Flexibility, Predictability, and Access: An Expanded View of System Performance

Abstract

The Federal Aviation Administration will need to effect significant changes to the procedures and infrastructure of its air traffic management system to support the transition to Free Flight operations. The transition should be guided by user benefits, so assessment of current and future system performance must be based on customer outcomes. Concepts of operations for future systems will provide benefits to users beyond reduced delay. These benefits include increased flexibility so users can implement strategies to fit their needs, increased predictability of the system’s impact on their operations, and increased access to system resources. Traditional metrics—delay and throughput—will need to be augmented to better represent these outcomes. This paper documents the first of several analyses needed to support the development of a more robust system performance assessment capability that includes flexibility, predictability, and access, along with delay. Indicators and metrics associated with these new measurement concepts have been identified. Calculation of several of these new measures is demonstrated.