IMPROVING ATM CAPACITY WITH "DUAL AIRSPACE": A PROOF OF - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

IMPROVING ATM CAPACITY WITH "DUAL AIRSPACE": A PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY FOR ASSESSING CONTROLLERS' ACCEPTABILITY Jean-Yves GRAU - SynRjy Didier DOHY - NeoSys Laurent GUICHARD – EUROCONTROL Sandrine GUIBERT - EUROCONTROL EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre Innovative Research 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

EUROCONTROL � European organization for the safety of Air Navigation: � European organization for the safety of Air Navigation: Development of a seamless, pan- -European ATM system European ATM system in Development of a seamless, pan order to cope with the forecast growth in air traffic, while maintaining a high level of safety, reducing costs, and respecting the environment � 36 member states � 36 member states � Headquarters at Brussels (Belgium) � Headquarters at Brussels (Belgium) � Experimental Centre at � Experimental Centre at Brétigny/Orge Brétigny/Orge (France): (France): � Carry out research and development to improve ATM in Europe � Carry out research and development to improve ATM in Europe � Test and validate new concepts through simulation facilities � Test and validate new concepts through simulation facilities 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dual Airspace Concept: WHY? � In high traffic density areas, the traffic control is limited by the ability of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCos) to simultaneously manage a number of aircrafts'. � The way to cope with the traffic growth is to reduce the size of sectors of control. � This way is now reaching its limits : � ATCo's workload has been increased by numerous intersector co-ordinations � Control actions are constrained by the decreasing over-flight time over a sector (from 5 to 10 mn.) � Anticipative aircrafts' management is replaced by reactive one's � Dual Airspace Concept : � Dual Airspace Concept : � Another way for splitting up airspace into control units � Another way for splitting up airspace into control units � Based on � Based on functional division of the traffic and not only on geographical segmentation 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dual Airspace: HOW? Why a functional division? CLIMB CRUISE DESCENT � Traffic is non homogenous Airport Variable Airport Throughput Steady Variable Steady Regularity Diverging Flow Converging Shape Different working methods High Low High Complexity Large Small Large Volume � Capacity and operation modes Low High Traffic Density Density Free Free Standard Trunk Flight Route Routes Tube Freedom Constraints Airspace Efficiency Capacity � Main traffic flows 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dual Airspace: HOW? In the same area, traffic segregation according to flights attitude and direction Dense Traffic Area Dense Traffic Area Cohabitation and sharing of the same geographical airspace by 2 independent and separate traffic management operation modes HIGHWAY SECTOR Each operation mode has its own ATCos 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dual Airspace: HOW? Highw ay Highw ay Sector Sector � Airport Service, � Long haul flight � Short haul flight � Cruise and steady traffic � Long haul flight on Low flows � Main flows in the core area � Diverging / Converging traffic patterns � Satisfying Airlines business objectives Features : Features : � Difficult Trajectories � Easy Trajectories Challenges : Challenges : � Separation � Capacity � Sequencing � Punctuality Airspace & ATC : Airspace & ATC : Like today , with higher specialization � Continental scale � Upper airspace � Delegation to aircrafts' 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Examples of possible European Highways H O S C L A W F P V M Z N I A M B L R A 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dual Airspace: HOW? Managing the Cohabitation of the two systems � Independent operation modes Highw ay � Opacity (no shared responsibility) � No Intrusion Sector � Minimum impact � Transition via Airlocks � Resilience to Disruptions 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dual Airspace: Expected Gains � Sector will no longer have to manage any of Highw ay the aircraft allocated to the highway � In the sector, more aircraft can use the flows crossing those allocated to the highway Sector � The highway structure allows the possibility for having a much higher-capacity operational system 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Proof of Concept Study 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Proof of Concept Study Objectives � Form and volume of highway are acceptable in the sectors crossed for operational and safe traffic management � Impact of the highway on the ATCO's work in the sector (working method, traffic picture, conflict detection and resolution, workload,) 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Independent Variables 22 NM 22 NM Highway 1 Highway 2 � The Highway 5 NM 3 NM 370 370 6 NM 330 330 Eastbound 320 Westbound 310 flow flow With disruptions due to turbulences Lateral structure Vertical Structure � Traffic density: medium and high traffic levels � Disruption due to vertical turbulence 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Dependent Variables � Variables relating to ATCos' activities: � Workload � Situation Awareness ("Picture") � Control orders � Variables relating to Safety: � Loss of separation � Highway infringement � Variable relating to Performance: � Efficiency 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Controller Working Position and Simulation SIMULATION � Four controllers: Radar � 2 From France � 1 from Czech Republic � 1 from Slovenia � One-hour scenario � Reference / H1 / H2 + Turbulences DATA COLLECTED � STCA and AIW alarms Strip board � ATCO's orders � Time an distance for crossing the sector � Proof of concept investigation: � Self-assessment (WL – SA) � No statistical analysis � Behaviors – verbalizations � Highlight tendencies � Post-run interviews 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Results Traffic load & Scenarios High traffic load Medium traffic load Reference H1 H2 Reference H1 H2 WL 2.00 2.25 1.75 WL 2.75 3.00 3.00 ATCO Orders 1.32 1.76 1.28 ATCO Orders 1.29 1.76 1.85 Picture 1.50 1.75 1.50 Picture 3.00 3.25 2.75 STCA 0.00 0.25 0.00 STCA 0.75 0.50 0.75 AIW 0.00 0.00 0.00 AIW 0.00 0.00 0.00 Delta-Time (s) -1.50 0.75 -3.00 Delta-Time (s) -2.75 -3.75 -3.50 Delta-Dist (1/10 NM) -2.00 0.00 -4.50 Delta-Dist (1/10 NM) -2.50 -2.75 -5.75 � No difference between reference and Highways (H1 & H2) scenarios for workload, picture, safety 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Results Type of highways & Disruptions Medium traffic load on H1 Medium traffic load on H2 Normal Turbulences Normal Turbulences 370 370 WL 1.75 3.25 WL 2.25 2.50 ATCO Orders 1.28 2.16 ATCO Orders 1.76 2.06 Picture 1.50 3.50 Picture 1.75 1.50 330 330 STCA STCA 0.00 1.00 0.25 0.50 320 AIW 0.00 0.50 AIW 0.00 0.00 310 Delta-Time (s) -3.00 -2.50 Delta-Time (s) 0.75 -0.25 Delta-Dist (1/10 NM) -4.50 -3.75 Delta-Dist (1/10 NM) 0.00 0.00 � Workload increased � Same Workload � Low Picture � Same picture � Impact on Safety (STCA and AIW) � No Safety impact 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006

Conclusion 1. Dual Airspace concept is acceptable. However, limitation exists in termed of blocked flight levels. 3 is acceptable and not 4. Highway 1 solution is better then Highway 2 (turbulence suitability). 2. Presence of the highway in the sector doesn't change current control methods 3. ATCos disagree with a working method where flight level constraints due to the highway are automatically managed by the Aircrafts 4. Capacity and Safety in the sector are not decrease by the highway presence and meet the hypothesis for increasing traffic capacity through the Dual Airspace concept 5. Results of the proof-of-concept study are promising and have to be go in depth: Developping the concept (Airspace, Airlocks,…) � Assessing it on a full CWP simulation platform � 77th. ASMA Meeting - 2006