Digital Network Management Services

Project Information

PJ09-W2 DNMS

Grant agreement ID: 874463

DOI

10.3030/874463

Project closed

EC signature date 18 November 2019

Start date 1 December 2019

End date 31 March 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 23 794 460,75

EU contribution

€ 6 735 749,66

Coordinated by

EUROCONTROL - EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR THE SAFETY OF AIR NAVIGATION
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - PJ09-W2 DNMS (Digital Network Management Services)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The SESAR project "Digital Network Management Services" is focusing on improvement of the network traffic prediction and shared complexity representation for all Demand Capacity Balancing actors, Dynamic Airspace Configurations (DAC), integrated network management and ATC planning (INAP) and collaborative network performance management.

Today's airspace sector design and configuration is not integrated with the demand and capacity balancing process resulting in inefficiencies of the network. The current quality of NM demand predictions does not allow optimal use of complex Dynamic Airspace Configuration algorithms nor does it allow adequate planning of Flight Plans in the tactical and pre-tactical phase. Traffic complexity definition is managed at local level, hampering a network wide awareness of traffic situation and collaborative decision making. Today's monitoring of the network does not allow to detect emerging disruptions requiring network DCB solutions, often resulting in a multitude of local DCB measures.

These problems have been addressed in 3 different solutions:

• Solution 44: Dynamic Airspace Configurations (DAC)
Main objectives are to: address the application of advanced types of airspace use coordination processes, validate user acceptability and the feasibility of the DAC processes, validate automation in support of military airspace users and the use of the Dynamic Mobile Area concept, develop a What-If tool for Airspace Management process, automate the integration of DAC in the INAP processes.
• Solution 45: Enhanced Network Traffic Prediction and shared complexity representation
Main objectives are to: improve the pre-tactical ANSP scenarios and therefore the Initial Network Plan based on the improved predicted demand, update and validate the use of probabilistic occupancy counts algorithm developed in Wave 1 as a complement to the entry and occupancy counts in the Tactical time horizon.
• Solution 49: Collaborative Network Performance Management
Main objectives are to: develop and validate an operational states prediction algorithm used to anticipate the emergence of performance degradation in identified areas within the network and participate to the pro-active management of predicted performance deterioration.

The results of the validation process indicate that the OIs and enablers assigned to solution W2-44 are ready for industrialisation.

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

Solution PJ.09-W2-44 achieved V3 maturity level addressing the blocking issues identified in V2 regarding human performance and safety assessment and addressing the full integration of DAC into DCB in the pre-tactical and tactical phase.

The concept document aims at defining operational services and environments within the scope of the PJ.09-W2-44:
• the DAC process consisting in organising, planning and managing airspace configurations
• The INAP function
• how to bridge the gap between INAP actors and DAC in an integrated Demand and Capacity Balancing process

The exercises covered six operational improvements (OIs) looking for more flexible and efficient Sector Design and Configuration (SD&C) processes and procedures; higher automation in the Airspace Management (ASM) process; a better use of complexity to support them both; and the achievement of an effective integration of demand and capacity measures to implement DCB processes at INAP timeframe. The validation of these OIs implied the validation of new roles and responsibilities for the Local Traffic Manager (LTM), Extended ATC Planner (EAP), Air Traffic Service Unit (ATSU) Supervisor and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCO) as well as their system support needs.

PJ.09-W2-44 validation prototypes include:
• Improved ASM and Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) tools supporting DAC.
• DCB tools supporting FMP and EAP in the assessment, monitoring and implementation of the DCB measures, integration of automated complexity assessment, integration of ATCO resource management and sector configuration planning, coordination with DMA design and integration with NM services.
• Controller Working Position (CWP) support functions to ATC task in DAC environment.
• A total of seven validation exercises involving up to ten European ANSPs (ENAIRE, DSNA, NATS, ENAV, SKYGUIDE, CCL, Naviair, LFV, ACG and PANSA) and EUROCONTROL to validate the concept over European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) area.

Validation exercises combined FTS (Fast Time Simulations), RTS (Real Time Simulations) and Shadow Mode techniques to emulate the full process of DAC as integrated within the DCB process, including the evaluation of the ATC service in DAC environment once the output of the DCB process is implemented.
The Architecture, Services and Technical Specifications of the systems supporting the Solution are defined in the TS/IRS deliverable. The functional breakdown is consistent with the EATMA methodology. The architecture has been developed in a MEGA environment implementing all EATMA standards.
A Cost Benefits Analysis has been performed too.

The main results of the validation activities are:

• The integration of DAC with DCB allows ANSPs to plan and manage airspace configurations based on predicted traffic.
• The combination of STAM measures and rerouting limits the impact of DMAs on civil traffic.
• DAC contributes to have fewer regulations with less delay and fine-tuned parameters.
• Workload is better distributed and more balanced if the sector configuration is carefully selected.
• Predictability metric improved.
• Cost efficiency is improved. There was an overall reduction of delays and improvements regarding elaboration times, Situational Awareness, and Mental workload.
• Improvement on flight efficiency and fuel consumption when including DAC into the DCB process.
• N?o negative impact on safety in the pre-tactical and tactical phase.

Cost Benefits Analysis performed show that expected benefits are an increase in En-route capacity with no detrimental impact on safety), an increase in ANSPs Cost efficiency a reduction in fuel burn, CO2 emissions and flight time, and improvements in predictability and punctuality.

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)

SOL 44 performed 2 main validation exercises each with 4 sub exercises and will reach full V3 level of maturity at the end of the project, allowing for deployment after SESAR2020. All sub exercises took place already.

Solution 45 was ended by the end of 2020 and produced a concept document (OSED) and a Technical Specification document and executed one exercise based on Artificial Intelligence technology applied for improving traffic predictability As a result of this early ending, some elements of the concept will be developed and validated directly with NM, allowing possible early deployment into operations.

Solution 49 was ended by the end of 2020 and produced a concept document (OSED) and a Technical Specification document, developed a prototype of a Network Performance Dashboard used for one exercise that served as a demonstrator of the concept. As a result of this early ending, some elements of the concept will be developed and validated with NM, allowing possible early deployment into operations.

Last PJ09 SOL44 PMB at EUROCONTROL HQ