ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 considers the future of UTM, touching upon important potential barriers to its success, including challenges to ATM/UTM integration, international coordination, and regulatory reform. A few specific areas highlight where technology innovation is imperative, such as for communications infrastructure and autonomy—describing cellular and satellite developments, and pathways for increasing (and managing) automation and autonomy. Other promising technologies such as blockchain are considered.
UTM will eventually support more than very low-level altitude (VLL) airspace operations: air taxis, high-altitude (high “E”—>60,000′ above mean sea level (MSL)), and even space traffic management (STM) operations. Advanced air mobility (AAM), including urban air mobility (UAM), the infrastructure and aircraft for short-haul urban and regional air transportation is introduced. UAM components include multimodal aerial ride sharing, electric aircraft, an automation platform, and connected skyports. What is being learned in UTM will inform and enable AAM.
Nearly every dimension of aviation infrastructure is in the crosshairs of UTM and fair game for scrutiny, imagination, innovation, disruption, and reformulation. These changes can truly be viewed as disruptive and even “revolutionary.” The skies will be forever changed. Indeed, it is a fascinating and exhilarating voyage with yet-to-be-fully appreciated consequences for the skies and humanity, but the enterprise is certain to fail without assurance of the security and safety of flight.
