I don’t think that it’s the wrong idea in general. AM radio (and humans sitting on either end) is going to struggle with the sheer amount of air traffic we have today.

It's weird just how antiquated air radio is, compared to on boats.

Digital Selective Calling is a 1980s technology. So it's not even XML stitched together with Java, it's way older than that. But it does mean two dozen boats and three shore stations can all communicate with each other without constantly stepping on each other or having to wait and hope you can talk to the person you want to before bad things happen.

There are fancier more modern systems in place for a lot of transit, but DSC is relevant here because it's an international system, a random cargo ship from Korea which turns up in the English Channel has the same DSC system as the boat which just arrived from Rotterdam. This is the same requirement we need in the air, a Singapore airliner and an Avianca airliner coming into San Francisco both need the same radio system.