Operational Evaluation of Digital Taxi Instruction

Currently, the airport surface is one of the most difficult areas for a flight crew to navigate, especially at large complex airports. Taxi instructions are communicated through Ultra High Frequency / Very High Frequency (UHF/VHF) radio communications from the air traffic controller to the flight deck [1]. Frequency congestion at major airports increases difficulty conveying taxi instructions. The challenges of effective communication for ground controllers and pilots due to a single method of communication to many aircraft are clearly present in the current state. Flight crews may experience limitations to visibility and signage, or have a lack of reference to surface destinations, further complicating surface navigation. The combination of lengthy detailed taxi instructions, issuing instructions multiple times, radio frequency congestion, and unfamiliarity with the airport can result in a complex environment for the flight crew.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is interested in improving clarity and delivery of taxi instructions through automation in the tower and the flight deck, focusing on Part 121 aircraft at larger airports. Current research interests will focus on developing capabilities and procedures to digitize taxi instructions on a Ground Control (GC) application and deliver the taxi instructions to the flight deck’s Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Development of digital taxi instruction concepts and infrastructure should leverage existing National Airspace System (NAS) systems and procedures and identify gaps for further exploration. Digital taxi instructions may improve instruction clarity with minimal voice exchanges and clarifications from the GC before a common understanding is reached. Also, the flight deck will have less "head down" time processing taxi instructions, increasing surface situational awareness.This paper will provide initial research on the use of connected aircraft to support digital taxi instructions. The initial scope and future potential capabilities will be discussed. Identification of the functional hierarchy to realize digital taxi instruction capabilities will be reviewed. The concept has identified data elements and message sets that could be integrated into the digital taxi applications via System Wide Information Management (SWIM). Current exchange models like Flight Information Exchange Model (FIXM) should be considered for handling the message sets. Lastly, initial benefits of digital taxi instruction have been identified.