Skyways to the Future 2024

DPI for aviation operations BOX 2 The transition to digital aviation presents an opportunity to reimagine the safety and risk framework in aviation operations. India’s aviation system is fundamentally built for the safety and security of passengers and others sharing the airspace. As airspace gets busier, digitalization and automation play a very important part in operations’ management, oversight and information-sharing mechanisms. Many suggest that digitalization is necessary for managing air traffic, as human controllers may struggle to keep up with the increasing information and workload. The airspace management system must be able to coordinate both the highly automated vehicles and crewed flight operations within it. Digital aviation, therefore, will facilitate the integration of crewed aviation with uncrewed aviation. In this context, some parts of the traffic management system can be built as DPI to reap the benefits of incorporating these technologies into airspace management without compromising safety. These public infrastructure elements of airspace management are vital in monitoring and verifying traffic management systems. This is especially true in repetitive, routine transactions where private monetization is not desirable or does not make sense. Airspace management operations will always be in the public interest to some extent. DPI is normally built from open source software, and communities in the open source network (e.g. OpenUTM and XTMAlliance) have built open, standards-compatible traffic management systems. These can be used in India to build the public interest component of airspace services. Using verified open tools and technology will help cut costs, increase redundancy and boost reliability in the UAM and lower-airspace context. Building DPI for UAM is especially crucial because it has been observed that traffic management services are important enablers of safety and trust in flight operations. To fulfil the promise of UAM, the airspace must be open and democratized to ensure maximum participation, access and equity without compromising safety. In the low-airspace economy, many operations involving small drones will pose lower risks and operate under different business models to crewed aviation. In this mixed operational environment, airspace safety must be maintained almost as a public utility that private parties share. Building upon existing open source tools safely with verification mechanisms in India will ensure that the infrastructure serves all participants in the airspace. –The benefits of using and deploying open, verified and standards-compliant systems are numerous for airspace: They provide data sovereignty and customization options that can be tailored to the Indian context. –They come with a community that can be harnessed and a flexible support and licensing model that can be customized for India. –They enable other government or private participants to join the airspace and participate in a standards- compliant fashion. –In the long term, they provide maximum flexibility and security in the context of the national airspace, which represents critical national infrastructure. In the context of AAM, it is important to acknowledge a few crucial areas to ensure the effective and correct implementation of DPI: –Domain expertise: Implementing open-source-based public infrastructure requires extensive knowledge of both aviation and software systems, including AAM/UTM concepts, standards and regulations. –Technical complexity: Integration with existing aviation infrastructure can be challenging, involving potential compatibility issues and the need for seamless data flow between different ecosystem components. –Expert support: Deployment, configuration and ongoing maintenance often necessitate specialized assistance, especially for organizations with limited IT capabilities. –Resource demands: Customizing or developing additional modules requires careful planning, budgeting for skilled developers and allocating time for testing and integration. –Continuous adaptation: The rapidly evolving nature of AAM and related technologies demands ongoing learning, system updates and alignment with the latest standards and best practices. Skyways to the Future: Operational Concepts for Advanced Air Mobility in India 22