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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0606.PDF
AIR NAVIGATION Linking the skies Europe is looking to employ datalink communications to ease air traffic delay and capacity woes EMMA KELLY/LONDON EUROPE IS ON THE verge of imple menting one of the most important communication programmes the conti nent has ever embarked on. The Link 2000+ programme is intended to lead to the deployment of operational mobile datalink services for air traffic control (ATC) and airline operational communications (AOC) in a large part of Europe from 2007 and is seen as the continent's trump card in coping with ever-growing air traffic. The programme has already received seals of approval from influential industry groups. Airlines, air traffic service (ATS) and communi cations providers and airframe manufacturers have registered their support for the plan as the continent attempts to sort out its delay and capacity problems. Eurocontrol now intends to write to key ATS providers and airlines to get firm commitments. The Link 2000+ master plan - formulated with extensive involvement from airlines, ATS providers, industry associations, the Joint Aviation Authorities, airframe manufacturers and communication providers - has already passed significant hurdles. It was endorsed by EurocontroFs air traffic management (ATM)/ communication, navigation and surveillance consultancy group last September, while the Chief Executive Standing Conference, which comprises the heads of Europe's air navigation service providers, gave a green light to the plan in early November. POSITIVE RESPONSE To gauge support for the plan and ensure stakeholders were on board at an early stage, Eurocontrol wrote to decision makers at air lines, and to ATS and communication providers lastyear and received a "positive response", says Alex Wandels, Eurocontrol's Link 2000+ pro gramme manager. The co-operation, commit ment and co-ordination of all of these stakeholders is vital if the programme is to suc ceed, concedes Eurocontrol. "The interest is growing," says Wandels. Europe's Link 2000+ master plan calls for the implementation of operational air/ground datalink services for ATC based on the aero nautical telecommunication network (ATN) over VHF Data Link Mode 2 (VDL-2). Implementation is planned between 2002 and 2007 in 11 European states: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. This area was selected because it com prises a number of area control centres (ACC) and airports where datalink is expected to pro vide the highest capacity and safety benefits. In addition, these countries have ATC systems that are technically capable of supporting air/ground datalink in the target time scale. Initial implementation at airports is planned in 2003, followed by ACCs coming on line in2005 and services becoming available throughout the region by 2007. By die end of next year detailed planning of die programme is due to be completed, while policy decisions concerning regulation, certifi cation and institutional arrangements must also be made by then. Detailed planning is already under way among stakeholders, says Wandels. Between 2003 and 2005, ATM system, I "This is a long process, which starts by building up the controller's and the pilot's confidence in the new medium and which can gradually lead to increased sector capacity'" - Eurocontrol 38 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 February 2001
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