Global Air Traffic Management Research Articles

Predicting Fuel Consumption Reduction Potentials Based on 4D Trajectory Optimization with Heterogeneous Constraints

Investigating potential ways to improve fuel efficiency of aircraft operations is crucial for the development of the global air traffic management (ATM) performance target. The implementation of trajectory-based operations (TBOs) will play a major role in enhancing the predictability of air traffic and flight efficiency. TBO also provides new means for aircraft to save energy and reduce emissions. By comprehensively considering aircraft dynamics, available route limitations, sector capacity constraints, and air traffic control restrictions on altitude and speed, a “runway-to-runway” four-dimensional trajectory multi-objective planning method under loose-to-tight heterogeneous constraints is proposed in this paper. Taking the Shanghai–Beijing city pair as an example, the upper bounds of the Pareto front describing potential fuel consumption reduction under the influence of flight time were determined under different airspace rigidities, such as different ideal and realistic operating environments, as well as fixed and optional routes. In the congestion-free scenario with fixed route, the upper bounds on fuel consumption reduction range from 3.36% to 13.38% under different benchmarks. In the capacity-constrained scenario, the trade-off solutions of trajectory optimization are compressed due to limited available entry time slots of congested sectors. The results show that more flexible route options improve fuel-saving potentials up to 8.99%. In addition, the sensitivity analysis further illustrated the pattern of how optimal solutions evolved with congested locations and severity. The outcome of this paper would provide a preliminary framework for predicting and evaluating fuel efficiency improvement potentials in TBOs, which is meaningful for setting performance targets of green ATM systems.

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.

Dynamic airspace configuration by genetic algorithm

Abstract With the continuous air traffic growth and limits of resources, there is a need for reducing the congestion of the airspace systems. Nowadays, several projects are launched, aimed at modernizing the global air transportation system and air traffic management. In recent years, special interest has been paid to the solution of the dynamic airspace configuration problem. Airspace sector configurations need to be dynamically adjusted to provide maximum efficiency and flexibility in response to changing weather and traffic conditions. The main objective of this work is to automatically adapt the airspace configurations according to the evolution of traffic. In order to reach this objective, the airspace is considered to be divided into predefined 3D airspace blocks which have to be grouped or ungrouped depending on the traffic situation. The airspace structure is represented as a graph and each airspace configuration is created using a graph partitioning technique. We optimize airspace configurations using a genetic algorithm. The developed algorithm generates a sequence of sector configurations for one day of operation with the minimized controller workload. The overall methodology is implemented and successfully tested with air traffic data taken for one day and for several different airspace control areas of Europe.

Protection Method for Data Communication between ADS-B Sensor and Next-Generation Air Traffic Control Systems

Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems utilize digital technologies, satellite systems, and various levels of automation to facilitate seamless global air traffic management. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), the core component of CNS/ATM, broadcasts important monitoring information, such as the location, altitude, and direction of aircraft, to the ground. However, ADS-B data are transmitted in an unencrypted (or unprotected) communication channel between ADS-B sensors and Air Traffic Control (ATC). Consequently, these data are vulnerable to security threats, such as spoofing, eavesdropping, and data modification. In this paper, we propose a method that protects the ADS-B data transmitted between ADS-B sensors and ATC using Simple Public Key Infrastructure (SPKI) certificates and symmetric cryptography. The SPKI certificates are used to grant transmission authorization to the ADS-B sensors, while symmetric cryptography is used to encrypt/decrypt the ADS-B data transmitted between the ADS-B sensors and ATC. The proposed security framework comprises an ADS-B sensor authentication module, an encrypted data processing module, and an ADS-B sensor information management module. We believe that application of the proposed security framework to CNS/ATM will enable it to effectively obviate security threats, such as ground station flood denial, ground station target ghost injection, and ADS-B data modification.

Guidelines for the Integration of Autonomous UAS into the Global ATM

The growing social and economic interest in new unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) applications demands that UASs operate beyond the segregated airspace they are currently able to fly. However, UAS operations in non-segregated airspace should be regulated by aeronautical authorities before UASs can share airspace with manned aircraft. It has been a challenge for regulatory authorities to define these regulations because they do not understand the topic well. In addition, there is no consensus in the academic community regarding UAS concepts, such as taxonomy and features. This study proposes guidelines that could support UAS regulations for the future integration of autonomous UASs into the Global Air Traffic Management System (GATM). These guidelines are based on three viewpoints: the aircraft, the piloting autonomous system (PAS) and the integration of autonomous UASs into non-segregated airspace. We recommend that the UAS concept should be based on genuine aeronautical precepts, which would be directly applied, without terminology or conceptual adaptations, for the integration of these aircraft into airspace according to the GATM paradigm.

Aeronautical information and meteorological data-link services

Aeronautical Information and Meteorological Management is a key component of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) global Air Traffic Management (ATM) operational concept. This global ATM concept is central to the Joint Planning and Development Office's (JPDO) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS), and underlies Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) initiative. The availability of timely, accurate, and relevant aeronautical and meteorological information in the cockpit is critical for safe conduct of flight and forms the basis for Air Traffic Management (ATM) decision-making. The data-link of aeronautical and meteorological information will facilitate the creation of a common picture of the airspace situation for all flight crews, air traffic controllers, and airline operations personnel. Change notifications, timely warnings and alerts of threats to safe and efficient flight conduct will be enabled by these services. The ultimate goal is to provide access to on-line, real-time, quality information, and weather services to any aviation user, anytime, anywhere. In this framework, we present operational services and environment of the Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) and Meteorological (MET) data-link services envisaged to be implemented over the next decade in both Europe and the USA. It reflects concepts and system performance requirements currently developed by a joint EUROCAE (WG-76) / RTCA (SC-206) Committee. The envisaged AIM data-link services are presented: aeronautical updates both in textual and graphical fore, synchronization of aeronautical data between on-board and ground systems (exchange of permanent aeronautical data regardless of AIRAC cycles). The MET data-link services are also developed: weather planning, near-term, and reactive decision services.

The 1st July 2002 Mid-air Collision over Öberlingen, Germany: A Holistic Analysis

On the night of 1st July 2002 two commercial aircraft collided over the German town of Oberlingen. This paper suggests that the accident originated in different understandings of the primacy of an aircraft-borne collision warning system (known as the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System). It is ventured that these different understandings originated in national variations in the operationalisation of the system; in deference to a flight-deck cultural practice known to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority as ‘commander's discretion’; and in the failure of the world community to establish a single, authoritative rule-making body for commercial aviation. This paper suggests that the ability of states to ‘file a difference’ with the International Civil Aviation Organisation creates a ‘resident pathogen’ or ‘latent error’ (after Reason, 1990) within the global air traffic management system. This paper suggests also that—due to its partial membership—the new European Aviation Safety Agency may, like the body it will gradually replace (the Joint Aviation Authorities), fail to solve the problem of national variations in the operationalisation of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System. If they are to be effective, safety systems like this must be used in the same way by all parties. Variations in patterns of use create resident pathogens/latent errors. It is concluded that aviation's administrative arrangements must be sufficiently robust to eradicate national variations in the operationalisation of such systems.

Use of service history for certification credit for COTS [avionic software

Much has been written in the last ten years about how the use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components would revolutionize the aerospace industry avionics, communication, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) as well as global air traffic management (GATM). Civil aviation authorities around the world have been faced with numerous requests to certify aircraft containing increasing percentages of COTS components, much of it never designed or intended for use in the safety critical environment of an aircraft. Product service history is one method for demonstrating that such software is acceptable for use. In theory, product service history would seem to be a fairly simple concept, both to understand and to apply. However, in practice, such use has proven extremely problematic, as questions of how to measure the historic performance and the relevance of the provided data have surfaced. This paper elaborates a research effort funded by the United States Federal Aviation Administration to collect, analyze, and synthesize what is known and understood about applying product service history. The effort is limited to the topic of software product service history as applied in the certification of airborne systems and equipment.

An innovative commercial avionics architecture for military tanker/transport platforms

Honeywell has implemented a versatile integrated avionics (VIA) architecture in several advanced commercial flight deck applications ensuring a military tie to future commercial upgrades related to global air traffic management functions. The VIA architecture can also be easily extended to meet unique military requirements of the advanced military flight decks for military tanker/transport upgrade programs. The subtle changes in the architecture are a result of unique equipment interfaces and unique military equipment such as communications radios, identification friend or foe, station keeping equipment and defensive systems which must be integrated within the architecture. The ability to integrate both commercial and military functions in the same high integrity computing platform truly offers the military the best of both worlds.