Feature article: Certification challenges for next-generation avionics and air traffic management systems

Air traffic is doubling every 15 years, and aviation systems must modernize to address sustainability challenges. The need to balance capacity, efficiency, safety, and environmental requirements is reflected by the several air traffic management (ATM) and avionics modernization initiatives under way. The major collaborative research programs today are the European Union's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) project and the United States' Next-Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) led by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Other modernization initiatives include the Collaborative Action for Renovation of Air Traffic Systems in Japan, SIRIUS in Brazil, OneSky in Australia, and similar programs in Canada, China, India, and Russia [1]. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has authorized a globally coordinated plan, published as the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) [1], to guide the harmonized implementation of communication, navigation, surveillance, and avionics (CNS+A) enhancements across regions and states. In the CNS+A context, aircraft safety is a shared responsibility between airborne and ground-based resources [1]. Hence, this is a safety challenge requiring changes to the current regulatory framework to properly capture the nature of this shared responsibility and the concept of integrated CNS+A systems. Certification of aircraft and ground equipment (hardware and software) and organizational approvals are essential elements to ensure continued and enhanced safety.