PrintAviation
Given the inherently spatial nature of flight data, it is not hard to understand the importance of GIS when it comes to navigation and surveillance in the skies. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the number of airline passengers will double in the next 20 years. This will make the already challenging job of managing traffic in the skies and at airports even more challenging.
In recent years, airplanes and airports around the world have been modernizing their flight management systems and air traffic management systems to incorporate GIS and the Global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Due to the increased spatial accuracy that results, this modernization increases the capacity of airports for both departures and arrivals and also allows for the more efficient use of airspace since planes can fly closer together. The modernization effort in the United States is known as known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and is led by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an administration within the USDOT. A similar initiative in Europe is known as Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR). The United States and the European Union have worked together to ensure that these initiatives are interoperable (see NextGen - SESAR State of Harmonisation).
The use of GIS in aviation, however, goes well beyond the navigation and surveillance of airplanes. GIS is also used to address many concerns in and around airports, including:
- infrastructure planning
- asset management
- maintenance operations
- the assessment of noise impacts
- the evaluation of vertical obstructions and height clearances
- avoidance of bird strikes
Take a look at this presentation at the 2015 ESRI Users' Conference which looks at some of the ways the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is leveraging GIS to manage operations and improve their passengers' experience. Then watch this session on Combining GIS and IoT to Create Smart Airports which discusses how they are using IoT to expand the capabilities of spatial technology in ways which benefit both the traveling public and a variety of business units within the airport.
Maritime
Maritime transportation is one of the oldest forms of transportation and remains a vital component of the world's economy. Over 90 percent of the goods traded are transported by ship. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is the agency within the USDOT which oversees waterborne transportation in the United States. As in aviation, GIS plays an important role in ship navigation and surveillance to help to manage traffic near ports, to keep ships safe from natural and human dangers (i.e., piracy) on the open water, and to aid in response to emergencies when they occur.
GIS is a valuable tool for managing all aspects of port operations. Read the article titled Maritime transport: Shipping undergoes sea change published in the May 2012 issue of GeoWorld and watch this presentation from the 2014 ESRI Users' Conference on the ways GIS is employed at the Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port.