RETHINKING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: FLIGHT CENTRIC ATC FOR AN EFFICIENT & SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Today, airspace is divided into sectors to ensure safe and efficient flight operations at all times and to be able to react flexibly to changes in air traffic demand (by combining/splitting sectors). Responsibility for monitoring and controlling air traffic within an (en-route) sector lies with a team consisting of an executive and a planner. This approach to air traffic control is reaching its limits, as the growing air traffic is exhausting the capacity of the sectors, the controllers’ workload limits are being reached and the environmental impact of air traffic is becoming an important factor.
This solution investigates the feasibility of a new approach to air traffic control called Flight Centric ATC (FCA). In this concept the airspace is no longer divided into sectors but considered as a whole. Within the FCA airspace an air traffic controller is responsible for a certain number of aircraft, whereas other controllers are responsible for different aircraft within the same airspace. By applying appropriate allocation strategies, an even distribution of workload among all FCA controllers is ensured. Through more direct routing between take-off and landing and by reducing deviations from planned trajectories during conflict-solving, the concept aims at reducing fuel consumptions.
The FCA solution is a continuation of the PJ.10-W2-73 FCA solution, with the aim of bringing the concept from TRL6-ongoing to TRL6 maturity in medium complex environments. The central key research and innovation needs are: Refinement of allocation strategies, elaboration of roles, responsibilities and tasks, enhancement of conflict management procedures, design of an appropriate controller radar display, integration of FCA support tools and analysis of the impact of FCA on performance criteria, especially ATCO productivity (CEF2), fuel efficiency (FEFF1), safety and human performance. To address the remaining gaps, two exercises and workshops will be conducted in the course of the project.
The solution will analyse if the introduction of the FCA concept leads to any changes in existing standards and procedures and/or the introduction of new ones. It is expected that the success of the FCA concept in terms of perceived performance improvements depends mainly on the modernization of the air traffic service infrastructure and on further digitalization and higher levels of automation, and consequently on any changes in the standards associated with this process. While it is envisaged that the basic implementation of the solution can be achieved without significant changes to the regulations, certain rules will need to be revised and adapted in order to accomplish a full improvement in performance.
BENEFITS
Increased ATCO productivity (CEF2)
Increased fuel efficiency (FEFF1)
