A system and method for ground-to-air communications with an aircraft are provided. The system comprises a ground-to-air communications manager that is configured to analyze incoming data from one or more data sources to determine at least a location and flight mode of an aircraft; and assess outgoing data to be sent to the aircraft based on one or more characteristics of the outgoing data, the location and flight mode of the aircraft, and one or more datalink characteristics. The ground-to-air communications manager selects an outgoing datalink and timing of transmit for the outgoing data according to a best result, which is determined from balancing the one or more characteristics of the outgoing data, the location and flight mode of the aircraft, and the one or more datalink characteristics. The ground-to-air communications manager transmits the outgoing data to the aircraft over the selected outgoing datalink at the selected timing of transmit.