The Application of Advanced Systems – An Airline Perspective

Adapting a Human – Automation Trust Scale to an Air Traffic Management Environment

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.

An Agent-Based Approach to Aircraft Conflict Resolution with Constraints

Flight trials were conducted by Smiths Aerospace with Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737s in the spring of 2001 evaluating the use of the Four-Dimensional Flight Management System (4-D FMS) and it’s Required-Time-of-Arrival (RTA) function for a future Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment. 4-D FMS, along with air-ground datalink capability, is central to the ATM operational environment established by the European Commission’s AFAS (Aircraft in the Future ATM System) program. These RTA trials supported this project's development by assessing the current generation FMS RTA algorithm's performance in an AFAS-like flight

The future air navigation system using satellites which is proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), also called the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), is bound to revolutionize many aspects of our daily life. GNSS applications are such that a New Space Market is unfolding in front of us; some legal and regulatory aspects are considered here briefly.KeywordsGlobal Position SystemGlobal Navigation Satellite SystemGlobal Navigation Satellite SystemRegulatory AspectCharge AccessThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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.

In the current Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment, there is an information access asymmetry between the flight crew and stakeholders on the ground. In many cases, the flight crew, dispatchers, and air traffic manager do not readily have access to updated relevant information to collaborate in determining favorable trajectories for individual flights. This information collaboration between air crew, their dispatchers, and air traffic manager is constrained by current communication capabilities. Air/ground System Wide Information Management (SWIM) concept of operations offers a solution to overcome this communication challenge in the future. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in collaboration with industry stakeholders conceived, planned and executed an Aircraft Access to SWIM (AAtS) demonstration project to determine the feasibility of air-ground communications. The demonstration was conducted in two phases and a series of scenarios of increasing complexity leading up to initial 4-Dimensaional Trajectory (4DT) preferences exchange. Phase 1 demonstrated the ability to share advisory information with the flight crew by utilizing existing commercial data links and hardware in the flight deck. Phase 2 demonstrated the feasibility of bi-directional information exchange between aircraft and ground systems via the SWIM Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). The SOA included data management service provider (DMSP), data link provider (DLP), and electronic flight bag (EFB) with software applications. The final 4DT preference exchange scenario demonstration was completed in October 2016. This paper discusses the concepts, assumptions, communication scenarios and results of the AAtS demonstration project. The lessons learned through the AAtS demonstration provide meaningful considerations for guidance on future air-ground information sharing and collaborative decision-making 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.

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.

Data sharing is the keystone to maintain the continuous operation of air traffic management (ATM). As situational awareness and collaborative decision-making become significant components of smart ATM, data sharing capability becomes a constraint on the development of ATM. The existing ATM data-sharing solutions have the following issues: 1) data-sharing efficiency is low; 2) data security has not received sufficient attention; and 3) access control is difficult to implement. Therefore, a security data-sharing model for ATM based on cloud-blockchain fusion is proposed, which realizes data security storage, intelligent service governance, and data authorized access. Firstly, a set of metafile storage structures is defined to realize the separate storage of data and metadata, which provides integrity verification and encrypted storage. Besides, using attribute-based encryption and service retrieval algorithms, the data publishing, discovery, and invocation functions based on smart contracts are realized. Finally, this scheme realizes secure data sharing in the ATM environment, and the computational cost and time cost are also kept at an acceptable level compared with other existing schemes.

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”.

This paper aims to demonstrate how current technology can assist to improve ground-based trajectory prediction. The lack of accurate ground-based trajectory prediction is often associated with the inefficiencies resulting from current Air Traffic Control (ATC) practices. To this purpose, results from different ground-based Trajectory Predictors (TPs) – both standard and enhanced with Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) data-link – are compared using operations into Los Angeles (LAX). At first sight, direct use of trajectory information down-linked through FANS from the aircraft’s Flight Management System (FMS) seems logical, but numerous arguments exist against that approach. Instead, this research inferred parameters as speed schedule and aircraft mass from the FMS down-linked trajectory. Contrary to the trajectory data itself, these parameters can be used as input to many legacy TPs and are often unknown such that nominal values must be assumed. This paper indicates that with use of this inferred information significant improvements in ground-based trajectory prediction can be achieved. The 95% spread in the estimate time of arrival and top of descent error were reduced by a maximum 79% and 86%, respectively. The predicted trajectories from some enhanced TPs were found to be even more accurate than the original downlink predictions on which the inferred information was based, providing arguments for a combined air-ground solution to trajectory prediction rather than reliance on solely airborne trajectory data.FANS is standard equipment on most wide-body aircraft, and fitting options exist on the major single-aisle aircraft fleet. With the infrastructure to obtain the required data already in place, the approach proposed in this paper is feasible today with minimum investment and aircraft system changes for airlines transitioning towards more advanced concepts and developing technologies.

In order to achieve safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sustainable air traffic management at global, regional and local levels, a collaborative environment for system-wide flight and flow information exchange is required. Therefore, the new provisions to enable a richer set of information exchange prior to departure between different aviation stakeholders with new flight planning and filing capabilities has been structured by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This collaborative information exchange will enable a common operational picture for all related stakeholders in order to improve strategic planning. However, with the different conditions, it is difficult for all air traffic management service providers to transform from the current operation to the new operation and not all airspace users will adopt the changes at the same time. To validate the impact of changes for potential implementation of new provisions, the project of international validation has been conducted. In this paper, the observations and analysis of validation exercises consisting of Tabletop exercises and Lab exercises related to the regional implementation will be reported. Moreover, the operational processes, procedures, and automation changes required for new provisions implementation between related aviation stakeholders are clarified. Finally, the problems and challenges for constructing the collaborative operating environment to include interactions of related stakeholders using data, systems, and services through a system-wide information management environment are discussed.

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.

The rapid advancement of cutting-edge technology has reshaped the global dynamics of the airline sector, elevating the significance of service quality, effectiveness, and protection. As a vital contributor to national economic growth and a public utility, aviation's expansion has directly impacted businesses in the service sector, leading to increased operational opportunities for hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies. This article addresses the challenges within Air Traffic Management (ATM), focusing on the aviation industry's primary concerns. With the continuous growth of aviation traffic, there is a pressing need to enhance security, productivity, and environmental sustainability. The article aims to stimulate business innovation and collaboration in advanced study areas such as dynamic airspace management (DAM), air traffic flow management (ATFM), and collaborative/non-collaborative surveillance. The proposed frameworks, based on Clean Sky and NextGen, incorporate 4D Trajectory Optimization techniques, advanced surveillance technologies, and data link connections to establish a foundation for ATM industry development. Additionally, the research explores adaptive Human-Machine Interface and Interaction (HMI2) forms to automate the assessment and negotiation of aircraft intentions, thereby improving the efficiency and security of ATM operations. The study also addresses specific requirements for cooperative and non-cooperative Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) systems for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) within the evolving CNS+A process, ensuring their safe and unrestricted access to all airspace types.