Aircraft
Industry Awaits Clarity from FAA on Datalink Standard
The Rockwell Collins IDC-900 integrated datalink controller displays controller-pilot datalink messages. Photo: FAA
The Rockwell Collins IDC-900 integrated datalink controller displays controller-pilot datalink messages. Photo: FAA

Three industry teams are vying for the FAA’s Data Communications Integrated Services (DCIS) contract to provide a nationwide data network between ATC facilities and datacomm-equipped aircraft, with a contract award anticipated in June. Even as it was evaluating these proposals, however, the FAA had not decided which datalink standard to implement.