Air Traffic Management Environment Research Articles

Cloud-Blockchain-Fusion–Based Secure Sharing Model for Air Traffic Management

Data sharing is the keystone to maintain the continuous operation of air traffic management (ATM). As situational awareness and collaborative decision-making become significant components of smart ATM, data sharing capability becomes a constraint on the development of ATM. The existing ATM data-sharing solutions have the following issues: 1) data-sharing efficiency is low; 2) data security has not received sufficient attention; and 3) access control is difficult to implement. Therefore, a security data-sharing model for ATM based on cloud-blockchain fusion is proposed, which realizes data security storage, intelligent service governance, and data authorized access. Firstly, a set of metafile storage structures is defined to realize the separate storage of data and metadata, which provides integrity verification and encrypted storage. Besides, using attribute-based encryption and service retrieval algorithms, the data publishing, discovery, and invocation functions based on smart contracts are realized. Finally, this scheme realizes secure data sharing in the ATM environment, and the computational cost and time cost are also kept at an acceptable level compared with other existing schemes.

Automatic Flight Callsign Identification on a Controller Working Position: Real-Time Simulation and Analysis of Operational Recordings

In the air traffic management (ATM) environment, air traffic controllers (ATCos) and flight crews, (FCs) communicate via voice to exchange different types of data such as commands, readbacks (confirmation of reception of the command) and information related to the air traffic environment. Speech recognition can be used in these voice exchanges to support ATCos in their work; each time a flight identification or callsign is mentioned by the controller or the pilot, the flight is recognised through automatic speech recognition (ASR) and the callsign is highlighted on the ATCo screen to increase their situational awareness and safety. This paper presents the work that is being performed within SESAR2020-founded solution PJ.10-W2-96 ASR in callsign recognition via voice by Enaire, Indra, and Crida using ASR models developed jointly by EML Speech Technology GmbH (EML) and Crida. The paper describes the ATCo speech environment and presents the main requirements impacting the design, the implementation performed, and the outcomes obtained using real operation communications and real-time simulations. The findings indicate a way forward incorporating partial recognition of callsigns and enriching the phonetization of company names to improve the recognition rates, currently set at 84–87% for controllers and 49–67% for flight crew.

Validating Dynamic Sectorization for Air Traffic Control Due to Climate Sensitive Areas: Designing Effective Air Traffic Control Strategies

Dynamic sectorization is a powerful possibility to balance the controller workload with respect to traffic flows changing over time. A multi-objective optimization system analyzes the traffic flow over time and determines suitable time-dependent sectorizations. Our dynamic sectorization system is integrated into a radar display as part of a working environment for air traffic controllers. A use case defining climate-sensitive areas leads to changes in traffic flows. When using the system, three controllers are assessed in two scenarios: the developed controller assistance system and the work in a dynamic airspace sectorization environment. We performed a concept validation in which we evaluated how controllers cope with sectors adapting to the traffic flow. The solution was rated as highly applicable by the involved controllers. The trials revealed the necessity to adapt the current procedures and define new aspects more precisely. In this paper, we present the developed environment and the theoretical background as well as the traffic scenarios. Furthermore, we describe the integration in an Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment and the questionnaires developed to assess the functionality of the dynamic sectorization approach. Finally, we present a proposal to enhance controller guidelines in order to cope with situations emerging from dynamic sectorizations, including naming conventions and phraseology.

Aircraft trajectory prediction and synchronization for air traffic management applications

Commercial aircraft operating today are faced with an air traffic management (ATM) system operating with methods that have been developed for a paper- and voice-based system. Important information can be both different and unavailable to the various automation systems supporting decision makers. The consequence of such an environment is that automation systems suffer from inconsistency and inaccuracy. Faced with such a basis for decision making, the ATM environment is highly tactical by necessity. Aircraft operators may plan to optimize their operations in the face of uncertain or unknown information, but these plans are superseded as the tactical situation evolves. In response to these limitations, ATM research and modernization programs are underway across multiple regions of the world. While differences exist between these programs, these align with a single global vision as articulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization's Global Air Traffic Management Operational Concept. One key aspect is the migration to Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) under which each flight is represented with a trajectory that is shared, managed, and used as a common plan for the flight. Decision-support automation for both the aircraft operator and air navigation service providers can use the same trajectory information for planning and tactical decision making, leveraging System Wide Information Management (SWIM). Achieving TBO requires more accurate trajectory prediction and synchronization across participants. This paper reviews research applicable to trajectory prediction throughout the trajectory prediction process, addresses differences in decision-making structures, and considers trajectory synchronization research applicable to TBO. Where possible, operational realities are identified concluding with future research and validation needs for TBO across the entire process from inputs to a synchronized trajectory.

The Single European Sky: a window of opportunity for EU–NATO relations

ABSTRACTTo cope with increasing air traffic congestion, the European Union launched the Single European Sky in the early 2000s, intending to reform the European airspace which, at that time, was still fragmented by national frontiers. However, this has not been a purely civilian task, as military air transport is likewise affected. In fact, NATO has been concerned by the challenges facing the European Air Traffic Management environment due to the growing commercial aviation since its early days. For this, the European Defence Agency has been tasked to coordinate military views, thus opening a window of opportunity for EU–NATO relations. Both organisations promoting close coordination between the users of civilian and military airspace have built direct contact with each other. While examining how NATO and the EU are shaping their informal cooperation in this sector, the article considers the airspace community of users as a configuration of relations where inevitable inter- and intra-institutional power play is involved to reform the European airspace.

Human-in-the-Loop Simulation Analysis of Integrated RPAS Operations in Trajectory Based Operations Environment

In this paper, Human-in-the-Loop (HiTL) simulations of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations in two different Air Traffic Management (ATM) concepts, conventional radar vectoring and Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), were performed to assess the impacts of RPAS integration in the future ATM environment. TBO concept maximizes the throughput by planning and sharing 4-D trajectories between pilots and controllers, and it is considered one of the key concepts to enable RPASs to operate with manned aircraft in congested airspaces. RPASs are characterized by having communication delay or temporary loss of communication. TBO capability was added to the integrated air traffic simulation system for this study, which was developed in the Inha University. HiTL simulations were performed by a trainee air traffic controller with three scenarios, and the data were analyzed using safety, efficiency, and controller workload metrics. The results suggest that TBO were effective in reducing delays and controller workload while maintaining the level of safety.

Safety Culture, Resilient Behavior, and Stress in Air Traffic Management

Abstract. In today’s rapidly changing air traffic management (ATM) environment, safety culture and organizational resilience are seen as key enablers for effective safety management. Under normal conditions a positive safety culture is known to be reflected in proactive behavior and to serve as indirect indicator of organizational resilience. But how are safety culture development and resilient behavior affected by psychological stress? This study aims at relating safety culture to resilient behavior and psychological stress of 282 air traffic controllers, air traffic safety electronics personnel, and meteorologists. Results demonstrate that safety culture across different occupational groups is difficult to assess, but that facets of safety culture can be meaningfully related to resilient behavior. Structural equation modeling indicates that psychological stress has a positive effect on resilient behavior and a negative effect on safety culture development. Findings are discussed in the safety management context of the ATM system including air traffic control, engineering, and meteorological services. Finally, conclusions are drawn with a view on providing an initial position for future studies.

Geographical area selection and construction of a corresponding routing grid used for in-flight management system flight trajectory optimization

This paper proposes a new method for selecting an ellipse-shaped geographical area and constructing a routing grid that circumscribes the contour of the designated area. The resulting grid describes the set of points used by the flight trajectory optimization algorithms to determine an aircraft’s optimal flight trajectory as a function of given particular atmospheric conditions. This method was developed with the intent of its employment in the context of Flight Management System trajectory optimization algorithms, but can be used in Air Traffic Management environments as well. The routing grid limits the trajectory’s maximal total ground distance (between the departure and destination airports), maximizes the geographical area (for a better consideration of the wind conditions) and minimizes the number of grid nodes. The novelty of the proposed method resides in the fact that it allows a distinct and independent parameterization and control of the ellipse’s total surface, and the required size of the take-off/landing procedure maneuvering areas at the departure/destination airports. The ellipse contour constructed using this method is, therefore, well adapted to the particular configuration of the trajectory for which the optimization is performed. Each design variables’ influence is presented, as well as a set of routing grids generated for trajectories corresponding to different total flight distances, and were further compared with real flight trajectory data retrieved using the website Flight Aware.

Conceptual development of an advanced air traffic controller workstation based on objective workload monitoring and augmented reality

NextGen, SESAR, and other international projects intend to develop the coming air traffic management (ATM) environment to cope with the present problems, including e.g. capacity, efficiency, safety, and environmental impact. These projects also introduce considerable changes in the role of air traffic controllers (ATCOs), and shift some of the present tasks from ground to on-board (pilots) and diversify automation. Due to the consequential effects of these developments, (i) the models describing the present operational circumstances, (ii) the working conditions, and (iii) the working environment (e.g. human–machine interactions, task-work and mental loads, cognitive aspects, situation awareness, decision support) must be reconsidered and adapted to the future role of operators. This paper aims to describe a new approach to model the ATCOs’ working processes, and also introduces a new concept for the ATCOs’ future working environment. The developed model covers the situation awareness and decision making processes, including the subjective aspects of the ATCOs decision making based on their workload, mental condition, knowledge, or practice. The proposed new working environment contains special information displays, the decision support system and the ATCOs workload and mental condition measurement / monitoring system, based on objective, on-line, continuous, and nonintrusive measurement techniques. Some of the core systems developed in collaboration with HungaroControl were exhibited at the World ATM congress in 2014 and 2015.

Extending Required Navigation Performance to Include Time Based Operations and the Vertical Dimension

Extending Required Navigation Performance to Include Time Based Operations and the Vertical Dimension

Information Security in Future Air Traffic Management Systems

The detection, identification, and evaluation of vulnerable areas mark the cornerstone of the analysis that is required to improve the security of both current and future air traffic management systems. These three functions evolved from the use of new technologies in the communication, navigation, and surveillance infrastructure and in the new generation of aircraft. This analysis includes the identification of the assets, which are understood to be things of value or things to protect from potential threats. In the future context, an infrastructure for information sharing will be deployed to enable robust data exchange among air traffic management stakeholders. Information will become a major asset to be protected. This paper aims at presenting the future air traffic management environment by analyzing the impact of intended attacks on flight and surveillance information and how the effects are propagated throughout the whole system. For illustration purposes, some potential scenarios are described in order to facilitate the identification of applicable countermeasures, which can ensure confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of the data.

Adapting a Human – Automation Trust Scale to an Air Traffic Management Environment

Adapting a Human – Automation Trust Scale to an Air Traffic Management Environment

A Multiform SWIM Service Delivery Platform for Air Traffic Management Environment

A Multiform SWIM Service Delivery Platform for Air Traffic Management Environment

The Taskload-Efficiency-Safety-Buffer Triangle – Development and validation with air traffic management

The Taskload-Efficiency-Safety-Buffer Triangle (TEST) was developed as a new computerised scaling tool for quickly visualising changes in and trade-offs between the three critical factors that determine the work situation of air traffic management (ATM), i.e. taskload, efficiency and safety-buffers. Based on a task analysis of ATM and backed up by the stress-strain model, an easy-to-interpret triangle was constructed and validated both in simulated and real ATM workplaces. Results from the validation studies show that TEST does not only reflect the most relevant task characteristics, but also provides additional insights in the controllers' working styles. The TEST tool can make ATM safety surveys more efficient and help supervisors to decide about optimal times for opening or closing additional sectors. Statement of Relevance: TEST is a new tool to assess taskload, efficiency and safety-buffers in a joint scaling. It reflects increases in taskload and effects of taskload on safety-buffers and efficiency, as well as trade-offs in opposite directions. This tool might be very useful to check sector capacity in ATM and other high risk environments.

The use of incidents for human reliability management

In order to prevent a gap between what is being observed and what is being assessed in safety assessments, event analysis and risk assessment should go hand in hand. This paper outlines the CAHR (Connectionism Assessment of Human Reliability) approach and its recent further development in the ATM (Air Traffic Management) environment. It outlines how the event-related approach can be used to reveal quantitative figures for human reliability from incidents by calibrating the data with independent data sources and outlines the potential inclusion of simulation data in the approach.

CRITICAL STATES DETECTION WITH BOUNDED PROBABILITY OF FALSE ALARM AND APPLICATION TO AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

The analysis of error propagation in an Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment is addressed. The theory of Hybrid Systems is used to model the error evolution, an observability problem for a Markov Chain with discrete output symbols associated to the transitions is stated, and a runtime observer is proposed for estimating the probability of a given discrete state to be active. Sufficient conditions are given for characterizing the decidability of the addressed observability problem. The results are related to previous works on location observability of deterministic hybrid systems, and are used to analyze an ATM case study, the “clearance to change the flight plan“.

Impact of aircraft performance differences on fuel consumption of aircraft in air traffic management environment

Performance differences between the aircraft types are natural and they inevitably cause problems in the air traffic system, particularly when slower aircraft types are followed by faster types in a climb or cruise queue. This paper presents the excess fuel consumption impact of aircraft performance differences in the air traffic environment. For this purpose, both climb and cruise phases of a flight mission are analyzed. Revision of the airworthiness regulations and air traffic procedures are suggested. The need for a flight level – cruise performance categorization is also recommended.

A soft dynamic programming approach for on-line aircraft 4D-trajectory optimization

During the last decade, Flight Management Systems (FMS) have been introduced on board modern aircraft to reduce operational costs, and flight profiles have been optimized in order to minimize fuel and time-related costs. Today, the integration of next generation FMS in the future air traffic management environment requires the development of new capabilities and among them, on-line real time 4D-trajectory generation has become mandatory. This paper presents a method based on dynamic programming (DP) to generate optimal 4D-trajectories in the presence of multiple time constraints. Soft computing techniques are introduced to improve the DP oriented optimization process by on-line selection of the search space and by cutting down computation time in repetitive performance evaluations.

Flight Management Systems and Aircraft 4D Trajectory Optimization

Abstract During the last decade, Flight Management Systems have been introduced on modem aircraft to reduce operational costs. Today, the integration of next generation FMS's in the future air traffic management environment requires the development of new capabilities and among them, 4D optimal trajectory generation has become mandatory. This paper presents a method based on Dynamic Programming to generate on-line optimal 4D trajectories. Soft Computing techniques are introduced to improve the dynamic programming oriented optimization process by on-line selection of the search space and by cutting down computation time in repetitive performance evaluations.

The Application of Advanced Systems – An Airline Perspective

The achievement of the goals of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Future Air Navigation System (FANS) is essential for the continued development of the airline industry. A recently completed movement study for the North Atlantic Track area forecast that the previously anticipated aircraft movements for 2010 would now be achieved by 1999. Peak time capacity growth for the region is now reliant on the introduction of Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) scheduled for January 1997. Similarly, Europe had an all-too-evident capacity problem though some alleviation should follow from the introduction of precision area navigation (PRNAV) routeings in early 1998. However, despite the introduction of these developments, the restrictions on flow rates imposed by capacity variations in adjacent areas will remain. Quite obviously, an enhanced and fully capable Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment is required to solve many of the problems that commonly exist today. Nevertheless, more could be achieved through the application and exploitation of advanced navigation equipment such as the aircraft Flight Management Computer System (FMS) that is in widespread use today – a theme that will be returned to later in the paper.