Efficient trajectory options allocation for the collaborative trajectory options program

Abstract

The Collaborative Trajectory Options Program (CTOP) is a Traffic Management Initiative (TMI) intended to control the air traffic flow rates at multiple specified Flow Constrained Areas (FCAs), where demand exceeds capacity. CTOP allows flight operators to submit the desired Trajectory Options Set (TOS) for each affected flight with associated Relative Trajectory Cost (RTC) for each option. CTOP then creates a feasible schedule that complies with capacity constraints by assigning affected flights with routes and departure delays in such a way as to minimize the total cost while maintaining equity across flight operators. The current version of CTOP implements a Ration-by-Schedule (RBS) scheme, which assigns the best available options to flights based on a First-Scheduled-First-Served heuristic. In the present study, an alternative flight scheduling approach is developed based on linear optimization. Results suggest that such an approach can significantly reduce flight delays, in the deterministic case, while maintaining equity as defined using a Max-Min fairness scheme.

Generalized Method of Modeling Minute‐in‐Trail Strategy for Air Traffic Flow Management

“…for j ⟵ 1 to SC do (10) MIN_COST � INF; (11) m max � min(j, total_cap); (12) for m ⟵ 0 to m max do (13) if (j − m) > T imb • K i n then (14) Continue; (15) end if (16) if (19) end if (20) end for (21) V j i � MIN_COST; (22) end for (23) end for (24) //backtrack output results (25)…”

“…(3) //set the first T imb − 1 of array to 1, which corresponds to a solution; (4) for i ⟵ 0 to T imb − 1 do (5) index[i] � 1; (6) end for (7) Store the solution according to the values of array index[ ]; (8) while has Done (index, N, T imb ) do (9) for i ⟵ 0 to N + 1 do (10) //find the first 1-0 combination and change it to 0-1 combination; (11) if index[i] � � 1 and index[i] � � 0 then (12) index[i] � 0; (13) index[i] � 1; (14) Store the solution from index[ ]; (15) //move 1 of the left of 0-1 combination to the left of array; (16) int count � 0; (17) for j ⟵ 0 to i do (18) if index[j] � � 1 then (19) index[j] � 0; (20) index[count++] � 1; (21) end if (22) end for (23) end if (24) break; (25) end for (26) end while ALGORITHM 2: 0-1 combination algorithm for COR i . where Cost g and L g are the delay cost and air traffic control load if corridor COR g uses the strategy that node u represents.…”

“…e second way is to regulate the traffic flow by using the traffic management initiatives (TMIs) [8], such that the limited capacity can be used efficiently and the impact of unavoidable delays would be reduced [9]. And, the TMIs can be classified into two categories: (1) strategic actions, which are the strategies that taken before the aircraft has been taken off, including ground delay program [10], ground stop [11], airspace flow program [12], minute-in-trail or miles-in-trail [13], and Collaborative Trajectory Options Program [14] and (2) tactical actions, which are the strategies that taken after the aircraft is airborne, consisting of rerouting [15], speed adjustment, airborne holding [16], and fix balancing.…”

An Interval-based TOS Allocation Model for Collaborative Trajectory Options Program (CTOP)

“…It can show the benefit of allowing airlines to reoptimize their internal delay cost functions. This work is closely related to our collaborators' work [26]. The key difference is that in [26], the two consecutive flights are scheduled to maintain a certain distance or time separation in order to satisfy the capacity constraints (named space-based), whereas in our work we require number of flights that are scheduled to arrive at a FCA in a time interval should be within its acceptance rate (named interval-based).…”

“…This work is closely related to our collaborators' work [26]. The key difference is that in [26], the two consecutive flights are scheduled to maintain a certain distance or time separation in order to satisfy the capacity constraints (named space-based), whereas in our work we require number of flights that are scheduled to arrive at a FCA in a time interval should be within its acceptance rate (named interval-based). The former formulation ambitiously solves TOS allocation problem and flight separation problem in a single optimization model and therefore can be computational challenging even for small test case with 30 flights.…”