The Challenge

We have a high-density airport, where a major carrier is operating its hub-operation along with many other airlines. During traffic peaks, arrival rates are in the order of 70 to 80 aircraft an hour, with a varying mix in aircraft types. There is no robust traffic metering mechanism in place. There is also limited coordination between the ATC units involved, ranging from TWR to APP, ACCs and UACs.

This situation leads to a number of related problems:

1. An often overloaded TMA with extended approach patterns leading to:
   a) increased workload for APP
   b) inefficient terminal flight profiles due to low level-flight flying
   c) noise impactInefficient arrival profiles
2. ATC workload at unit/sector boundaries
3. Lack of predictability for pilots, airline operators, airport operations

Activities to understand the challenge

To address these challenges, a number of activities are performed:

1. The operational concept is analyzed. This comprises an analysis of:
   a) airspace and route design
   b) general operating procedures and regulations for ATC and of the major airlines
   c) traffic sequencing and metering procedures inter and intra-centre.
2. Operating practices: apart from formal regulations, daily practices are observed and analyzed both at relevant sites as well as by data analysis.
3. Data analysis of available data sources:
   a) radar data: lateral and vertical pattern evaluation
   b) coordination data: with external centres and intra-centre
   c) controller inputs.
4. ATC Systems infrastructure: a comprehensive analysis is conducted of the available system capabilities:
   a) Traffic Scheduler and Metering mechanism
   b) Trajectory Predictor capability
   c) Coordination facilities (inter/intra unit/sector/centre).

Work to meet the challenge

 The multidisciplinary information obtained in the previous activities now need to be analyzed integrally to define concrete implementation steps to achieve improvements. These entail amongst others:

1. The desired operational concept is defined with enough detail to provide direction for the other solution design activities. This work includes the definition of target performance indicators for the operation. Example parameters are:
   • landing capacity per runway,
   • maximum TMA trackmiles available for vectoring during approach,
   • workload parameters for UAC/ACC. These are derived from the TMA parameters and traffic/airspace characteristics through accurate trajectory modeling using real traffic samples.
2. From concept and its parameters, detailed performance parameters are derived for the arrival operation and the operational parameter changes that are needed to implement them. This includes:
   • delivery accuracy requirements between units and centres. A method for delay sharing (cross-border AMAN) is developed, tailored for the site and configured based on AMAN simulations using real traffic samples.
   • the optimum freeze horizon taking into account pop-up traffic in relation to required planning stability. Using real traffic samples, the effects of the choices made are quantified to avoid a long evaluation period in the operational environment.
   • define the optimum vertical profiles, balancing flight efficiency with achieving the target parameters within airspace limitations,
   • defining speed profiles to be used for UAC/ACC, compatible with the traffic characteristics and metering performance parameters.
3. The supporting Sequencing and Metering tool is upgraded to a fully functional Arrival Management System, supporting the specifics of the modified target operation as defined in 2).
   The tool will also support providing information to different centres and sectors to coordinate trajectory management information, facilitating smoother and more efficient traffic profiles and streams.
4. The interfaces between the ATC-actors involved are upgraded to support the exchange of the information mentioned in step 3.
5. The Trajectory Predictor in the upgraded AMAN is tuned for the site specific profiles until it meets the accuracy requirements that are established to meet the operational performance as defined in step 2 with defined workload conditions.
6. ATC personel is trained in not only tools and mechanism basics, but also to understand how to utilize the tool in order to manage the particular traffic streams at the site.
7. Associated procedures are updated or defined.

 FerWay will work with partners to perform some of these tasks like ATM Systems development and ATC procedure definition. All tasks are performed in very close co-operation with engineering, procedure development and operational staff.