Report Says FAA May Propose 2017 Deadline for VDL-2 Datalink Equipage

Flight International is reporting that the FAA plans to propose a deadline of 2017 for U.S. airlines to equip their fleets with VDL-2 (VHF digital link mode 2) avionics.

According to the magazine's April 10-16 issue, the proposed deadline is three years ahead of the FAA's recently announced 2020 mandate for aircraft to carry ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) equipment in order to fly in certain airspace.  The agency plans to issue an NPRM (notice of proposed rule making) for ADS-B by this September that would finalize the ADS-B rule by 2010.

A schedule for issuing a NPRM for a VDL-2 deadline has not been established, however, and likely will be affected by what happens in Europe. The FAA is watching how CDPLC (controller-pilot datalink communications) progresses there, as Eurocontrol's Link 2000+ VDL-2 program is already in its early operational stages and has passed a number of milestones.

The 2017 deadline has been proposed by the FAA's future communications architecture team at the agency's William J Hughes Technical Center at Atlantic City.  The team's proposal would exclude aircraft without VDL-2 equipment from "high traffic" controlled airspace in the U.S. after that date.

VDL-2 advocates claim the equipment can substantially increase the capacity of present-day ACARS (aircraft communications addressing and reporting system) and take advantage of the operational benefits of CPDLC (controller-pilot datalink communications).  04-14-2007.

Click here to become a registered Flt Tech Online subscriber and receive headlines delivered to your e-mail each week

Click here to go back to the headlines