ABSTRACT
Civil Aviation is a vital sector of the global economy. The US National Airspace System (NAS) provides a network of airspace, air navigation facilities, equipment, services, airports, technical information, and personnel needed for the operation of civil aviation in the United States. The capacity of the airspace in the current system is primarily limited by the ability of the air traffic controllers to maintain situational awareness and provide separation services to the aircraft. Currently, there is an unprecedented decline of between 56% and 60% in air traffic demand due to the outbreak of corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic in China and its rapid spread to the rest of the world. Before the pandemic, the 2020 FAA forecast predicted the air traffic demand to grow over the next 20 years with an annual growth rate of about 2%. This anticipated increase in traffic will put a further strain on the airports and the airspace;it will result in large delays, airline schedule breakdown, and adverse environmental impact. The system needs to address developments and anticipated explosive growth in low speed and low-cost urban air mobility vehicles. This article provides an overview of Air Traffic Management (ATM) in the United States, brief review of current aviation operations, research under development, and technology and infrastructure upgrades currently being deployed to enable the current aviation system to meet the needs of future aviation systems. Air traffic operations need to be harmonized across all parts of the globe to achieve standardization and efficiency of operations. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved