Performance-Based ATM: Concept and Service Provider Roles and Responsibilities

Abstract

In the United States, a Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) of multiple stakeholder agencies has released its integrated plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and, more recently, JPDO has coordinated the development of a concept of operations for NextGen, which describes a common vision for a system that will operate in the 2025 timeframe and beyond. NextGen represents a quantum leap forward in Air Traffic Management (ATM) integrating human operators, automation, and aircraft within a net-centric and collaborative environment that is based on precise performance-based operations of aircraft and common information sharing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to develop strategies and plans to evolve the present day ATM system into tomorrow’s NextGen system in an affordable and harmonious manner. By 2015, air traffic is expected to increase by 25-30% overall and more than that in certain areas of the country. There is also an increased need to hire new air traffic controllers due to pending retirements that will put stress on workforce management during the next ten years. The MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) in partnership with the FAA developed an approach to address this challenge called Performance-based Air Traffic Management (Performance-based ATM). Performance-based ATM is a set of capabilities, validation activities, and an operational concept that is firmly aligned with the NextGen concept and represents an affordable and realistic implementation path. For the past two years, CAASD has engaged a group of Front Line Managers from en route and terminal Air Traffic Control (ATC) facilities as well as Traffic Management Specialists in evaluating the operational acceptability of the concept and in estimating its benefits. This document presents an overview of the Performance-based ATM concept and describes the changes in the roles and responsibilities of service providers using this concept. This document is especially concerned with the en route sector controller roles and responsibilities since that role is changed significantly as part of the concept.