Air Traffic Management in 2025: Scaling Safely Through a Perfect Storm
Air Traffic Management in 2025: Scaling Safely Through a Perfect Storm
The skies are getting crowded again – but the people and systems managing them are stretched thinner than ever.
In the years since the pandemic grounded global aviation, the industry has made remarkable progress rebuilding capacity. Flights are up, passengers are back, and demand is rising fast. But behind the scenes, Air Traffic Management (ATM) is facing some of its most difficult challenges to date: controller shortages, a dwindling engineering workforce, expanding airspace complexity, and fast-moving cybersecurity threats.
We spoke with Lewis Johnston, Chelton’s Principal ATC Consultant about how the industry is addressing these new issues and how best it can prepare for the future. We asked him, what are the primary requirements the aviation sector needs to deliver if it is to scale safely in the years ahead?
Lewis Johnston: “The outlook is very positive as the sector continues to grow but it clearly needs more than optimism: it needs systems that reduce workload, technology that actively supports users, and planning that prioritises resilience over patchwork fixes.”
What are the ongoing effects of contingency measures taken during the pandemic?
Lewis Johnston: “When COVID-19 forced airlines and airports to pause operations, many ANSPs (Air Navigation Service Providers) were forced to make deep cuts. Redundancies took place. Training pipelines were halted. So, while air traffic has bounced back, the workforce hasn’t.
Now, with experienced personnel retiring and a shortage of qualified replacements, the strain on operations is showing. Some airports are already introducing flow restrictions –not because of runway capacity, but because there aren’t enough people to handle the volume and complexity of traffic.
Engineering capacity has been hit too. ATM systems are increasingly complex, but the number of specialists trained to maintain or integrate them is shrinking. The result? Delays in upgrades, increased system downtime, and more pressure on already overburdened teams. But it’s not just about people. The airspace itself is evolving.”
What additional challenges are adding to the growing complexity of ATM?
Lewis Johnston: “Drones and other uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) are adding new variables to already busy skies. Integration is still in its infancy and the radar picture is getting more complicated by the day.
Even green infrastructure is contributing to the noise. Wind farms, essential to the global clean energy transition, are increasingly visible to radar. But to a controller, a wind turbine signal looks a lot like a low-flying aircraft. The rules say you can’t ignore a contact, so every false hit adds to the workload and increases the risk of genuine threats being missed.
Without better tools, better filtering, and better integration, these challenges will only escalate.”
ATM used to be a relatively isolated world. Today, it’s connected, networked, and increasingly digital. That delivers huge advantages – but what serious risks does it also bring?
Lewis Johnston: From GPS jamming, spoofing, to outright system interference, cyber threats are no longer theoretical. As geopolitical tensions rise, air traffic infrastructure has become a real target – and maintaining airspace integrity is as much a digital task as a physical one.
A resilient ATM system must be secured from the ground up. That means designing with cybersecurity in mind, not tacking it on after deployment. Cybersecurity Isn’t Optional Anymore, it’s integral.”
How can the aviation industry meet the growing number and diversity of challenges?
Lewis Johnston:” The aviation industry isn’t short on ambition. What’s needed now is a shift in mindset –from managing airspace, to actively supporting the people and systems doing it. The next phase of ATM evolution will be defined not just by capacity, but by how well that capacity is managed, secured, and scaled.
It will also be defined by how seamlessly technology integrates into daily operations – augmenting human performance, not adding friction. Systems will need to be user-centric, automated where it makes sense, and smart enough to reduce cognitive load instead of increasing it. Ultimately it needs to be smarter, scalable, and resilient.”
How is Chelton supporting the future of ATM?
Lewis Johnston: “At Chelton, we’ve spent decades helping civil and defence aviation authorities manage complex airspace with clarity and confidence. That experience has shaped our approach to the challenges facing ATM today.”
Can you describe some of the technologies that Chelton has developed to address some of these challenges?
Lewis Johnston: “Of course. Our SafetyNet technology is designed to reduce controller workload in real time –automatically alerting for proximity risks, terrain threats, and traffic conflicts, so teams can focus on what matters most. It’s an extra layer of assurance in an increasingly high-pressure environment.
Naturally, on top of this, Chelton is partnering with forward-thinking companies to integrate our RDS product line and windfarm mitigation solutions with ADS-B, ADS-C, and MLAT technologies.
Our RDS platforms, including RDS1600, RDS Control, and RDS Track simplify the radar picture, offering intuitive displays that help controllers make faster, better-informed decisions – whether they’re managing a commercial airspace, or operations at sea.
To tackle radar clutter, especially from wind farms, we’ve also developed an advanced Windfarm Mitigation Tool that strips out visual noise without compromising on safety, giving operators a clear, actionable picture of what’s really in the sky. It is all about delivering innovative approaches to meet the aviation industry's evolving needs for comprehensive airspace management.
Importantly, we’ve also been able to support our customers needs, developing RDSFleet, our shipborne radar system, currently deployed on the QEII-class carrier. As naval operations become increasingly reliant on ship-launched aircraft, Air Traffic Control systems at sea are becoming critical for enabling joint operations and maintaining tactical advantage in complex and contested airspace. RDSFleet provides controllers with a radar picture that moves with their environment, supporting a safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of traffic – using the same technology found in land-based ATC systems.”
Are you able to describe how Chelton is able to support system resilience?
Lewis Johnston: “Yes. On the security front, our systems are built with embedded resilience. We support some of the world’s most sensitive air traffic environments, and our TARDIS contingency system provides ATM continuity during events that would otherwise force operations to halt.
Whether it’s through better integration, stronger cybersecurity, or scalable tools that adapt to changing airspace demands, we’re working to support a safer, smarter future for global aviation.”
What’s next for your airspace?
If you’re exploring how to future-proof your ATM strategy, we’d love to continue the conversation.
Building the next generation of air traffic management – together.
