes. FAA does not typically fund non-NAS components. A cost sharing economic business model with industry is envisioned where the FAA freely provides NAS information to consumers, and the consumers fund deployment to the airline and aircraft. AAtS proposes new system level architectures between the NAS SWIM and the pilot. In order for AAtS to become successful care must taken to ensure industry investments and business values align with FAA's. This paper describes the AAtS concepts to extend NAS information to aircraft, as well as the cost sharing business model, and emerging AAtS architectures defined to facilitate bi-directional, air-ground information exchange. It explains how this information exchange adds value to end system users and adds a layer of resiliency to the NAS operations to enhance overall system efficiency and safety by facilitating effective collaborative decision making (CDM) between flight operations risk managers. Lastly, it lays out key challenges associated with successfully bringing AAtS to fruition.