Next Generation Air Traffic Control: Soon traffic control in the air will depend entirely on GNSS. It will make a profound difference to the economics of air travel.

摘要

About ten years ago it became clear that in many parts of the world airspace was approaching saturation point. Air transportation was plagued by delays, and safety had begun to be compromised. The existing outmoded ground-based radar systems, already stretched to the limit, were hardly able to cope. In the US, there are around 50,000 flights every 24 hours. It is predicted that by 2025, the daily figure will increase to 150,000. In Europe, similarly, as aviation continues to grow, the existing equipment will begin to falter. European airspace has to accommodate more than 33,000 flights on busy days. An added complexity is the fact that around 70 per cent of flights in the EU cross national borders.