NASA Langley engineer Will Cummings-Grande is leading research on extending digital clearance delivery beyond airborne instructions to include ground operations like taxi instructions. This aims to reduce voice radio congestion by enabling digital transmission of clearance data directly to controllers’ screens and aircraft flight management systems. Digital clearance is currently operational at 72 U.S. airports for some procedures.
To gain practical insights, Cummings-Grande completed the FAA’s Tower Data Link Services Application Specialist training, the same program used by air traffic controllers managing digital clearance. His experience informs NASA’s Air Traffic Management and Safety project, which seeks to develop and deploy advanced communications architectures to enhance traffic flow and controller situational awareness at busy airports.
Source & further reading
NASA Langley Engineer Attends FAA Training ↗Source published 2026-05-12. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.