An air traffic command automation system for automating the process of listening to, interpreting, adhering to, and responding to air traffic command messages is disclosed. The system includes one or more processors configured by programming instructions on non-transient computer readable media. The system is configured to: receive an air traffic command message, from an entity other than the flight crew, that includes one or more tasks for the aircraft to perform; determine from the command message the one or more tasks for the aircraft to perform; generate a sequence of actions for each task that the aircraft can undertake to accomplish the task; verify the coherence, feasibility, and safety of the actions; relay an interpretation of the command message to the command message originator; preview the verified sequence of actions with the flight crew; and issue commands to execute actions at appropriate points during a mission.