Coordinated capacity ordering and trajectory pricing for better-performing ATM

Project Information

COCTA

Grant agreement ID: 699326

DOI

10.3030/699326

Project closed

EC signature date 15 April 2016

Start date 15 April 2016

End date 14 September 2018

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 534 157,50

EU contribution

€ 534 157,50

Coordinated by

Univerzitet u Beogradu - Saobracajni fakultet
Serbia

Periodic Reporting for period 5 - COCTA (Coordinated capacity ordering and trajectory pricing for better-performing ATM)

Reporting period: 2018-04-15 to 2018-09-14

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Increasing the efficiency of Air Traffic Management (ATM) reduces the fares for passengers and the costs for air cargo shippers. Moreover, it makes the European air transport industry more competitive. Besides cost reductions, efficiency improvements might also reduce fuel burn, benefitting the environment by abating CO2 emissions. By design, the high degree of safety must not be negatively affected by any proposed measure.

If ATM capacity exceeds demand, costs for providing ATM services and consequently ATM charges are above the inevitable level. In case of capacity shortages, airlines and other aircraft operators are forced to deviate from their optimum flight plans, leading especially to delays and additional fuel burn. The COCTA project aims at increasing efficiency by better matching ATM capacity and demand.

The COCTA team proposed a redesigned ATM value-chain, also introducing a new process of capacity and demand management. The Network Manager orders capacities from Air Navigation Service Providers at several instances, i.e. at long-term, medium and short term to adjust orders to meet air traffic demand in the cost-efficient manner. On the other side, the Network Manager defines different trajectory products to meet Airspace Users' needs, but also to improve overall network performance.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The COCTA team met all the research goals set at the beginning of the project. Following the early modelling efforts, which resulted in the basic model presented at the SESAR Innovation Days 2016 in Delft, the COCTA team further improved the model formulation and subsequently increased its complexity. As a foundation for model improvement, the COCTA team first proposed a new ATM value-chain redesign, followed by the initial development of the COCTA capacity and demand management process. This improved model was tested and evaluated using a small-scale case study and presented at the SESAR Innovation Days 2017 in Belgrade. Based on the consultations with experts from the COCTA Advisory Board and other stakeholders, we added new features to the model, making it more complex.

We used real data to evaluate the model and to evaluate our ability to solve the model using a large-scale case study. Wetested the improved COCTA model using more than 11,000 flights flying over central and western Europe.

We presented a paper, using a large-scale case study, to stakeholders at the Research Workshop on Volatility in Air Traffic and its impact on ATM Performance, jointly organized by FABEC, Baltic FAB, G.A.R.S. and Warsaw School of Economics (Warsaw, Poland, 15-16 May 2018). Also, we presented the project results to Director of the Network Management Directorate, and other representatives from the Network Manager Directorate, Brussels, Belgium, 14 May 2018. Finally, the COCTA team presented the final concept and results from the large-scale case study to Swiss Air Navigation Service Provider - Skyguide - representatives in Geneva, Switzerland, 23 July 2018.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The COCTA concept is an innovative approach which has been recognized by academia in several ways. The COCTA team has already published one paper in one of the leading journals in the field of transportation (Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice), and presented one paper and one poster at one of the most prominent ATM conferences (SESAR Innovation Days 2016). Another paper, dealing with a more advanced COCTA model, has been accepted for presentation at the SESAR Innovation Days 2017 in late November 2017. Furthermore, two COCTA presentations were given at the World Conference of the Air Transport Research Society, the largest academic conference focussing on the economics of air transportation. Finally, the COCTA team has submitted two papers to scientific journals (namely to the Journal of Air Transport Management, and to Transportation Science), both are currently under review.

The COCTA concept aims at improving efficiency of the ATM system which directly benefits the air transport industry as well as its users. However, since COCTA is a TRL1 project, i.e. fundamental scientific research, it is not ready for implementation, but needs further conceptual as well as applied research. Nevertheless, using the large-scale case study for model testing and evaluation, we showed the potential benefits that might be achieved by implementing COCTA concept in practice.