Russia Deploys New Digital System to Improve Flight Crew Communications

A new aviation service developed in Russia delivers vital weather and airport information to flight crews in text form, streamlining operations and reducing pilot workload.

Russia has launched a new digital service known as D-ATIS, aimed at enhancing the flow of critical information to aircraft crews. The system was successfully tested at Vnukovo Airport and will be piloted at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg and Kurumoch Airport in Samara. The technology was developed by Azimut, a subsidiary of the state-owned Rostec Corporation.

D-ATIS is designed to transmit real-time meteorological and aeronautical updates to pilots in a text format rather than traditional voice messages. This shift improves response time and data accessibility, especially in high-pressure flight environments. Voice broadcasts, by contrast, are limited to a maximum range of 300 kilometers, restricting their reach and reliability.

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency notes that the switch to digital text communication will significantly reduce the workload of air traffic controllers and flight crews alike. The system is expected to be gradually deployed across airports nationwide.