Air Transport Operations Research Articles

A nonlinear hysteresis compensation control of hydro-viscous drive in air transport operations

The Hydro-Viscous Drive (HVD) speed regulating system finds extensive application in air transport transmission systems to regulate the stepless speed or conduct overload protection. However, its intrinsic hysteretic behaviors, such as the asymmetric hysteretic and dead zone, could introduce inaccuracy and delay in control applications, posing challenges to system regulation. This paper investigates a Nonlinear Hysteresis Compensation Control (NHCC) that consists of two parts to control the HVD output speed by operating the valve under different engine operating conditions. In the first part, the Inverse Hysteresis Compensator (IHC) based on major loop data is introduced for the asymmetric hysteresis characterization and compensation of the HVD speed control system of the power generation and distribution, which aims to reduce the hysteresis and dead zone effect and expand the effective input range. In the second part, the Active Disturbance Rejection Controller (ADRC) is employed to mitigate the hysteresis effects of the compensated system and remove the steady-state error, which allows real-time compensation of the estimated perturbations as state feedback to achieve the required performance. An experimental laboratory station has been fabricated to evaluate the proposed method. The test results show that the NHCC method can regulate the fan speed to the desired value (|e|< 45 r/min at steady state) and broaden the effective input range to the full range under different engine conditions. Besides, the proposed control method can reduce the non-linearity of the input and output curves (from 18% to 4%) and compensate for the asymmetric hysteresis (from 38% to 5%).

Flying High: Revealing the Sustainability Potential of Women in Aviation

This paper explores the predominantly male-dominated aviation sector and highlights the benefits of increasing female representation. The key objectives are to analyze the gender pay gap, assess the current gender imbalance, and explore how addressing these issues could contribute to the sector’s sustainability and operational success. A combined quantitative and qualitative methodology is employed, including scenario-building based on monetary indicators and achievements from other industries where female workforce participation has been enhanced. The results demonstrate that closing the gender pay gap and boosting female participation in air transport operations, in line with supranational recommendations, can lead to significant financial gains and operational improvements. The study concludes that promoting gender equity is not only a social imperative but also a crucial factor for achieving sustainability goals within aviation.

Secure and Privacy-Protected Bioinformation Implementation in Air Passenger Transport Based on DLT

Aviation information systems are a key component in ensuring efficient and smooth air transport operations. In this regard, the transfer of passenger information between parties is of paramount importance. With the continuous improvement of biometrics technology, this kind of individual identification that can provide accurate and unforgeable identification is widely used in various fields. This research presents the significance and effective application scenarios of facial recognition in biometrics in air transport operations. Due to the characteristics of aviation information systems, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is used in this study for secure and private transmission of facial recognition information. Distributed systems can give a transparent and secure platform to multiple parties to access sensitive passenger data. This study uses the Corda framework as the DLT that supports CorDapp development. Based on the above techniques, this study proposes two feasible application scenarios. One is a baggage match detection system to prevent misplaced baggage, and the other is an iAPIS system that transmits passenger information in real-time communication between airlines and border control agencies. This article details how to apply the research in these two scenarios, as well as the benefits and implications of the applications. Finally, this article presents an outlook for future development and feasible directions for improvement.

Prediction of cyber-attacks in air transport using neural networks

This article addresses the topic of cyber-attacks in air transport, which is crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of airports and air transport operations. The aim of the article was to present a new method for predicting cyber-attacks in air transport based on neural networks. The task of the neural network was to determine the multiple regression function based on which the probability of a cyberattack occurring at a specified hour and on a specific day of the week is predicted. The probability, depending on the time of the cyberattack occurrence, was determined using theoretical distributions. The method was verified with real data. Verification of the method confirmed its high effectiveness, determined at the level of 92%. The study examined the effectiveness of using the classical multiple regression method in predicting cyber-attacks in air transport. The classical multiple regression model covered only 0.14 of the input data, while the regression model generated by the neural network covered 0.99, indicating the high efficiency of the developed neural network.

A Statistical Review of European Carriers’ Flight Delays and the Assessment of Delay Factors

Disruption is an inherent risk that might arise because of the complexity and dynamic nature of air transport operations. In the aviation business, disruption can happen for a variety of reasons, including poor weather, strikes, and political factors. This study aims to analyse flight delays that European airlines encounter and assess the dependencies between different operation parameters through correspondence analysis in contingency tables that are visually represented using correspondence maps. This study examined data from selected European airlines between 2018 and 2022, which contained information on the length of delay, the reasons associated with it, and the specific characteristics of each flight, such as the type of flight, the type of aircraft, and the scheduled departure time. The result showed that even though there was a large decrease in the overall number of flights operated during the pandemic period in 2020 and 2021, the percentage of delayed flights still varies above 55%. Long-haul flights and larger aircraft tend to have longer delays. Except for 2020 and 2021, the percentage of delayed flights for different lengths of delays and scheduled departure times did not significantly change across the review years. The evaluation reason for delay appeared to increase with time due to airport or authority restrictions, while there was a tendency for the number of delayed flights related to technical aircraft, equipment, and ground operations to decrease. By developing an analysis of the root causes of flight delays using case studies that have already been published by different researchers and determining the degree to which an operating parameter contributes, we may provide guidelines for future studies that will uncover ways to minimize flight delays.

The Saudi Passenger Rights Regulation of 2023 "A Critical Analytical Study"

objective: The main objective of the article is to analyze the provisions contained in the Passenger Rights Regulation. The article supports the legislation of these regulations because it facilitates the continuous adaptation of passenger rights. However, the article criticizes the lack of precision in defining the interaction between the legal rules applicable to international air travel and domestic passenger air travel. Such internal regulations that apply to cross-border air travel can, in some cases, encourage conflicting laws.&#x0D; &#x0D; Theoretical reference: The study extensively analyzed the 2017 and 2023 Passenger Rights Protection Regulations in comparison with international laws governing air transport, referencing relevant scholarly works.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methodology: The study used an analytical approach, examining the 2017 and 2023 Passenger Rights Protection Regulations and comparing them with international laws governing air transport, incorporating insights from relevant studies.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results and Conclusion: The internal regulations governing cross-border air travel, as critiqued, have the potential to engender conflicting legal frameworks. Moreover, the recently enacted 2023 Passenger Rights Regulation is scrutinized for its lack of a feedback mechanism, a crucial element for future regulatory amendments. The article further underscores the regulatory misalignment with international agreements governing international air transportation, indicating that these internal regulations do not comprehensively and equitably safeguard the rights of all passengers. For legislation to serve as a catalyst for innovative and apt legal frameworks in the advancement of air transportation operations and passenger rights, it is imperative that such internal regulations be all-encompassing, non-conflicting with existing legal norms, incorporate a robust feedback system, and ensure the exhaustive protection of passenger rights.&#x0D; &#x0D; Implications of research: The article critically evaluates current passenger rights systems by shedding light on their weaknesses and the lack of communication between national and international laws related to air travel. Additionally, it conducts a comparative analysis between the passenger rights systems of 2017 and 2023, detailing the changes and their impact on the relationship between local and international laws. The article addresses deficiencies in the new 2023 legislation, such as the absence of a feedback system and its non-alignment with international agreements, highlighting the need for improvement to ensure greater comprehensiveness and alignment with developments.&#x0D; &#x0D; Originality/value: This study stands out as the sole examination of passenger rights in Saudi law according to the 2023 regulations. It offers solutions to achieve harmony between national laws and international agreements, as well as the potential for continuous improvement of rules within the scope of a perpetually evolving application.

МОДЕЛЮВАННЯ ФІНАНСОВИХ ПОТОКІВ В МЕРЕЖІ МАРШРУТІВ НА ПРИКЛАДІ ЗАЛІЗНИЧНОГО ТРАНСПОРТУ

Transport is an important element of the functioning of society and its economic condition. The problem of researching transportation systems is the cost of such research. It is impossible to conduct an experiment to study changes in passenger flows on routes when the cost of traveling on the route itself or on competitors' routes changes, because such experiments will have their own monetary impact on society and on transport enterprises. It is also difficult to conduct experiments on the state of the system when changing rolling stock, which is also very expensive given the existing scientific interest. A significant cost for the financial burden on transport enterprises or societies can significantly affect the financial flows of the manufacturer or society, and therefore such experiments and conclusions from experiments are not fully conducted, which can lead to uncertainty of actions at certain stages of the project development for the operation of a vehicle on the route. To prevent the occurrence of uncertainties, scientists have proposed modeling certain processes of the route operation. The disadvantages of this approach are that its actual implementation is limited to simulating a certain set of factors. As a result, the obtained models largely consider one route and the impact of one or two factors on it. The proposed model of the transport route network takes into account the interconnectedness of the simultaneous operation of many types of transport and their routes in the network. For the first time, an integrated approach to the study of transport processes is proposed, taking into account the dependence of economic indicators on technical ones and vice versa. The modeling of the route network of the entire region of Ukraine with simultaneous operation of water, air, road and rail transport is carried out.

What Matters in the Effectiveness of Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems? Monte Carlo Simulation of Uncertainties for TCAS II and ACAS Xa

TCAS II is a rule-based airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS) that is used in current commercial air transport operations, and ACAS Xa is a new optimization-based system. Operational validation studies have mainly used deterministic simulations of ACAS performance using various sets of encounters. Recently a new approach was developed, which employs Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of agent-based models to evaluate the impact of sensor errors and pilot response variability. This paper contrasts the results of both approaches in a comparison of TCAS II and ACAS Xa for various types of synthetic encounters. It was found that conventional estimates of near mid-air collision (NMAC) probabilities are often lower than the estimates achieved using MC simulation, and that the biases in the P(NMAC) estimates are consistently larger for ACAS Xa than for TCAS II. Contributions to unresolved risk are largest for pilot performance, then for encounter types, and finally for sensor errors. The contribution of non-responding pilots is much larger than the differences between TCAS II and ACAS Xa. It is concluded that the agent-based MC simulation overcomes the limitations in traditional evaluation of altimetry errors and pilot response, providing an independent means to effectively analyze the robustness of ACASs.

The Roles of Job Satisfaction and Perceived Supervisor Support in the Relationship between Followership Styles and Psychological Well-Being

&lt;p&gt;The quest to provide excellent services causes the aviation industry face challenges that can impair the well-being or “happiness” of its employees. Therefore, managing employee well-being is crucial for the industry to help its employees feel positive while serving the companies. This research aimed to examine the roles of followership styles, job satisfaction and perceived supervisor support in promoting psychological well-being in the Indonesian air transport operator contexts. Specifically, the research examined the impact of job satisfaction on psychological well-being and assessed whether job satisfaction itself was influenced by employees’ followership styles and their perceived supervisor support. A test was also performed to examine the moderating role of perceived supervisor support in the relationship between followership styles and job satisfaction. On-line questionnaires were distributed to potential respondents using a combination of convenience and purposive sampling. A number of 109 non-managerial employees from several Indonesian commercial and non-commercial air transport operators involved. Structural Equation Modeling was adopted to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings showed the majority of respondents enacted “exemplary followership” styles. This style positively related to job satisfaction. However, perceived supervisor support was not found to moderate the relationship. The managerial implication of the findings is outlined.&lt;/p&gt;

Liberalisation and spatio- temporal patterns of air traffic flow from Nigeria to West Africa

Abstract The liberalisation of aviation policies across Africa has had a significant impact on air traffic flow within the region. This study aims to examine the effects of this policy, with a specific focus on Nigeria’s regional connectivity to other West African countries. By analyzing data from the pre and post-liberalisation eras, the study aims to determine the changes in passenger and aircraft movement and evaluate the significance of the policy on Nigeria’s sub-region. The study utilizes a longitudinal data set covering the period between 1988 and 2018. This data is divided into two eras: the pre-liberalisation era (1988-2000) and the post-liberalisation era (2001-2018). To assess the impact of liberalisation, a t-test is conducted on the data, comparing the air traffic flow patterns before and after the implementation of liberalisation policies.The findings reveal a substantial improvement in the air traffic flow of passengers and aircraft from Nigeria to other West African countries since the introduction of liberalisation policies. The growth patterns observed in the post-liberalisation era exhibit a linear trend, indicating sustained progress. However, uncertainties arising from hazards in air transport operations can influence the growth patterns.The study underscores the positive impact of African aviation liberalisation policy on air traffic flow, particularly in the regional context of Nigeria’s connectivity with other West African countries. The results demonstrate significant improvements in passenger and aircraft movement. However, to fully capitalize on the benefits of liberalisation, regional efforts and an improved framework need to be intensified. This will ensure sustained growth and maximize the advantages of liberalisation in the aviation sector.

Single-Pilot Aircraft in Commercial Air Transport Operations: A Comparison of Potential Architectures

Single-pilot operations (SPOs) in commercial air transport present a range of benefits and challenges, but there is a need to define architectures and compare them in different operational contexts. Here, we identified various combinations of architectural decisions based on the literature, and we compared them to current operations (in different operating contexts) on a safety versus cost tradespace. Safety was defined as a function of the pilot nominal operations workload, handling of off-nominal situations, and pilot incapacitation; whereas the cost was defined as a combination of acquisition and operating costs. Our analysis suggests that different classes of aircraft (wide bodies, narrow bodies, and regional jets) have different levels of benefits and costs in moving to SPOs. The capabilities of automation need to improve drastically before the second human in the flight deck can be replaced, and this is borne out by the dominance of human-centered architectures in the tradespace. The analysis also reveals that regional aircraft may be prime candidates to move to SPOs first because most regional architectures generate positive savings.

From the Editors of the Special Issue on Urban Air Mobility and UAS Airspace Integration: Vision, Challenges, and Enabling Avionics Technologies

The integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in all classes of airspace represents, at the same time, an evolutionary and a revolutionary step in air transport operations. As a result, new concepts have emerged for UAS traffic management to support the anticipated traffic density growth and the need for safe beyond visual line-of-sight operations. Closely linked with these developments, urban/advanced air mobility (UAM/AAM) has appeared as a new and disruptive dimension for aviation, potentially enabling mobility of goods and people at a different scale compared with current operations, while also emphasizing the need of seamless integration with the existing air traffic management (ATM) framework. These UAS capabilities are reshaping the future of aviation, but also challenge traditional paradigms, requiring significant advances both in technologies and regulations, while keeping strong links with public communities and the perception of societal benefits. As an example, a key role is played by the progress of communications, navigation and surveillance technologies, such as sense-and-avoid and global navigation satellite systems-resilient, alternate position, navigation, and timing systems, and by the seamless integration of airborne and ground infrastructure within a cyber-aware context. Similarly, significant restructuring of the existing regulatory framework is needed to ensure that the integrity and safety of the AAM/ATM integrated airspace is maintained while enabling autonomous operations with higher technological flexibility and refresh rates.

Preparation of Aviation Industry Transition on COVID-19 From Pandemic to Endemic Phase: a Review

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the Malaysian government's actions towards the aviation industry to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and the transition phase from pandemic to endemic. Transition phase refers to a temporary period before the country could fully enter the endemic phase which is subject to an announcement by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Theoretical framework:The study on air transport affected by pandemic and industry action toward the endemic phase. This study refers to the conceptual framework for emergency department design in a pandemic by Aujirapongpan (2023): Relationship between state, hospital and ED in pandemic preparedness planning and response. Design/methodology/approach: The approach used is qualitative research that are observation and literature review. Findings: The results demonstrate the Malaysian government's actions during the transition period from pandemic to endemic. Restrictions on travel between areas cause the public to be unable to move at will, causing passengers to be unable to buy plane tickets. The government's actions have indeed had an impact on the airline company's income. Among the significant effects are the workers who were laid off in the era of the pandemic. At the same time, the government is also trying to help airlines financially to survive while waiting for the endemic period. The Malaysian government does not have a specific framework for the airline industry to face the pandemic, however, the Malaysian government gives a quick reaction to control the situation. Research, Practical &amp; Social implications: The study gives comparative responses on the aviation industry by the government when faced with a pandemic, as well as planning for the transition to the endemic phase. Originality/value: The result indicates the government participation and action changes of the air transport operation on the Covid-19 pandemic to endemic transition phase.

Study on Characteristics and Invulnerability of Airspace Sector Network Using Complex Network Theory

The air traffic control (ATC) network’s airspace sector is a crucial component of air traffic management. The increasing demand for air transportation services has made limited airspace a significant challenge to sustainable and efficient air transport operations. To address the issue of traffic congestion and flight delays, improving the operational efficiency of ATC has been identified as a key strategy. A clear understanding of the characteristics of airspace sectors, which are the building blocks of ATC, is essential for optimizing air traffic management. In this research, a novel approach using complex network theory was applied to examine the features and invulnerability of the airspace sector network. We developed a model of the airspace sector network by treating air traffic control sectors as network nodes and the flow of air traffic between these sectors as edges. Network characteristics were analyzed using several metrics including degree, intensity, average path length, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient. The static invulnerability of the airspace sector network was evaluated through simulation, and the network efficiency and the size of the connected component were used to assess its invulnerability. A study was conducted in North China based on the ATC sector network. The findings of the study revealed that the sector network did not exhibit the traits of a small-world network model, characterized by short average path lengths and high clustering coefficients. The evaluation of network invulnerability showed that the network’s invulnerability varied depending on the attack strategy used. It was discovered that attacking sectors with high betweenness resulted in the most significant harm to network invulnerability, and betweenness centrality was considered to be a useful indicator for identifying critical sectors that require optimization.

Airports and environmental sustainability: A review

This paper examines the energy and environmental context of the design and operation of airports and air transport in general in the direction of achieving sustainability and cooperation with modern sustainable trends. At the same time, the importance of this design is highlighted, and all the latest developments on individual issues (e.g., impact management, policies, benchmarking, modeling) are recorded. In parallel, apart from the theoretical approach, an analysis of the main environmental and energy achievements of different airports in Greece and abroad is made, which highlights, among others, the dynamics and the priority of these issues in the field of aviation. The need for a more extensive study of this sector is dictated by the reduction of energy reserves, increased energy costs, climate change, new energy regulations, and fines, increased passenger numbers, increased flights and airports, and the need for new airports. Therefore, knowing the benefits and impacts of a transition from simple economic growth to sustainable growth in the economy and the environment is essential. The circle is about society, the economy, and the environment and is repeated.

An Overview of Research Publications on the Problems of Investigating Crimes Against the Security of Air Traffic and Air Transport Operations

The authors identified key stages for the criminalistic support of investigating and solving criminal violations of security rules of air traffic and air transport operations. It is noted that an active development of scientific provisions on the specifics of investigating such crimes began in Russia in the 1960s, which was probably due to the development of aviation and a growth in the number of aviation accidents. Currently, these problems require research that is based on modern achievements of criminalistics and takes into account innovations in aviation, specifically, the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, automation and digitization of the control of aircraft and air traffic, the development of artificial intelligence, and others.

The Personality of the Violator of Air Traffic and Air Transport Operations’ Safety Rules: An Integrated Portrait

There is currently no research of the personality the violator of air traffic and air transport operations’ rules (Art. 263 of the CC of the RF) that is based on actual empirical data. Such a personality description will improve the effectiveness of investigating this type of crimes and will contribute to their prevention and the prevention of air traffic accidents in general. The authors of the article studied the materials of criminal cases, reports of the Interstate Aviation Committee on the results of investigating air accidents, and specialist literature, conducted a survey of pilots and candidates who want to study this specialty, analyzed biophysiological, social-demographic, social role and moral-psychological characteristics (traits, features, connections between them) typical of the subjects of crimes under consideration. The conducted research allowed the authors to establish that a typical violator of air traffic and air transport operations’ safety rules is a male with necessary training and sufficient professional experience, having a valid certificate of an aviation specialist who passed the examination by a medical-flight expert commission. Based on the social role and moral-psychological qualities, two types of subjects of the analyzed crimes are singled out: first, aviation specialists (mostly pilots) who generally observe the requirements and never violated safety rules earlier but who, due to a number of reasons, often psychological ones (high anxiety level, lower resistance to interfe­rence, unfocused attention, tiredness, etc.) could not cope with an emergency during a flight; second, aviation specialists who intentionally violate air traffic and air transport operations’ safety rules (specifically through neglecting rules, underestimation of danger, excessive self-confidence, excessive risk-taking, etc.) as they believe that publicly dangerous consequences of their actions (inaction) will not happen or could be prevented thanks to their «flying skills», professional experience (negligent guilt is in such cases manifested by carelessness or thoughtlessness, correspondingly).

A novel fuzzy based deep neural network for rain fall prediction using cloud images

SummaryThe most challenging aspect of weather forecasting is predicting rainfall. In contrast, timely and precise rainfall forecasting is immensely useful in developing effective security measures for active infrastructure projects, logistics, agricultural activities, air transport operations, and flood scenarios. Artificial intelligence has been established to predict rain precipitation, but very little research has been conducted on images than time‐series data to predict rainfall. However, the accuracy of the prediction model utilizing pictures is lower when compared to time series data. Thus a novel fuzzy based deep neural network (NFDNN) model was created to increase rainfall prediction performance. Initially, our research utilized input cloud images, in which the fuzzy wavelet incorporated with neural networks is utilized to identify clouds in the sky. Second, the types of clouds are determined by a fuzzy deep neural networks cloud classifier in which the adaptive fuzzy sparse representation is used. Then, the density‐based spatial clustering for applications containing noise clustering method was used to detect rainy clouds by evaluating the cloud's color and density from the fuzzy deep neural network cloud classifier. Finally, rainfall was predicted using information such as cloud categorization, appearance, and height obtained from cloud position and cloud types. As a result, the proposed NFDNN model gives a better prediction result than the existing methods.

Conflict Risk Assessment between Non-Cooperative Drones and Manned Aircraft in Airport Terminal Areas

Recent years have seen an increase in events of drone incursion into airport terminal areas, leading to safety concerns and disruptions to airline operations. It is of great importance to identify the potential conflict, especially for those non-cooperative drones, as their intentions are always unknown. For the safe operation of air traffic, this paper proposes a conflict risk assessment method between non-cooperative drones and manned aircraft in the terminal area. First, the trajectory data of manned aircraft and drones are obtained. Real-time cylindrical protection zones are established around manned aircraft according to the separation interval for safe operation between the drone and the manned aircraft at different altitudes. Secondly, trajectory predictions for the manned aircraft and the drone are conducted, respectively. A quartile regression bidirectional gate recurrent unit neural network is proposed in this research for the trajectory prediction of the drones. The model integrates the bidirectional gated recurrent unit structure and the quartile regression structure. The performance indicators confirm the superiority of the proposed model. Based on the trajectory prediction results, it is then determined whether there is a conflict risk between the drone and manned aircraft by comparing the position distribution of the drone as well as the real-time cylindrical protection zone of the manned aircraft. The conflict probability between the drone and the manned aircraft is then calculated. The prediction accuracy of conflict probability is estimated by Monte Carlo simulation methods. The collision probability prediction accuracy of manned aircraft and drones at different flight stages and altitudes ranges from 73% to 97%, which shows the reliability of the proposed method. Finally, the collision probability between the drone and the manned aircraft at the closest encountering point and the estimated time to reach the closest encountering point are calculated. This paper predicts the conflict risk between the drone and manned aircraft, thus providing theoretical support for the safe operation of air transport in low-altitude environments.

Features of the choice of mode of transport in modern conditions

The choice of mode of transport for the carriage of goods or the movement of passengers depends on many factors. The choice of the mode of transport/carrier for a relatively short distance of transportation up to 1000 km was studied. On the scale of the Russian Federation, such a length is typical for transportation between many large cities. In the context of the sanctions policy, it is necessary to revise the logistics schemes for freight and passenger transportation. Temporary difficulties associated with the maintenance of aircraft can be compensated by offers for transportation from the railway transport.It is relevant to study passenger transportation over a distance of up to 1000 km, comparing different types of transport in a number of parameters: convenience of the schedule, transport accessibility of the station/airport, comfort along the way, etc. At the same time, it is important to take into account the needs and wishes of passengers for the trip, analyze the selection criteria, modern conditions, characterized by difficulties in the operation of air transport. The sanctions policy affected passenger air transportation to a greater extent, significantly reducing the number of flights, and there were problems with the operation of aircraft and their maintenance. Rail transport is less influenced by foreign policy, and this can serve as a significant advantage and factor in the growth and development of the industry.A comparison was made of high-speed passenger transport and two air carriers based on an assessment of the selection criteria. Estimates and ranks for each carrier are calculated in accordance with the wishes of passengers.