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Advanced Airspace Management

 

The project “Advanced Airspace Management” aims at delivering the following SESAR Solutions:

  • Management of Dynamic Airspace Configurations: development of the process, procedures and tools related to Dynamic Airspace Configuration, supporting Dynamic Mobile Areas of Type 1 and Type 2, through: the activation of Airspace configurations through an integrated collaborative decision making process, at national, sub-regional and regional levels, a seamless and coordinated approach for airspace configurations from planning to execution phases (increasing the Network capability to continuously adapt to demand pattern changes in a free route environment) and ATC sectors configurations adapted to dynamic TMA boundaries and both fixed and dynamic elements.


  • Dynamic Airspace Configuration supporting moving areas: extend the management of Dynamic Airspace configuration to support moving areas. This includes Dynamic Mobile Areas or DMA of Type 3 as well as moving danger areas.

Today, Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM), Airspace Management (ASM) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) are 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. This full integration is currently constrained by the available technology and limited tools, but especially by the limitations of the processes based on ATM operational environment, causing a lack of situational awareness and resulting in sub-optimal use of ATM resources. The traffic prediction does not allow determining appropriate Airspace Design, and the efficient application of Flexible Use of Airspace (military and civil coordination). 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. Without a common situational awareness, simultaneous operations of civil and military users in a Free Route environment with a high complexity level will be problematic.

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

  • Capacity: AAM allows a better use of available ATC capacity and a better balancing of ATC workload leading to reduced demand/capacity imbalance.

  • Cost-effectiveness/Cost of Air Navigation: AAM allows improved ATM resource planning and better use of existing capacities leading to reduced ATC and Airport Capacity costs.

  • Flight Efficiency: decrease in flight time. Environment: Increased efficiency enabling optimised flight trajectories and profiles with the end result being reduced fuel burn, noise and CO2 emissions

  • Flexibility: AAM allows increasing the flexibility of airspace configurations to adapt to any change of demand pattern or unexpected change of users trajectory intents.

  • Participation: AAM enabled by SWIM/NOP should enable stakeholders’ collaborations earlier in the planning phase and facilitate commitment to network performance optimum by making stakeholders’ intentions and actions more transparent.

  • Cost-effectiveness/Direct cost of NM and of Local Tools : AAM supported by SWIM/NOP Information Platform will contribute to reduce maintenance and development costs for the Network Manager and local service providers by reducing the number of different remote HMI applications (through implementation of one stop shop access) and by streamlining assets through use of uniform service-oriented principles. Local tools will benefit from the provided SWIM services through easy connectivity to NM and by means of a convenient and economical way to exchange information with the Network.

  • Safety: AAM should ensure that safety standards will not be downgraded enabled by automated support tools and may be improved through an increased common situational awareness at sub-regional and regional levels.