ALTHOUGH AN Airbus A320neo recently delivered to easyJet, G-UZHW (msn 8759), looks like other new A320neos delivered to the UK low-cost carrier, this Airbus has one important difference under the skin: it is the first A320neo with an enhanced FANS-C datalink.
The aircraft, along with dozens of other A320neos to be so equipped, will over the next year take part in a Europe-wide project called Demonstration of air traffic management Improvements Generated by Initial Trajectory Sharing, or DIGITS.
The project, part of the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) initiative, aims to show how sharing aircraft trajectory information with air navigation services providers (ANSPs) can improve the efficient handling of aircraft in the Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) around an airport.
Seven airlines are taking part in the Airbus-led project: Air France, British Airways, easyJet, Iberia, Novair, Thomas Cook and Wizz Air. From now until mid- 2020, up to 100 A320-Family aircraft operated by these airlines will receive Airbus’ new FANS-C avionics system so they can participate in the trial.
The FANS-C avionics system uses newly developed datalink and telecommunications relay capabilities that enable an aircraft to transmit a complete picture of its predicted trajectory. Two components enable the system to do this: automatic dependent surveillance contract (ADS-C) and controller-pilot datalink communication (CPDLC).
The ADS-C equipment enables the automatic or on-demand transmission to air traffic control of the aircraft’s predicted trajectory in four dimensions (laterally, longitudinally, vertically and in time), while CPDLC facilitates the digital uplink of orders and clearances.
Airbus said: “The benefits of FANS-C include more accurate flight plans, more optimised trajectory computation and acceptance processes, better alignment of airlines’ and ATM planned trajectories, enhancement of aircraft traffic predictions and improvement of demand/capacity network calculations.”
The DIGITS trial will collect data from over 20,000 revenue flights, Airbus- said, “allowing stakeholders to demonstrate benefits of this technology during live day-to-day operations”.
Hugh McConnellogue, Group Head of Network Operations at easyJet, said: “We are very pleased to be the first airline to receive this new FANS-C technology in our Airbus aircraft and to try it for real in the SESAR demonstration.
Our early hands-on experience already indicates that it promises to be an important enabler to increase the efficiency, safety and on-time performance of our expanding operations especially in the congested European airspace.”
The DIGITS trial is a key demonstration for the ongoing SESAR initiative to study new air traffic management technologies. The trial falls under the scope of SESAR 2020, a second wave of research projects, building on projects carried out in SESAR phase one.
The DIGITS trial follows a firstphase project called PEGASE (Providing Effective Ground and Air data Sharing via Extended Projected Profile), in which Airbus flew 60 test flights in 2012 and 2014 using the first-ever A320 company test aircraft, F-WWBA (msn 1) to support an initial evaluation of 4-D ATM systems.
The DIGITS trial aims to assess how trajectory information from FANS C-equipped aircraft can be integrated into the larger ATM system to allow controllers to sequence traffic. It is believed sharing the information will enable aircraft to adapt their speed and trajectory automatically in flight to arrive at a given position at the appropriate time, helping ANSP controllers traffic aircraft more efficiently to save fuel and emissions and reduce delays for passengers.
Airbus believes holding times in a TMA around an airport to wait for a landing slot could be significantly reduced or even eliminated with the technology.
The FANS-C avionics were certified on the A320 in November 2018, clearing the path for the DIGITS trial. Although only the A320 Family is cleared for FANS-C so far, Airbus intends to certify the technology for all its aircraft.
To complement the technology, ANSPs will upgrade their respective ground ATC tools. Speaking when FANS-C was certified for the A320, Airbus Engineering Data Link and FMS Manager Jérôme Condis said: “[4-D is] a huge revolution in the way air traffic is managed. It would help fulfil major targets of SESAR by reducing fuel burn and the aviation sector’s environmental footprint through optimised traffic sequencing, improved arrival/departure management and increased airspace capacity, while also further enhancing safety.”
In a related digital innovation, late March 2019 saw the German Aerospace Center test-fly a prototype LDACS (L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System), designed to enable more efficient data exchange between control centres and flight decks.
