Developing the next generation of air traffic control in Canada

空中交通管制历来依赖于导航辅助设备和雷达，它们都位于地面上，分别用于导航和交通监控。最近在利用卫星进行地理定位方面的发展使不需要地面导航设备的飞行程序得以发展。然而，空中交通管制仍然主要依靠雷达。迄今为止，飞行员几乎没有收到周围其他交通情况的信息：这些信息被提供给中央空中交通管制单位，然后该单位利用这些信息向飞行员提供建议和指导，以保持飞机之间的安全距离。

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.