Editing Air traffic control (section)

==Technology==
The [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) has spent over US$3&nbsp;billion on software, but a fully automated system is still yet to be achieved.  In 2002, the United Kingdom commissioned a new area control centre into service at the [[London Area Control Centre]] (LACC) at [[Swanwick, Hampshire|Swanwick]] in Hampshire, relieving a busy suburban centre at [[West Drayton]] in Middlesex, north of [[London Heathrow Airport]].  Software from [[Lockheed-Martin]] predominates at the London Area Control Centre.  However, the centre was initially troubled by software and communications problems causing delays and occasional shutdowns.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Air Traffic Control|url=https://sites.google.com/site/zagorakis1977/theory/air-traffic-control/technology|website=sites.Google.com|publisher= |date= |access-date=4 December 2012}}</ref>

Some tools are available in different domains to help the controller further:
* Flight data processing systems: this is the system (usually one per centre) that processes all the information related to the flight (the flight plan), typically in the time horizon from gate to gate (airport departure / arrival gates).  It uses such processed information to invoke other flight plan related tools (such as e.g. [[Medium Term Conflict Detection]] (MTCD).<ref name="skybrary-MTCD">{{cite web |title=Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) |url=https://skybrary.aero/articles/medium-term-conflict-detection-mtcd |website=skybrary.aero |publisher=SKYbrary Aviation Safety |access-date=3 November 2024}}</ref>
* [[Short-term conflict alert]] (STCA) that checks possible conflicting trajectories in a time horizon of about two or three minutes (or even less in approach context; 35 seconds in the French Roissy & Orly approach centres).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Le filet de sauvegarde resserre ses mailles|url=http://www.dgac.fr/html/publicat/av_civil/them_1/them_1_34_35.pdf|website=dgac.fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327181434/http://www.dgac.fr/html/publicat/av_civil/them_1/them_1_34_35.pdf|archive-date=27 March 2009|language=fr}}</ref>
* Center TRACON automation system (CTAS): a suite of human centred decision support tools developed by NASA Ames Research Center.  Several of the CTAS tools have been field tested and transitioned to the FAA for operational evaluation and use.  Some of the CTAS tools are: traffic management advisor (TMA), passive final approach spacing tool (pFAST), collaborative arrival planning (CAP), direct-to (D2), en route descent advisor (EDA), and multi-center TMA.  The software is running on Linux.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usenix.org/events/usenix02/tech/techthurs.html|title=Technical Sessions|publisher=usenix.org|access-date=5 December 2010}}</ref>
* MTCD and URET:
** In Europe, several [[MTCD]] tools are available: {{Not a typo|iFACTS}} ([[National Air Traffic Services]]), VAFORIT ([[Deutsche Flugsicherung]]), new FDPS ([[Eurocontrol#Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre|Maastricht Upper Area Control]]).  The [[Single European Sky ATM Research]] (SESAR).<ref name="SESARref">{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurocontrol.int/sesar/public/subsite_homepage/homepage.html|title=SESAR|website=Eurocontrol.int|publisher=[[Eurocontrol]]|date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925061303/http://www.eurocontrol.int/sesar/public/subsite_homepage/homepage.html|archive-date=25 September 2008}}</ref>
[[File:TATIC Electronic Flight Strip system at Sao Paulo Itnl.jpg|thumb|Electronic flight progress strip system at São Paulo Intl. control tower – ground control]]
* The Nav Canada system known as EXCDS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.navcanada.ca/NavCanada.asp?Language=en&Content=ContentDefinitionFiles\TechnologySolutions\products\IIDS\excds\default.xml|title=Technology Solutions – Integrated Information Display System (IIDS) – Extended Computer Display System (EXCDS)|website=Nav Canada|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616113203/http://www.navcanada.ca/NavCanada.asp?Language=en&Content=ContentDefinitionFiles%5CTechnologySolutions%5Cproducts%5CIIDS%5Cexcds%5Cdefault.xml|archive-date=16 June 2004}}</ref>
* Screen content recording: hardware or software based recording function which is part of most modern automation system, and that captures the screen content shown to the ATCO.  Such recordings are used for a later replay together with audio recording for investigations and post event analysis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.epiphan.com/solutions_new/?arid=995|title=Solutions using Epiphan products|work=Epiphan Video capture, stream, record|access-date=3 July 2015|archive-date=15 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215055917/http://www.epiphan.com/solutions_new/?arid=995|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Communication navigation surveillance / air traffic management ([[Communication, navigation and surveillance|CNS / ATM]]) systems are communications, navigation, and surveillance systems, employing digital technologies, including satellite systems, together with various levels of automation, applied in support of a seamless global air traffic management system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CNS/ATM Systems |url=http://www.icao.int/icao/en/ro/rio/execsum.pdf |website=icao.int |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109123519/http://www.icao.int/icao/en/ro/rio/execsum.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2011 |pages=10 }}</ref>