PJ.09 W2 Digital Network Management Services - SESAR-IR-VLD-WAVE2-07-2019

Deadline: Apr 16, 2019  
CALL EXPIRED

Today, air traffic flow and capacity management (ATFCM), airspace management (ASM) and air traffic control (ATC) are still separated processes and the interfaces between ATFCM, ASM and ATC processes and systems require further integration, as well as full collaboration between ATM actors and airspace users. Also, the sharing of airspace information is not optimally adapted to Aircraft Operators (AO) and other Airspace User (AU) processes, which is leading to limited usage of available dynamic configurable airspace. Similarly, the current ATM environment provides neither an accurate prediction of traffic and relevant measurements of its uncertainty nor the sector predicted workload with a confidence index, with which to determine efficient airspace organisation.

The organisation of resources across Area Control Centres need to be improved as well as the scoping of measures from local level to full network impact assessment, and the promotion of opportunity measures over those with implication on airspace users costs. The operational data shared in the network operations plan (NOP) has to be expanded in scope and time horizon to integrate more tactical (real-time) dynamic airspace configuration and Airports data. The relevant information should be accessible to everyone and distributed in a transparent but cohesive way with the aim of ensuring sufficient flexibility in the short term DCB phase and the efficient ATC involvement in the DCB process execution. Accurate traffic prediction has to be made available to all actors concerned (e.g. NM, AUs, ATC) from medium-term planning till execution of the trajectories for managing traffic complexity, solving traffic constraint issues and optimising the performance of the network. Relevant indicators to assess DCB measures and monitor execution against the predicted impact on network performance need to be defined and provided through automated tools enabling what-if and what-else analysis.

The project ‘Digital Network Management Services’ covers the following candidate SESAR Solutions:

• Solution PJ.09-W2-44 Dynamic Airspace Configurations (DAC):

The objective of the solution is to improve the use of airspace capacity for both civil and military users by increasing the granularity and the flexibility in the airspace configuration and management within and across ANSPs’ areas of responsibilities. This solution will address the integration of concepts and procedures to allow flexible sectorisation boundaries to be dynamically modified based on demand. This includes potential implications for ATCO licences, international boundaries and potentially IOP and A/G multi-datalink communication capabilities.

• Solution PJ.09-W2-45 Enhanced Network Traffic Prediction and shared complexity representation.

The solution aims at improving the accuracy of the network manager traffic prediction from medium-term planning phase (D-2) to execution (included), relying in particular on new trajectory management features such as the preliminary FPL. It shall adapt existing methodologies and algorithms for demand prediction and regional complexity assessment.

• Solution PJ.09-W2-47 Network optimisation of multiple ATFCM time based measures.

The solution aims at improving the efficiency and reducing the adverse impact of multiple regulations affecting the same flight or flows. It explores the relationships between the DCB regulations and their interactions trough the flights to quantify the network effect of those interactions. Key to this solution is to identify and avoid regulations with negative impact on network performance.

• Solution PJ.09-W2-48 Digital Integrated Network Management and ATC Planning (INAP).

The SESAR solution ‘digital INAP’ aims at filling the gap between the management of traffic flows at network level (dDCB) and the control of flights in individual sectors. The solution develops and integrates local functions and associated tools, roles and responsibilities providing an automated interface between local NM and ATC planning to assist controllers in alleviating traffic complexity, traffic density, and traffic flow problems.

• Solution PJ.09-W2-49 Collaborative Network Performance Management.

The solution aims at providing a common framework and toolbox to the other solutions and actors, allowing them to assess the Network Performance in the pre-tactical and tactical phases of the Network Management. The solution shall develop transparent and shareable network performance indicators, network state monitoring and prediction to support NMOC supervision and awareness, network performance what-if and what-else capabilities.

This project will develop solutions that are expected to have a positive impact on the Network improving:

• Capacity through a dynamic configuration of airspace responding with flexibility to the Airspace users flight trajectory needs
• Safety: Improved safety in better anticipating and managing potential overloads;
• Efficiency thanks to the monitoring of the DCB measures against network performance and the implementation of corrective actions
• Cost-efficiency: DCB allows improved ATM resource planning and better use of existing capacities leading to reduced ATC and Airport Capacity costs;
• Predictability: the NOP will provide the planned network situation considering all known constraints and time deviation will be managed by anticipating demand/capacity imbalance detection and improving the implementation of DCB solutions;
• Flexibility: common awareness to all stakeholders through the NOP and access to opportunities in case of late changes in capacity or demand.