Traffic Flow Management Impact on Delay and Fuel Consumption: an Atlanta Case Study

Abstract

In 2010, the FAA investigated the use of a capability called a Traffic Management Advisor Flow Programs to control flights destined for capacity-limited airports. This study explores through fast-time simulations the impact of this new capability on Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport arrival operations. The emphasis of this study is on examining the distribution of delays and emissions for flights included and exempted from this new capability. To determine the “best” flow rate to select when developing a Traffic Management Advisor Flow Program, a simulation-based approach is presented. This approach depends on the arrival demand, airport configuration, acceptance rate, and program goals. When the goal was to balance delays between flights included and exempt from the program, then a flow rate of 60 aircraft per hour was recommended. When the goal was to minimize overall system delays, however, then a flow rate that was 33% higher was recommended. Complementing the flow rate recommendation analysis was an activity designed to assess the environmental impacts of first scheduling Atlanta arrivals with a Traffic Management Advisor Flow Program and subsequently by the Traffic Management Advisor. A strong correlation between the Traffic Management Advisor Flow Program flow rate and the fuel burn and emissions associated with the Traffic Management Advisor delays was observed. When the Traffic Management Advisor Flow Program flow rate was increased from 54 aircraft per hour to 80 aircraft per hour, the fuel burn and emissions associated with airborne holding was found to increase by over 100%. This increase in fuel burn or emissions, in general, represents a small percent of the total fuel burn and emissions associated with the entire flight’s trajectory, and only a percent of all arrivals were assigned airborne holding. Aviation’s impact on the environment is a pressing matter, and the design of Traffic Flow Management control strategies will require considering the delays as well as the emissions resulting from them.