Coordinated Validation for SWIM Concept-Oriented Operation to Achieve Interoperability

An Agent-Based Approach to Aircraft Conflict Resolution with Constraints

This paper builds on top of a collaborative ATFM framework previously published, which demonstrated a potential in significant pre-tactical system delay reduction over the current European ATFM practices. In this paper, we aim to raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of the original works, focusing on improving the tractability of its DCB optimizer. To this end, we apply a Dantzig-Wolfe (DW) decomposition approach and use high performance computing (HPC) techniques to attempt the solution in a short time. The main contribution of this paper is to mitigate the computational burden faced by previous approaches, which will make all the contributions demonstrated therein more operationally feasible.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Manual on Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE) outlines the components and requirements to achieve a common picture in global Air Traffic Management (ATM) for implementation readiness in 2020. To prepare for this global implementation by ATM stakeholders and ensure the technical feasibility and interoperability across implementations, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated the International Interoperability Harmonization and Validation project (IIH&V) to validate the FF-ICE Planning Provisions [1], FF-ICE Implementation Guidance [2], and message exchanges in a lab environment. This paper explores the technical components of the FAA's IIH&V exercise while the complementary paper “An Operational Approach to FF-ICE Planning and Global Harmonization through IIH&V” explores operational components of the exercises. In order to effectively validate the FF-ICE Planning provisions and implementation guidance, it was required that the exercises focus on two areas. The first focus area was ensuring that future versions of the ICAO exchange models (primarily FIXM) were prepared to support FF-ICE. The second focus area was identifying system-level implementation decisions that could affect international interoperability, critical components to implementation readiness. Thus, the role of the ICAO exchange models, the role of data governance, and the feedback communicated to the FIXM Configuration Control Board (CCB) and the ATM Requirements Performance Panel (ATMRPP) are discussed herein. The FAA split the focus of the IIH&V project into three sequential validation exercises, with each exercise integrating more advanced systems into the lab infrastructure. For each exercise, the paper presents a system architecture diagram as well as an overview of the messages exchanged across systems. Several validation exercises have taken place in the context of a mixed mode environment in which only a subset of actors is FF-ICE capable, thus requiring the use of “bridging” capabilities such as data transformation to allow systems to remain interoperable despite differences in message type, version, etc. Validation 1 included the initial “mixed mode” environment envisioned in 2020 in which FF-ICE capable actors have implemented pre-departure FF-ICE message exchanges for pre-departure trajectory negotiations, while other actors are still using legacy capabilities. Validation 2 expanded trajectory negotiation into the post-departure portion of an active flight using bi-directional Air-to-Ground (A/G) System Wide Information Management (SWIM) data links, and single or bi-directional communications between the Flight Management System (FMS) and Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Validation 3 further explored post-departure trajectory negotiation leveraging Data Communication (DataComm) messages in addition to A/G SWIM. The outputs and results of the IIH&V project outlined in this paper bring clarity to FF-ICE Planning Provisions and Implementation Guidance, as well as support the authoring organizations refining these documentations through input given to the ATMRPP. The IIH&V project also begins laying the groundwork for the development of FF-ICE Execution for post-departure.

This chapter reviews the International Civil Aviation Organization air traffic management (ATM) work programme along with ATM developments taking place around the world. It examines the various elements of the ATM system and suggests some of die research, trials and demonstrations. Airspace management is traditionally recognized mainly as involving a dynamic or tactical sharing of airspace by civil and military users. Air Traffic Services itself is comprised of several subelements, one of these being air traffic control. The increasing number of long-range interregional flights may require integration of regional Air Traffic Flow Management systems and procedures. Free Right is the guiding vision, mission and operational concept of the Federal Aviation Administration, based on Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management systems (CNS/ATM). Africa is composed of many delicate national economies separated by vast wilderness areas. The main scope of Airspace management will be toward a strategic planning function of airspace infrastructure, and flexibility of airspace use.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is conducting far-term research into a proposed concept for gate-to-gate national airspace system (NAS) operations called Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM) in which flight deck crews, air traffic service providers and aeronautical operational control facilities use distributed decision-making. In this study we estimate the benefits of En Route Free Maneuvering and En Route Trajectory Negotiation in off-nominal conditions using empirical data. Specifically, the benefits we measure are the avoided disruption costs under inclement weather conditions due to the implementation of the two en route concept elements. The random nature of inclement weather makes the measurement of its impact on aviation a challenge. Since June 2003, the Department of Transportation's Airline Service Quality Performance (ASQP) data reports the major airlines' schedule/operation disruptions, in terms of flight cancellations, delays, and diversions, allocated to five cause categories, including extreme weather and non-extreme weather conditions. We extract the inclement weather- caused disruptions from the one-year period of July 2003 through June 2004 from the ASQP data. In developing the benefits pool, we recognize that these two concept elements' functionalities and capabilities could not eliminate all disruptions caused by weather conditions. We estimate the percentage of weather caused disruptions that can be helped by the two concept elements based on expert opinion. We estimate the NAS-wide benefits for year 2004 by extending the ASQP results to the non-ASQP carriers via linear extrapolation. We also extrapolate current NAS benefits to the projected benefits in year 2015, the target year of DAG-TM deployment, by developing and applying forecast parameters to year 2004 benefits based on the traffic forecast. Finally, we translate the operational performance benefits of reduced delay and avoided diversions/cancellations into economic benefits using FAA and other published cost factors. I. Introduction HE National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is conducting far-term research into a proposed concept for gate-to-gate national airspace system (NAS) operations called Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM). DAG-TM is based on distributed decision making between flight deck crews, air traffic service providers (ATSP) and aeronautical operational control (AOC) personnel. The goal of DAG-TM is to increase system capacity/throughput, enable user preferences, and provide greater flexibility and efficiency, while meeting air traffic management (ATM) requirements and maintaining system safety and user accessibility to the NAS. DAG-TM will be accomplished with a human-centered operational paradigm enabled by procedural and technological innovations. These innovations include automation aids, information sharing and Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) / ATM technologies. The total DAG-TM concept is intended to address all user classes (commercial carriers, general aviation, etc.) with an emphasis towards ensuring access to airspace resources

This paper addresses topics concerning the development of future Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) so that they can operate safely within the community of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Studies by the Defense Science Board; the Office of Science and Technology; Government Accountability Office; and the Congressional Research Service: Library of Congress; have all emphasized that soon there will be a significant number of UAVs operating sideby- side with manned civil aircraft in the FAA’s National Airspace System (NAS). It is anticipated that future UAVs will start to perform many of the dull, dirty, and dangerous civilian missions. In 2006, about 600 UAVs are expected to be manufactured in the US alone. Therefore, there is an urgent need for developers of UAVs to understand safety certification for operations in the NAS, and that safety certification starts with the safety requirements; safety design; safe development process; safety verification; and safe operating procedures in the planned operational environment. This paper presents and discusses the experiences and lessons gained by the authors on the development of end-toend aviation safety; from the safety requirements to their final safety certification in the planned operational environment. The authors’ previous and ongoing works include the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) systems such as the GPS; WAAS; LAAS; MSAS; GPS III; and different operational environments at different airports such as Incheon International Airport. The FAA started with the two traditional safety certifications processes: airborne system certification and ground system certification; governed mostly by Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and FAA’s Acquisition Management System (AMS), respectively. However, when FAA started to implement GNSS, the lines between airborne and ground systems became blurred, and as a result many current Communications, Navigation, Surveillance, and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) systems have to follow both processes. We will also discuss the current Safety Management Systems being developed by both FAA and ICAO as an integrated, systematic, and harmonized approach and process to sort out the differing safety requirements from FAA, SAE-ARP, MIL-STD, RTCA, ASTM, ICAO, etc. to provide the eventual safe operations within the NAS. The discussion will then focus on the real world of institutional, operational, and technical issues for safety certification worldwide. Despite the numerous standards and guidance documents, many past safety analyses and studies were guided by best practices that had been used successfully in the past to streamline the process of providing all the required documentations and verifications. One such area is in the use of the “Integrity Panel of Experts” that had been used successful in the implementation of safety for the FAA’s Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) programs. In many areas of the world, safety certification from a technical point of view is only the first step to achieving safety certification to fly in their national and sovereign airspace. Finally, we will show the first steps that UAV manufactures need to consider if they want their UAVs to be approved to fly safely in different national civilian airspace.

The emergence of a new user of the airspace of the Republic of Poland, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - drones, as part of regular flights, implies the need not only to provide an appropriate legal framework, but also to rebuild the entire air traffic management ecosystem for the integration of manned and unmanned aviation. The first attempts to include UAS in the integrated air traffic system in the Warsaw FIR were based on the electronic/digital planning, coordination and management of UAS flights called Pansa UTM (Polish Air Navigation Services Agency Unmanned Traffic Management). This system is an innovative solution used by the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) and potential drone users. The operation and development of the Pansa UTM system generates the need for air traffic management entities to take specific actions by planning and establishing regulations, rules, safety criteria and flight conditions for the new airspace user. This requires involvement in projects, pilotages and technology demonstrators aimed at creating adequate tools for the safe implementation of UAS flights in Poland. These activities, both already implemented and at the planning stage, aim to achieve a state in which it will be possible to talk about integrated and safe controlled air traffic over Poland. Due to the dynamic nature of the subject matter, this study is only an attempt to present a number of projects undertaken by a wide range of aviation-related entities that may allow achieving an acceptable level of air traffic management over the territory of the Republic of Poland.

Air transportation is a global transportation, vehicles, terminals, and airways are main components of the air transportation sub-system. Vehicles, in this matter aircraft as a tool of transportation, have a global characteristic because of the high speed and wide range capability compare to vehicles of any other transportation mode. An airway is a flight lane in air space. Every aircraft, which pass the airways, has the right of air traffic services. The authority provision of giving the air traffic services internationally is provided in Annex 11 to the Convention on Civil Aviation about Air Traffic Services. The authority mentioned above includes responsibility to provide air traffic services in air space above the territory, which the state has its jurisdiction and responsibility to the aerodrome where the air traffic services are given. A state, through an agreement, may delegate the responsibility of providing air traffic services to the other states or accept responsibility mentioned above from the other states. Air space above the high seas or air space above the area that is not under any sovereignty of certain states which is the air traffic services are needed is determined in a regional air navigation agreement. Usually, Regional Air Navigation Meeting is a forum to accomplish this purpose.

The International Civil Aviation Organization is estimated that the number of domestic and international passengers will be expected to reach six billion by 2030. This exponential growth in air transport has resulted in a wide range of adverse effects such as environmental impacts. The purpose of this research is to develop new air traffic management, and operator (pilots, air traffic controllers) load measuring systems in order to save fuel, and flight time, thereby reducing environmental impact, carbon emission, greenhouse gas generation, noise pollution, and operating cost. This paper deals with: (i) dynamic sectorization and airspace configuration (ii) introduction of the highly dynamic approach and landing procedures, (iii) dilemmas of human in sustainability (related to the individuals, the society, the non-governmental organizations, and the managers), and (iv) development of dedicated non-intrusive operator supporting systems based on eye-tracking, heart rate, and electrodermal activity. Due to the consequent effects of these developments, the dynamic sectorization and air space configuration may eliminate the task overload and reduce the actual operator load by 30–40%. With the developed concept of dynamic approach and landing procedures, aircraft will be able to follow better trajectories to avoid residential areas around airports to (i) reduce ground noise, and emission, (ii) avoid encounters severe weather and prevent incidents and accidents, and (iii) decrease landing distance up to 56% in compared to the “published transition route”.

With the rapid increase in local and global air traffic, the system-wide operational information exchange and life-cycle management technologies are required to improve the capacity, safety and efficiency of Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) concept is to change the conventional ATM information architecture from point-to-point data exchanges to system-wide interoperability. In this paper, the concept, architecture and design technologies of a real-time oriented multi-layer SWIM system architecture for service assurance are discussed. Moreover, to promote the development of SWIM, the project of Mini Global demonstration has been conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to exchange air transportation information among different Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) by using standardized information exchange models. This paper also introduces the results of this demonstration and the lessons learned from this experience.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has endorsed a concept for future aeronautical communications, which uses digital data links to supplement voice communications and provide improved air traffic services. A necessary part of this concept is an international infrastructure that manages digital data transfer between aircraft and civil air traffic control facilities. This communications infrastructure is the Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN). It is the intention of certain ICAO member states to provide air traffic services (ATS) that require ATN avionics. As the civil-controlled airspace moves toward requiring new communication capabilities, the military will need to accommodate the ATN if worldwide-unrestricted airspace access is to be maintained. A description of the ATN is provided in this paper. This description includes the ATN solutions for mobility, low-bandwidth, and preference services. Typical applications of the ATN are also described, as well as implementation status. The paper concludes with a review of present military stratagems for the ATN.

Based on a long-term prediction by the International Civil Aviation Organization indicating steady increases in air traffic demand throughout the world, the workloads of air traffic controllers are expected to continuously increase. Air traffic control and management (ATC/M) includes the processing of various unstructured composite data along with the real-time visualization of aircraft data. To prepare for future air traffic, research and development intended to effectively present various complex navigation data to air traffic controllers is necessary. This paper presents a mixed reality-based air traffic control system for the improvement of and support for air traffic controllers’ workflow using mixed reality technology that is effective for the delivery of information such as complex navigation data. The existing control systems involve difficulties in information access and interpretation. Therefore, taking notice of the necessity for the integration of air traffic control systems, this study presents the mixed reality (MR) system, which is a new approach, that enables the control of air traffic in interactive environments. This system is provided in a form usable in actual operational environments with a head-mounted see-through display installed with a controller to enable more structured work support. In addition, since this system can be controlled first-hand by air traffic controllers, it provides a new experience through improved work efficiency and productivity.

This paper/chapter deals with the key drivers for adopting and developing an Occupational Health and Safety System (OHS) with a special focus on air traffic management and traffic controller’s workplace. A such system includes regulation and legal compliance procedures, actions and monitoring for ensuring workplace safety, incentives and motivation for the air traffic controller and associate personnel health and wellbeing. By a systemic approach, the key characteristics of OHS towards air traffic management are presented, highlighting the key aspects for implementing a quality management system in air traffic control, which is the cornerstone of airport operation efficiency and productivity on one hand; and the nature of job and the intensive working environment is well recognised. Based on air traffic providers functional analysis the key occupational aspects for air traffic control are taken into consideration, providing the benefits for implementing quality management systems (QMS) and OHS is real business. Conventional wisdom is to highlight the importance for establishing and incorporating a modern custom-made OHS system in accordance with the requirements addressed by OHSAS 18001 to develop and implement a QMS for air traffic services. Contribution of this paper is to highlight the key priorities for managers and decision makers in field of air traffic services providers, depicting ways and recommendation for adopting an efficient path for implementing OHS in a QMS environment.

is a programme to modernise the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) System. It is currently in its feasibility definition study phase which is being co-funded by the European Commission and EUROCONTROL. It is addressing collectively the technological, economic and regulatory aspects associated with ATM. Following the successful completion of definition study phase, it will use the Single European Sky (SES) legislation to synchronise the plans and actions of the different stakeholders in ATM and federate the resources needed for the development and implementation of the required improvements throughout Europe; this applying to both the applicable airborne and ground systems domains. The study is being conducted over a 2-year period (which started in March 2006) by the SESAR Consortium, a grouping which, for the first time in ATM history, has brought together the major stakeholders in European aviation to develop a common vision of the future ATM System. The SESAR Consortium draws upon the expertise of the major organisations within the aviation industry. This includes airspace users, air navigation service providers (ANSPs), airport operators and the supply industry (European and non-European), plus a number of associated partners, including safety regulators, military organisations, staff associations (including pilots, controllers and engineers) and research centres which work together with significant expertise being provided by EUROCONTROL. The study will produce an agreed Master Plan of the research, development and implementation plans and actions needed to be taken by the different stakeholders to realise the future European ATM System. This Plan is developed through the production of 6 main deliverables over the 2 years and covers all aspects of the future System, including its supporting institutional framework. The scope of each the 6 deliverables (D1 to D6) is as follows : D1: Air Transport Framework – the Current Situation D2: Air Transport Framework – the Performance Target D3: Definition of the future ATM Target Concept D4: Selection of the “Best” Deployment Scenario D5: Production of the ATM Master Plan D6: Work Programme for 2008–2013. This paper will summarise the progress made to date by describing the results achieved within the deliverables D1 to D3. In outline terms, these cover : a summary snapshot of the current situation to identify the main areas of improvement; an assessment of the future air transport market place into which future ATM services will be delivered; the management and performance frameworks which will govern the future operation of the System and its further evolution; an initial set of performance requirements which the future System must meet; the nature of the Future ATM Target Concept, this comprising the concept of operations to be adopted; structure of the overall architecture needed for the System; set of technologies to be developed and used to implement it.

The achievement of the goals of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Future Air Navigation System (FANS) is essential for the continued development of the airline industry. A recently completed movement study for the North Atlantic Track area forecast that the previously anticipated aircraft movements for 2010 would now be achieved by 1999. Peak time capacity growth for the region is now reliant on the introduction of Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) scheduled for January 1997. Similarly, Europe had an all-too-evident capacity problem though some alleviation should follow from the introduction of precision area navigation (PRNAV) routeings in early 1998. However, despite the introduction of these developments, the restrictions on flow rates imposed by capacity variations in adjacent areas will remain. Quite obviously, an enhanced and fully capable Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment is required to solve many of the problems that commonly exist today. Nevertheless, more could be achieved through the application and exploitation of advanced navigation equipment such as the aircraft Flight Management Computer System (FMS) that is in widespread use today – a theme that will be returned to later in the paper.