How does communication help two pilots avoid a midair collision?

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A colorful payoff matrix for a normal form game in game theory, showing strategy options-support, oppose, evade-for both party A and party B. Each cell contains cartoon figures representing each party's action and lists percentage payoffs for A and B. The bottom-right cell is labeled saddlepoint, highlighting the equilibrium. — game theory Table 1
The normal-form table illustrates the concept of a saddlepoint, or entry, in a payoff matrix at which the expected gain of each participant (row or column) has the highest guaranteed payoff.

In the context of game theory, the scenario of two pilots avoiding a midair collision is a classic example of a variable-sum game where players share a common interest.

Communication is vital in this situation because it allows the pilots to coordinate their decisions effectively to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome—avoiding a crash. Unlike constant-sum games, where one player's gain is another's loss, variable-sum games involve situations where both parties can benefit from cooperation. When pilots can communicate, they can align their strategies to ensure their flight paths do not intersect. The degree of communication allowed between them is often the deciding factor in whether they successfully avoid a collision, as it transforms a potentially chaotic interaction into a coordinated effort toward a shared goal.1