The responsibilities of air traffic control are varied and complex. In addition coordinating air traffic flow, they also provide traffic advisories and weather information. In recent years, considerable effort has been focused on upgrading the air traffic control system in the United States. The National Airspace System Plan (NASP) will replace 1960s vintage equipment with new technologies, and also streamline control operations. Moreover, the plan's automated systems will rely heavily on space for both communication and navigation. The NASP promises to set the standard for air traffic control.
Perhaps the primary challenge for air traffic control (ATC) is to keep up with the ever increasing demand on airspace. Between 1980 and 1987, the number of people travelling by air in the United States grew by about 45%, from 315 million to more than 460 million ("The $18-billion" 51). Indeed, it has been estimated that nearly 1 billion passengers will be flying in the U.S. by the year 2010 (Payne 99). Such growth has made congestion and delays common. Furthermore, in addition to the increase in aircraft numbers, the different mix of various types of aircraft also creates an ATC problem. Between 1983 and 1987, the number of near mid-air collisions reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) increased from 475 to 1063. Clearly, public apprehension about air safety is high. As a result of saturation, the system needs constant surveillance. Unfortunately though, "the government moves ponderously (Horne, "ATC Update" 93)." While technological advances promise greater traffic safety and efficiency, budgetary constraints and bureaucratic inertia delay implementation. Currently, the system is caught in flux.
The history of U.S. airspace congestion probably dates back to the year 1968. It was then that the Department of Transportation recognized the increasingly crowded skies and created the Air Traffic Contr...