Data communications are now available at Newark Liberty International Airport, the FAA said last week, and later this summer the service will expand to Houston and Salt Lake City. Data Comm is already in use at Memphis International Airport, “where it’s delivering great results,” according to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. By next year, Data Comm will be deployed in more than 50 air traffic control towers, Huerta said, three years ahead of schedule. The service enables controllers and pilots to communicate via text messages instead of voice, improving the speed and clarity of communications.
“This switch from voice to text doesn’t just speed things up,” said Huerta.”It also increases safety — reducing the chance of a read-back error while relaying information.Additionally, it allows controllers to send text instructions to several aircraft at once — a much more accurate and efficient process than having numerous conversations.” Huerta said that currently about 800 airplanes are equipped to use the Data Comm system, and the agency is working to increase that number to 1,900.
