Airspace Capacity Challenges | NATS

Research Topic 

This paper digs deep into the challenges facing the limited capacity that airspace has amidst the increasing number of aircrafts, airplane companies, and the number of people using air as a means of travel. The paper will focus on one particular problem, analyze it using a null hypothesis, reject or nor reject the relationship between the dependent and independent variable that will be identified.

Objective 

The objective of this paper to look at the increase in commercial air traffic as a problem facing airspace capacity, identify the dependent and independent variables, collect data and analyze it, and finally reject or not reject the null hypothesis that will be formed. To meet these objectives, the paper will discuss the impact of capacity on the current structure of the national airspace, the evaluation of the FAA’s National Airspace Systems Plan on current air traffic control systems, an assessment of the impact of equipment capacity on national airspace system availability, and propose recommendations to increase the capacity of the national airspace.

Research Question 

The null hypothesis, in this case, is that allowing the number of aircrafts in the local space to increase but controlling them will help to reduce the airspace congestion that is predicted to occur in the near future.

Variables 

The independent variable is the laws controlling the increased number of aircrafts whereas the independent variable is the airspace capacity.

Data Collection and analysis 

The total number of world fleet as of 2015 stood at 1633. Research by the FAA estimated the number to stand at 2687 by 2034 (WORLDWIDE GROWTH OF COMMERCIAL AVIATION 2016-2034, 2014) . While the North American fleet has been found to be a replacement market, the Asia-Pacific fleet is predicted to triple by 2034. With the airspace capacity remaining the same and the number of fleets increasing, it is paramount that the current structure of the national airspace is adjusted accordingly. The FAA has to work with airlines and authorities from across the world to propose ways in which the airspace can be managed. The FAA can delegate current air traffic control systems to trustworthy counterparts to help with the management. If the FAA is to work independently, then it will be forced to enforce laws which will limit the number of airlines in the airspaces that they control and also limit the number of air crafts that airlines can have. Such rules are not only unviable but will also negatively affect the current well-structured relationships that airline authorities in the world have.

Conclusion 

From the analyses, we can certainly reject the null hypothesis that was presented earlier on in this paper. Enforcing laws to try and control the increasing capacity of airplanes in the limited airspace that we have cannot be a viable solution. Enforcing laws will only govern the movement of aircraft in airspaces and may reduce the possible number of flights that an airline can have in order to accommodate all the upcoming local and international airlines. However, it is impossible to reduce the predicted congestion just by implementing policies which may also hinder the ability of customers to freely move.

Recommendation 

The FAA should come to terms with the fact that the number of local and international airlines are increasing as the years pass. In fact, the growth rate is accelerating as the living standards of more people continue to rise and also more people move from rural to urban areas. With this, it can look into other ways of controlling the foreseen airspace congestion rather than trying to stop it. Laws such as limiting the airspace boundaries, making all aircrafts bigger and doing away with light aircrafts, and other measures can be used to control the congested airspace.

References

WORLDWIDE GROWTH OF COMMERCIAL AVIATION 2016-2034 . (2014). Retrieved from Air: https://www.grupooneair.com/analysis-global-growth-commercial-aviation/