Share A CPDLC message is shown on a multifunction control and display unit.
Credit: Collins Aerospace
Business jet operators as well as manufacturers like the FAA’s Data Communications (Data Comm) system, which enables controllers to send departure clearances to pilots by text instead of by radio.
The FAA has deployed the capability for text messaging to 62 airport towers and is in the process of rolling it out to 20 air route traffic control centers (ARTCC) that manage high-altitude, enroute traffic. After outfitting three “key” ARTCCs Washington, Indianapolis and Kansas City the agency suspended deployment to the enroute centers in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airline Ratings has this week announced its 2021 ranking of the safest airlines in the world with Australia’s Qantas Airlines remaining in top spot, even in spite of all the pandemic-induced changes and mandates that have been implemented and adjusted over the past year.
According to Geoffrey Thomas, Airline Ratings Editor-in-Chief, the airlines that stood out in the industry were at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft.
Standout features that earned Qantas top spot included the development of innovative safety plans, including Future Air Navigation System, real-time engine monitoring and automatic landings using Global Navigation Satellite System. Qantas was also one of the first airlines to announce its plans to require travellers to have the COVID-19 vaccine before flying internationally.