The basic function of an Air Traffic Control Center (ATCC) is to perform airspace Surveillance and issue Navigation directives to surface and air-born aircraft via Communication means (Voice or Data).

In the late 1980's, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) set the cornerstone of a worldwide project to improve Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) of airspaces in order to absorb the increased congestion of the skies and enhance safety in the air. This project, under the name of Future Air Navigation System (FANS) was approved worldwide and designated under several names:

• In Europe , it is called Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR), where ATM stands for Air Traffic Management, and it is driven by EUROCONTROL.
• In the USA , it is called NextGen, short for Next Generation Air Transportation System, and it is driven by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• In Australia , Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) is currently being deployed by AirServices Australia.

In the Middle East and Africa , there are scattered and individual efforts through ICAO driven initiatives to visualize the approaching changes and determine their required transformation.