Project PJ18 4DTM develops an innovative way of allowing the different Air Traffic Management (ATM) actors to have a unique/coherent view of the planned flight trajectory, for civil and military aircraft throughout Europe.
This allows the different ATM actors to have a better knowledge of the flight intentions reducing costs & CO2 emissions, increasing safety.
All PJ18 activities are contributing to the definition of the Trajectory Based Operations (TBO, used on flight efficiency, predictability, environment and capacity) concept.
The project also develops new tools to improve the availability, consistency, quality and exchange of aeronautical (AIM) and meteorological (MET) information improving the management of ATM.
The project supports the development of the 18-01a Mission Trajectory (MT) improving civil military coordination with the implementation of the improved Operational Air Traffic Flight Plan (iOAT FPL) being the first step for the implementation of the MT. It also works to improve air-ground (A/G) communication, under 18-01b MT in TBO.
18-02a defined the TBO principles focusing in the definition of the Reference Business Trajectory (RBT) management and the last phase of Shared Business Trajectory (SBT), once flight plan filing has occurred.
18-02b FO IOP defined and validated a new mechanism to share information on flight plans based on a specific set of information (the Flight Object) to be shared among all ATM stakeholders as a common view of the flight, enabling greater flexibility in the interactions of controllers across ANSP’s (Air Navigation Service Provider). It concludes with the definition and validation of the concept, demonstrating its usefulness in ATC-ATC improved coordination, and information exchange, allowing productivity gains and enhanced safety at the FIR boundary.
18-02c addresses the transition from SBT to RBT. While the full implementation of the business trajectory concept is addressed by TBO Solution, the Extended Flight Plan (eFPL) supporting SBT transition to RBT. It successfully demonstrated the feasibility of distribution of eFPL information to ATC systems. eFPL data could improve ATC predictions allowing to detect fewer false conflicts reducing the number of unnecessary trajectory changes and will improve its confidence in support tools.
Providing new or enhanced AIM and MET information will contribute to improved situation awareness along a flight trajectory.
In 18-04a the Aeronautical Dataset Service was defined and validated while in 18-04b the Ground weather monitoring system (GWMS) and Cb-Global capabilities and services were defined and validated. Both focuses on improving the quality, consistency of the defined capabilities and services, and therefore the usability of AIM and MET information.
18-04c focuses on the on-board use of advance MET and AIM information as defined in 18-04a&b with the objective to improve the efficiency of flight operations. Enhanced situation awareness, taking advantage of up-to-date, high-resolution graphical or structured MET and AIM information, will provide more appropriate description of the dynamic flight environment to the crew.
Objective of 18-06a and 18-06b is to support TBO through the improvement of trajectory predictions for ATC and NM by taking into account Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Contract (ADS-C), Extended Projected Profile (EPP) and four dimension (4D) eFPL issued by the airspace user or Planned ATC constraints.
18-06a demonstrated that by using this information the ATC systems are significantly improving the ATC Planned Trajectory performance and accuracy increasing the planner controller confidence in the prediction to better de-conflict traffic.
18-06b focused in the improvement of ATC tactical trajectory and demonstrated the trajectory improvements and associated benefits.
