Developing the next generation of air traffic control in Canada

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Air traffic control has historically depended on navigational aids and radars, both located on the ground, for navigation and traffic monitoring, respectively. Recent developments in geographical positioning using satellites has allowed the development of flight procedures that do not require ground navigational aids. However, air traffic control still relies mostly on radars. To date, pilots receive little to no information on other traffic in their surrounding: that information is made available to a centralized air traffic control unit, which then uses it to advise and guide pilots in order to maintain a safe distance between aircraft.***This limitation creates severe constraints both to air routes that can be used and to system capacity, especially in airport terminal zones where traffic volumes are higher.***The development of data communication technologies now makes it possible to equip aircraft with devices that allow the pilots - both human and automated - to receive vital information about other traffic in the surrounding area, potentially reducing the***need for air traffic controllers and increasing both capacity and safety. However, many issues on how these systems will operate remain unresolved, and the actual impact of this technology on the aviation industry is still largely unknown.***This research will look into the development and application of these new technologies to the Canadian airspace. Computer simulation and mathematical optimization tools will be used to: estimate the best location for ground-based receivers; design airport approach and departure procedures for the next generation of air traffic management systems; and investigate procedures for delegated separation management and traffic collision detection and avoidance.