Eurocontrol Urges Expanded Use of CPDLC Text Messaging in ATC

(NONE) Eurocontrol called on air traffic control centers to rely far more on text messaging between controllers and cockpits, saying adoption of mature data link tools remains far below what is possible and useful. On November 6, 2025, Paul Bosman, head of Eurocontrol’s infrastructure division, said,

“Air traffic controllers make insufficient use of short written messages to communicate with pilots, despite the maturity of the technology,”

urging a faster shift to digital exchanges that send clear instructions straight to the flight deck.

The technology at the heart of the push is Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications, or CPDLC, which turns many routine radio calls into concise text messaging. Instead of waiting for a free radio frequency and speaking long clearances that pilots must write down and read back, controllers can transmit a typed instruction that appears on cockpit displays for the crew to review and accept. Eurocontrol argues that this reduces errors, saves time when traffic is busy, and cuts stress for both pilots and controllers during complex flows across Europe’s crowded skies.

The technology at the heart of the push is Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications, or CPDLC, which turns many routine radio calls into concise text messaging. Instead of waiting for a free radio frequency and speaking long clearances that pilots must write down and read back, controllers can transmit a typed instruction that appears on cockpit displays for the crew to review and accept. Eurocontrol argues that this reduces errors, saves time when traffic is busy, and cuts stress for both pilots and controllers during complex flows across Europe’s crowded skies.

Eurocontrol officials say the gains are practical and immediate. Written messages eliminate misheard altitudes, waypoints, or speeds, especially when accents, radio quality, or frequency congestion make voice less reliable. When storms bubble up across a route or a runway configuration changes, a single digital reroute can be pushed to many aircraft at once instead of working down a long list of call signs by radio. Industry examples cited by advocates show that rerouting planes around a thunderstorm by voice can take 30 minutes or more, while with CPDLC or its U.S. counterpart Data Comm, instructions land in the cockpit simultaneously for all affected aircraft. That time saving can keep departures moving, reduce holding, and help avoid knock-on delays.

Safety is central to Eurocontrol’s argument. Text-based messages are built on standard phrase sets and message formats, which cut ambiguity and keep a clear record of what was sent and when. That structure is designed to reduce risks like level busts, where an aircraft climbs or descends to the wrong altitude, and runway incursions triggered by misunderstood taxi or hold short instructions. Technical safeguards in modern systems add another layer: messages with certain types of errors are automatically rejected before they ever reach the cockpit, minimizing the chance of a garbled instruction slipping through.

U.S. officials who have rolled out Data Comm at major hubs say the results match Europe’s goals.

“Data Comm will allow passengers to get off the tarmac, into the air and to their destinations more quickly. Airlines will be able to stay on schedule and packages will be delivered on time,”

said Jim Eck, the Federal Aviation Administration’s assistant administrator for modernization. The FAA has promoted Data Comm for clearance delivery and is extending it into en route operations, describing it as a core part of its NextGen modernization efforts. For official program details and site deployment information, the FAA outlines current capabilities on its Data Comm program page.

Frontline controllers say the day-to-day benefits are tangible when the system is available and crews are equipped. At Washington Dulles International Airport, Dulles ATC controller Sharlotte Yealdhall said,

“We’re all loving it. It has made a huge difference,”

a reaction echoed at other towers and centers that have integrated text-based clearances into routine workflows. Pilots who receive a long re-route, altitude change, or amended departure on a cockpit screen no longer need to scramble with pen and paper or risk a misheard string of fixes. Instead, one or two button presses load the instruction into the flight management system, and a positive acceptance returns to the controller.

Even with strong advocacy, Eurocontrol is careful to stress that the radio is not going away. Voice remains essential for emergencies and time-critical situations where immediate back-and-forth is critical, such as collision avoidance, wind shear alerts on final approach, or a sudden go-around. Specialists also note that shouting “stop” on a busy frequency can still be faster than typing during an unfolding hazard. The vision is not to replace the radio, but to move routine, complex, and non-urgent exchanges to CPDLC so that voice channels stay open and clear for urgent needs and quick tactical directions.

Adoption has lagged behind what infrastructure specialists believe is feasible. Eurocontrol and the European Commission have pushed for a harmonized approach that gets the same message sets, standards, and procedures into towers and centers across the continent, but equipment fit and training vary by fleet and region. In 2025, CPDLC and similar data link systems are being used for roughly 10% to 20% of departures at some major airports, according to implementation updates, a number expected to rise as more aircraft install compliant avionics and as regulators and network managers expand service availability. Airlines with mixed fleets face uneven capability, and charter operators, cargo carriers, and business jets do not all move at the same upgrade pace.

Interoperability sits at the heart of the challenge. For text messaging to replace long stretches of voice on busy days, every link has to align: cockpit equipment, ground systems in towers and area control centers, and the network that moves messages across borders. Eurocontrol’s role as network manager is to smooth those seams so a pilot leaving Paris receives the same format and workflow as one entering Madrid airspace or crossing the Alps. Training matters as well. Controllers need clear procedures on when to use CPDLC, how to handle message timeouts, and when to revert to voice, while pilots need to understand message categories, acceptance protocols, and cockpit resource management so that digital messages enhance, not distract from, flying the aircraft.

Airlines and airports that have embraced the tools report fewer readback-hearback errors that once filled incident logs with small but consequential mistakes. Clearances that used to be laborious—an airway change with seven waypoints, a step climb sequence across sector boundaries, or a complex taxi route at a construction-heavy airport—arrive intact and visible on screen. That reliability reduces workload. Pilots are freed from writing and repeating, and controllers can spend more time managing airspace and less time on repetitive recitation. For crews on long-haul flights, en route CPDLC uplinks can cut HF radio blocks and the strain of high-latency calls over oceanic tracks.

The case for scale also rests on weather resilience. When a line of storms pops along a major corridor, a single controller managing a departure bank can uplink standardized reroutes or altitude blocks to dozens of flights in seconds rather than slowly rotating through clipped radio exchanges amid static and stepped-on transmissions. In winter, when runway capacity dips due to de-icing and braking action reports, pre-departure clearances via data link can align push times and taxi flows with slot programs, keeping queues moving and reducing fuel burn from long waits.

Eurocontrol’s message is that the technology is no longer the bottleneck. The system has matured through years of limited deployments and iterative improvements, with protocol checks that prevent malformed messages, standardized phraseology to limit confusion, and user interfaces refined from controller and pilot feedback. Where bottlenecks remain, they often trace to uneven uptake—fleets missing the avionics line-fit, operators deferring retrofits, or service areas not yet activated—or to procedural gaps that deter frontline staff from using CPDLC consistently when workloads spike.

Industry backers argue that a broader shift to text messaging in normal operations can also strengthen safety barriers. A digital record of instructions removes ambiguity in incident reviews, while standardized approval and rejection workflows in the cockpit cut the chance that a partial or misunderstood clearance leads to a wrong turn or altitude bust. The human factors advantage is especially clear for non-native English speakers on either side of the radio, who benefit from seeing and sending standardized text rather than decoding a fast voice readout in heavy traffic.

Still, the balance with voice must be maintained. Specialists note that typing or managing multiple digital threads can itself add workload if done poorly or in the wrong phase of flight. Procedures generally steer away from sending non-urgent text messages during critical moments like takeoff roll or short final. Systems must be tuned so controllers are not overwhelmed by queues of pending acceptances, and pilots must be trained to prioritize flying over screen management. Eurocontrol’s push includes those caveats, framing the aim as smarter division of labor: voice where speed is paramount, CPDLC where clarity, accuracy, and scale matter most.

The calls from Brussels mirror the direction in other major markets. In the United States, the FAA has extended Data Comm beyond pre-departure clearance at towers into en route centers, and airlines have reported time savings and fewer departure delays at high-volume hubs. Eck’s promise that schedules will tighten and packages will arrive on time reflects the day-to-day focus of operators more than a headline technology narrative. At airports like Dulles, the frontline verdict—

“We’re all loving it. It has made a huge difference”

—captures why controllers, once skeptical of typing to pilots, become steady users after a few busy weather days with the tool switched on.

Bosman’s remarks underscore Eurocontrol’s central claim that the sector is leaving efficiency and safety on the table by clinging to voice for messages that text handles better. The agency wants wider, harmonized use of CPDLC in Europe’s towers and centers as more aircraft roll off production lines equipped for data link and as older jets retrofit. That, in turn, depends on training, consistent procedures, and firm timelines that pull lagging adopters along. With traffic set to keep rising and skies already busy, the case is that digital tools are no longer optional extras but core infrastructure, and that every clear, unambiguous text message takes a little pressure off a crowded frequency.

As the push gathers pace, success will likely be measured less by dramatic announcements than by the absence of routine radio chatter that once filled the air. A controller sending a multi-aircraft reroute around a thunderstorm in seconds, a pilot loading an amended clearance without reading back a string of fixes, and a tower that keeps its voice channel free for the unexpected—those are the quiet changes Eurocontrol says will add up. The radio will still carry urgency and last-minute changes. But for the bulk of daily exchanges that are complex, repeatable, and non-urgent, Eurocontrol’s message is simple: move it to CPDLC, make it stick, and let the frequency breathe.