Quantitative Evaluation of Controlled Arrival Flow Connecting into Point Merge System at Tokyo International Airport

Abstract

AbstractAir traffic flow management initiatives are important to balance demand and capacity. In Japan, in addition to already practiced ground delay programs, congestions at the busiest domestic airport, i.e. Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport, are to be tackled by controlled enroute delays and structured sequencing arrival flows via a point merge system (PMS). The objective of the current research is to evaluate the effect of various traffic flow management control parameters on ground delay, airborne delay and throughput. The evaluation is performed using a joint traffic flow-PMS numerical simulation, developed based on real air traffic radar data (CARATS Open Data available from Japan Civil Aviation Bureau). The PMS simulation allows for the analysis of airborne delay absorption distribution in different airspaces as well, focusing on the approach control area and arrival sector, connecting the enroute and approach control area. Research results show that flights which are subject to ground delay also experience airborne delay, generally within the allowed margin set by the air traffic flow management control parameters. Lost throughput is rare, which implies that the air traffic flow management control parameters can be further optimized to reduce airborne delay without losing runway throughput.KeywordsGround delayAirborne delayPoint merge systemAir traffic flow management