Page 6 - Volume12 Number 5

The four focus areas were:
Closely Spaced Parallel Runways – Multiple
Runway Operations
Surface and Data Sharing
DataComm – Controller Pilot Data Link
Communications (CPDLC)
Performance Based Navigation – Time Based
Flow Management
In 2017, a fifth NIWG focus area was added by the NAC in response to concerns about the poor airspace performance in a key region of the United States:
Northeast Corridor
Each of these NIWGs developed implementation planning items that were approved by the NAC, recommended to and subsequently accepted by the FAA. Regular reports on progress to the NAC, and updates every three years, keep this work relevant and aligned with industry and agency needs. The FAA communicates the current NextGen implementation plans and progress in these five focus areas on their NextGen website as “performance snapshots” at: https://www.faa.gov/ nextgen/snapshots/priorities/ .
The following is a brief description of each of the focus areas and a more in-depth explanation in a couple of the areas that have some exciting potential for the King Air community.
CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL RUNWAYS – MULTIPLE RUNWAY OPERATIONS NIWG
Multiple Runway Operations recommendations identify capabilities to improve access to runways including closely spaced parallel runways that will enable more arrivals and/or departures in less than visual approach weather conditions. This is primarily of interest to air transport operations as their hub airports are under increasing demand as traffic increases faster than the ability to add new runways.
NORTHEAST CORRIDOR NIWG
In February 2017, the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) voted to make the Northeast Corridor (NEC) the fifth NextGen focus area. This action was taken in recognition that improvements to airspace operation in the Northeast brings benefits to the entire U.S. aviation system. Some primary themes for the NEC planning items are deconflicting arrivals into the New York area, improving arrival and departure throughput, easing congestion points, and addressing community noise. For King Air operators at Teterboro and other NEC regional airports, the emphasis on deconflicting operations between airports will be of particular interest. The final set of recommended planning items are currently being finalized and are expected to be presented to the NAC in June 2018.
DATACOMM – CONTROLLER PILOT DATA LINK COMMUNICATIONS (CPDLC) NIWG
NextGen requires the implementation of advanced DataCommunications (DataComm) between flight crews and air traffic controllers to meet the stated goals. Voice communication between pilots and controllers is labor intensive, time consuming, has a propensity for miscommunication and human error and limits the ability of the NAS to meet future traffic demand. The DataComm NIWG reviewed the FAA implementation plans for DataComm and developed a consensus on timelines, locations and services to which both industry and the FAA would commit.
Early work focused on the deployment of tower DataComm services at 56 airports on an accelerated deployment schedule beginning in 2015. In addition, an agreement was reached to deploy a set of initial enroute services at all 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers beginning in late 2018. This initial set of enroute services include transfer of communication, initial check-in, altimeter setting, simple airborne reroutes
SURFACE AND DATA SHARING NIWG
Surface and Data Sharing re- commendations provide greater predictability to airport surface operations and the NAS with plans for abundant information input among the FAA, Flight Operators and Airport Operators. The enhanced data sharing proposed in the recommendations will lead to more accurate predictions of capacity/demand imbalances and improve overall traffic management efficiency while also reducing taxi- out times and associated emissions. This is also primarily of interest to air transport operations to more completely connect and coordinate the uncontrolled ramp and gate operations with the air traffic operations of the airport surface and airspace.
4 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
The complete implementation process of the DataComm Plan being managed by the Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) NIWG.
MAY 2018