The changing nature of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) means that efforts to maintain safety are complicated and will require the incorporation of a range of safety systems and practices, some of which have not yet been developed, according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.1
“The number of flights by commercial transports is increasing, air traffic control systems and procedures are being modernized to increase the capacity and efficiency of the NAS, increasingly autonomous systems are being developed for aircraft and ground systems, and small aircraft — most notably UAS [unmanned aircraft systems] — are becoming much more prevalent,” said the report, written for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and released in January.
“As the NAS evolves to accommodate these changes, aviation safety programs will also need to evolve to ensure that changes to the NAS do not inadvertently introduce new risks.”
Kenneth H…
