ATC Software Easy Target For Musk, Ramaswamy At DOGE
The incoming Trump administration will add an agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE.) Air Traffic Control software could provide an easy win.
If you are considering booking travel LiveAndLetsFly.com appreciates your support.
If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today.
Ignoring Politics For A Moment
This post is not a political one. When the current Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, was appointed both Matthew and I wrote open letters and encouraged him to make real change that was good for all Americans regardless 0f political affiliation. We applauded the wins and called out the losses. Regardless of the side of the aisle you find yourself on, according to a Trump announcement, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will run the newly created Department of Government Efficiency and we wish the same success to them that we did the Secretary and former leaders. Evaluate this concept as a stand alone issue and suspend your political beliefs for just a few moments; let’s just be flyers.
What Is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a newly proposed federal agency with its sole goal to eliminate government waste. President-elect, Donald Trump, said the new agency will reside under the Office of Management and Budgets:
“Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
Trump said the new department will realize long-held Republican dreams and “provide advice and guidance from outside of government,” signaling the Musk and Ramaswamy roles would be informal, without requiring Senate approval and allowing Musk to remain the head of electric car company Tesla, social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX.” – Reuters
Both Musk and Ramaswamy will volunteer for the role, receiving no pay. Though Musk won’t technically have to recuse himself from issues involving companies he manages, both Tesla and SpaceX have ties to government agencies. In the case of Tesla, a $7,500 EV credit (which Musk has called to end) benefits buyers of electric cars. In the case of SpaceX, the company has several government contracts for the US military, satellites, and the NASA space program. Ramaswamy has stated that he believes a significant portion of the federal workforce would simply leave their roles based solely on a return-to-office policy.
Air Traffic Control Software
There’s air traffic control (ATC) software functioning in a limited rollout that has the capability of communicating via text messages between the aircraft and ground systems and automating processes. Wikipedia puts it more eloquently:
“Controller–pilot data link communication (CPDLC) is a means of communication between controller and pilot, using data link for ATC communication. At the highest level, the concept is simple, with the emphasis on the continued involvement of the human at either end and the flexibility of use.
The CPDLC application provides air-ground data communication for the ATC service. This includes a set of clearance/information/request message elements which correspond to voice phraseology employed by air traffic control procedures.” – Wikipedia.
But it’s more than just communication. Here are some of the capabilities of CPDLC:
Trajectory-based operations
Continuous descent approaches
Dynamic weather reroutes
Climbs
Descents
Handoffs between ATC sectors
This system has been introduced in some important markets but is only slated for part time use in the most congested market in the country, New York, as well as the Boston and farther northeast area. The system has been said to reduce frequency voice traffic by as much as 75% which reduces the load on Air Traffic Controllers and pilots.
Updating the nation’s communications system and modernizing it could cost several hundred million dollars, and this is expending money rather than saving it. However, repairs on aging infrastructure critical to the American economy could be a place where investment is needed and there’s a financial benefit that likely exceeds the costs.
Continuous Descent Approaches
In addition to reduced down time and repair costs, there’s a very large piece that needs to be considered: continuous descent approaches. Hundreds of thousands of flights annually are flown on behalf of US government officials, cargo, and by the government itself. Traditional descent approaches involve stepping down to altitudes and then leveling off before the next descent and level. That process is far less efficient than gliding down from cruise which should reduce thrust and gradually slow not re-engaging the engines in a meaningful way until closer to the ground.
What’s Not To Like?
Rolling out the CDPLC to every flight, every approach, and leaving controllers to act as managers won’t initially reduce the need for controllers but could potentially over time. That career field is short staffed as it is, but reducing the workload to just key tasks could also attract more workers uninterested in the stress and demands of the job.
But ideally, if the system is fully implemented, the US government upgrades the system for all aircraft in order to save money on its own fuel and staff. It would reduce emissions for the last 30 minutes of every flight in the largest air market in the world. The reduction in fuel could have some deflationary effect on fuel prices (not much but something.)
Government fuel consumption solely in the United States (where the system could be implemented) is a difficult number to find. The Department of Defense uses about 4.6 bn gallons annually with $11.5 bn spent on Jet-A last year globally. A fraction of DoD fuel consumption would be in the United States, and a still smaller fraction would be saved with this model. But there are other government entities that burn jet fuel like the USPS, State Department, etc. These are also just one year numbers so over just a four-year span, the savings would likely outweigh the costs for the government alone.
Fuel consumption could be reduced significantly for short flights.
Conclusion
This is an opportunity for DOGE to make a lasting investment that reduces emissions, costs, stress, and also modernizes ATC systems for decades to come. It’s already tested and approved working in some markets throughout North American and Europe. As the agency looks for costs to cut, this is an easy win that benefits taxpayers, visitors, companies, and the environment.
What do you think? What travel systems or costs can DOGE improve?