Initial Implications of Automation on Dynamic Airspace Configuration

Abstract

The dynamic airspace configuration concept strives to remove today's rigid structure of navigation aids, airways, pre-defined sectors of airspace, and special-use airspace to provide traffic managers with more flexibility to reconfigure airspace to address convective weather and meet fluctuations in user demand. The impact of increasing levels of air traffic management automation on controller workload and airspace capacity is analyzed. The automation levels represent a current operations baseline; seamless, integrated datalink operations; and automated airspace operations in which separation, merging and spacing guidance is provided for 33,000 ft and above without human controller involvement. Denver Center traffic and airspace for a good weather day are modeled to predict the effect of increased controller productivity on airspace configuration strategies. Results indicate that integrated datalink operations enable the high and low altitude feeder sectors for Denver arrivals to be combined into a single sector for the selected traffic demand, facilitating more uninterrupted descents than possible under current operations. Furthermore, results indicate automated airspace operations enable a single en route sector team to manage airspace below 33,000 ft that is a combination of 5 of today's sectors.

Value of Extended Time-Based Metering for Optimized Profile Descent–Based Arrival Operations

“…As of May 2015, ERAM has been implemented at 20 ARTCCs in the FAA's network and is expected to continue expanding throughout the National Airspace System through 2017 (15). Leiden et al emphasize that the dynamic airspace configuration concept can be integrated with ERAM to provide reconfiguration of the airspace during convective weather (23). Simulations based on the Denver (Colorado) ARTCC and airspace show the feasibility of combining some high-and low-altitude feeder sectors, which can facilitate a more uninterrupted descent.…”

Simplified dynamic density: A metric for dynamic airspace configuration and NextGen analysis

“…Tactical planning, with perhaps a 4 to 24 hour look-ahead horizon, would implement airspace configuration adjustments depending on the convective weather forecast, scheduled traffic demand and the planned operation of the Special Use Airspace. Short-term tactical adjustments (1-to 6-hour look-ahead time) would include dynamic reconfiguration of some portions of airspace as the system reacts rapidly to shifts in weather and traffic patterns [1,2].…”

Benefits of Mid-Term Flexible Airspace Management in Presence of Weather

“…The selected threshold incorporated an increase in the number of aircraft an air traffic controller could handle due to an increased proportion of data communication capable aircraft in the traffic. 18,19 Initially, the threshold was set at 17, based on the average of high altitude sector Monitor Alert Parameter values from 364 sectors in the National Airspace System. 20,21 This value was then adjusted to 18 using a linear relationship from a MITRE study.…”