The 26th Integrated Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference
14-16 April, 2026
Westin Washington Dulles Airport
Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A
ICNS 2026 is an in-person conference.
Conference Theme: Enhancing the Resilience of Future ICNS
The Integrated Communications Navigation, and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference is a premier international aviation (air/ground) conference addressing technology and policy advances in communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) and air traffic management (ATM). The ICNS Conference provides a forum for thought leaders, policymakers, researchers, and other technical experts from government, industry, and academia around the world to connect and explore important policy, science, and technology issues. Previous attendees represented air navigation service providers (ANSPs), aircraft manufacturers, airspace users, government, academia, and many industry suppliers.
Paper and Presentation Topics
Authors are invited to introduce their work to the ICNS community. This is a great way to present your scientific and technical ideas, refine your research, and present your findings. Technical papers along with presentation slides are solicited for the technical sessions, focusing on the key topical areas listed below:
- Air traffic management (ATM), UAS traffic management (UTM) and space traffic management (STM)
- Connected aircraft systems and hyperconnected ATM: benefits and challenges of information in cloud and global networks
- Datalink and connectivity
- Autonomous operations
- Safety assurance, verification, and validation of autonomous systems using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)
- Cybersecurity
- Operational efficiency (airspace, airport, airspace users, airplane, and air traffic systems)
- Aviation sustainability (environment, economy and society)
- Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), alternative positioning, navigation and timing (APNT), and satellite services for CNS
- Global harmonization of standards and practices
- Service provision, innovation, resilience, and efficiency
- Global aircraft tracking
- Traffic, terrain, and advanced weather surveillance
- Spectrum management
- Other topics – papers are also welcome even if they do not strictly cover the above areas, provided they are of interest to the ICNS community and relevant to CNS technologies and air traffic operations.
Best Paper Competitions: Student and Professional
ICNS 2026 will include student and professional Best Paper competitions. Active students and professionals within two years of graduation are eligible for the Student Best Paper honoraria. Those not eligible for Best Student Paper are eligible for Best Professional Paper awards.
Abstract Submission and Acceptance
Authors are invited to submit abstracts by the deadline below that address one or more of the key topical areas listed above or have critical relevance to these CNS topics.
Abstracts should clearly define the goal of the work, its tasks, methods, or results (anticipated or completed) as well as the potential benefits or applications of the work. Abstracts need to be clear and concise, with at least 250 words and no more than 750 words.
- Abstract submission: 1 December 2025
- Abstract acceptance: 15 December 2025
- Final paper due: 2 March 2026