Eurocontrol has received the final approval from its member states to lead the development and deployment of the European air/ground data communication service (EAGDCS). The Brussels-based agency said it will collaborate with the ATC providers of its member states and with aircraft operators within the context of the single European sky air traffic management research (SESAR) project.
As an initial step, Eurocontrol is organizing a workshop next month to kick off setting up the framework to start delivering the EAGDCS service in February 2018 to ATC providers, with the goal of initial trajectory information sharing by January 2025.
Air/ground datalink communication allows controllers and pilots to communicate with each other safely by reducing the chance of miscommunication and freeing up radio channels for more urgent messages. It is also an important step toward the SESAR concept of 4D trajectories, allowing exchange of data from an aircraft’s FMS to ATC, giving the controller real-time information on the pilot’s intentions. “This will be a major safety and efficiency improvement,” Eurocontrol said.