Validating Flow-Based Arrival Management for En Route Airspace: Human-In-The-Loop Simulation Experiment with ESCAPE Light Simulator

Abstract

The advancement of Arrival MANager (AMAN) is crucial for addressing the increasing complexity and demand of modern airspace. This study evaluates the operational feasibility and effectiveness of an innovative AMAN designed for en route airspace, the so-called En Route AMAN. The En Route AMAN functions as a controller support system, facilitating the sharing of information between en route air traffic controllers (ATCos), approach controllers (current AMAN), and airport controllers (Departure Managers) in airports with multiple runways. The En Route AMAN aims to support upstream ATCos by sequencing and spacing of incoming streams via speed control and runway assignment, thereby enhancing overall air traffic efficiency. Human-In-The-Loop simulations involving rated ATCos are performed under scenarios that replicate real-world traffic and weather conditions. These simulations focus on upstream airspace to assess the impact of En Route AMAN on delay mitigation and ATCos’ performance. Unlike previous studies that solely relied on theoretical models and fast-time simulation for operational feasibility evaluation, this approach incorporates ATCos’ real-time decision-making, situational awareness, and task management, addressing critical operationalization challenges. The results demonstrated that the En Route AMAN could reduce the average flight duration by up to 25.6 s and decrease the total number of ATCo instructions by up to 20% during peak traffic volume. These findings support that the En Route AMAN is both operationally viable and effective in mitigating arrival delays, highlighting the importance of Human-In-The-Loop for practical validation.