III - Better connected and more climate-friendly regional airports
Our goal is to develop and demonstrate a simple, low-cost solution that will give regional airports an enhanced level of connectivity with the NM.
Thomas Bengtsson, PEACOCK project coordinator
In Europe, air traffic managementAir traffic management(ATM) refers to the integrated management of aircraft and airspace to ensure safe and efficient transportation. It involves coordination between air traffic control, communication systems, navigation aids and various other elements. is delivered by national air navigation service providersAir navigation service providers(ANSP) are organisations responsible for providing air navigation services, including air traffic control, navigation aids and communication facilities. and coordinated at EU level by the Network ManagerNetwork Manager(NM) is responsible for coordinating and optimising the flow of air traffic across Europe’ s airspace. It manages network operations to improve efficiency, reduce delays and support the capacity and safety of the European aviation system. (NM) in close collaboration with Member States. Together, they balance airspace capacity, manage disruptions and optimise performance across the continent. Performing this important role effectively requires that airports provide the NM with accurate departure estimates, which isn’t always the case. It is estimated that the NM only receives accurate departure estimates for about 50 % of the overall air traffic. Small and regional airports make up 83 % of the airports not providing this information. “These airports simply don’t have the resources to invest in the additional IT solutions required to achieve better NM connectivity,” explains Thomas Bengtsson, project coordinator at Swedavia. Supported by the SESAR JU(opens in new window), the PEACOCK(opens in new window) project aims to address this shortfall. “Our goal is to develop and demonstrate a simple, low-cost solution that will give regional airports an enhanced level of connectivity with the NM,” adds Bengtsson.
Smarter and more sustainable
That connectivity will take the form of high-quality predictions of flight departure times. These predictions will be automatically sent from the airport to the NM with an accuracy of around five minutes – a significant improvement on the level of accuracy contained in the flight plan. “Airports that implement this solution will contribute to capacity management at the network level and, in doing so, will improve air traffic flow across European airspace, resulting in fewer delays,” says Alan Marsden, work package leader at EUROCONTROL(opens in new window). Beyond connectivity, PEACOCK is also focused on noise and emissions monitoring. “A key component to making aviation more sustainable is to ensure airports have the tools they need to make informed decisions about their environmental footprints,” notes Bengtsson. Here, the project is developing and demonstrating integrated tools for monitoring ground operations, which account for a significant proportion of an airport’s noise and CO2. “Airports that use the tools will benefit from having a keen understanding of their environmental performance and be better positioned to implement greener operations,” concludes Marsden.