An aircraft communication system for automatically choosing a communication modality from a plurality of communication modalities for use for communication between distant communication entities, the communication system comprising a controller configured to: receive a communication in the form of an analog or digital voice message from a message originator, the message originator being a member of a flight crew of the aircraft, for transmission to a message recipient, the message recipient being an aircraft control center; select, using a recipient modality selection module at least one modality from a plurality of modalities for sending the analog or digital voice message to the message recipient, the plurality of modalities including a digital data transmission, a digital voice transmission, a digital text message and an analog voice message, wherein, in order to select the at least one modality, the controller is further configured to: determine for the existence of a predetermined aerial vehicle context requirements indicative of a non-normal vehicle state, predetermined static requirements, predetermined communication service provider requirements, communication context requirements, message recipient preferences, and message originator preferences; and make the selection based on the determined predetermined aerial vehicle context requirements, predetermined static requirements, predetermined communication service provider requirements, communication context requirements, message recipient preferences, and message originator preferences; convert the analog or digital voice message to the selected modality, the selected modality being different from the modality of the analog or digital voice message; and cause the received analog or digital voice message to be transmitted in the form of the selected modality to the message recipient, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the selected modality to the recipient modality selection module. receive a communication in the form of an analog or digital voice message from a message originator, the message originator being a member of a flight crew of the aircraft, for transmission to a message recipient, the message recipient being an aircraft control center; select, using a recipient modality selection module at least one modality from a plurality of modalities for sending the analog or digital voice message to the message recipient, the plurality of modalities including a digital data transmission, a digital voice transmission, a digital text message and an analog voice message, wherein, in order to select the at least one modality, the controller is further configured to: determine for the existence of a predetermined aerial vehicle context requirements indicative of a non-normal vehicle state, predetermined static requirements, predetermined communication service provider requirements, communication context requirements, message recipient preferences, and message originator preferences; and make the selection based on the determined predetermined aerial vehicle context requirements, predetermined static requirements, predetermined communication service provider requirements, communication context requirements, message recipient preferences, and message originator preferences; convert the analog or digital voice message to the selected modality, the selected modality being different from the modality of the analog or digital voice message; and cause the received analog or digital voice message to be transmitted in the form of the selected modality to the message recipient, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the selected modality to the recipient modality selection module. determine for the existence of a predetermined aerial vehicle context requirements indicative of a non-normal vehicle state, predetermined static requirements, predetermined communication service provider requirements, communication context requirements, message recipient preferences, and message originator preferences; and make the selection based on the determined predetermined aerial vehicle context requirements, predetermined static requirements, predetermined communication service provider requirements, communication context requirements, message recipient preferences, and message originator preferences; convert the analog or digital voice message to the selected modality, the selected modality being different from the modality of the analog or digital voice message; and cause the received analog or digital voice message to be transmitted in the form of the selected modality to the message recipient, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the selected modality to the recipient modality selection module.