A Self-Separation Algorithm for High-Density Air Corridor Allocated to Optimal Flight Trajectories

Abstract

Algorithms for air corridor operation are discussed. The air corridor is considered to be segregated airspace that connects congested areas. In the air corridor, only aircraft capable of self-separation may operate and all the aircraft fly in the same direction while maintaining safety without instructions of air traffic controllers. To realize efficient operations, the optimal allocation of the corridor and appropriate self-separation procedures are indispensable. In this paper, the self-separation algorithms in the air corridor allocated along the optimal trajectory are discussed. Particularly, the effectiveness of conflict avoidance maneuvers is focused on. Through the numerical simulation using the vertical self-separation maneuver, it is demonstrated that the average fuel-burn increases since some aircraft need to change its altitude for operational safety. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that the horizontal maneuver is able to resolve conflict while minimizing extra fuel-burn with punctuality.