Sorry if this is a repeat, I could not find another one. If it is, please link it below! I just finished a nice controlling session at today’s featured airport, NZAA. I had a few ground conflicts near the tip of the runway. Now these conflicts could have been avoided by the use of a give way command. I know that the hold position command is on tower, but it would be more efficient to use the give way command in a situation in which there is a conflict because of intersecting taxiways towards the end of a runway. See an example below (thanks @RTG113 and @Oliver_P for help with the picture):
Because they are approaching the runway, they have both switched to tower. The proper way to deal with this conflict (on ground at least) would be to issue the C172 a give way command - “Give way to aircraft on your right,” allowing the 757 to continue straight. The 757 would have right of way anyways because it is continuing straight, but a give way command on tower would allow for minimal confusion. However, there is not give way command on tower. I, unfortunately, had to report someone because of this very situation. Overall, I think it would be an interesting feature to add that would help reduce reports, improve quality of flights and ATC sessions, and create a better overall experience. I would imagine that this is not a difficult add either, but I may be wrong. Thanks so much. Have a great night/day.
Ground should’ve provided an instruction to follow or give way well before it got to this point. Once on tower, I believe issuing a departure sequence would resolve this the same as a give way.
As a tower controller I’d handle it the same way in real life too. “Cessna 123, you’re number two for departure behind the 75.”
I feel like the challenging part of this is that we currently don’t have the capability to tell the Cessna that they are behind the 75. Aircraft know the position they stand, but not the aircraft they’re behind, unless it’s made obvious by the taxiway layout. Maybe it could be layered within the departure sequence instruction—a command that reads “You’re number 4 for departure behind the traffic on your right.”
This seems like it could help at intersections before the hold short line where aircraft have already tuned to Tower and are unsure whether to enter the intersection or not. The same three give way commands as are already in-app would be needed for this (left, ahead, right), as most intersections are four-way and each aircraft only needs to give way to the aircraft they are directly following.
