Computerised Air Traffic Management Tools - Benefits and Limitations

OMAR BASHIR(March 2005)

Sequence

● Air Traffic Management● Key Objectives of Air Traffic Management Tools● Application of Computer-based Tools● Benefits of Computer-based Tools: Systems

Development● Benefits of Computer-based Tools: Operations● Benefits of Computer-based Tools: Training and

Support● Key Issues in Computer-based ATM Tools

Air Traffic Management (ATM)

● Air Traffic Management consists of a ground component and an aerial component.

● ATM is comprised of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system.

● ATM functions include,– Air Traffic Control (ATC),– Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM),– Airspace Management

● The above mentioned functions contribute to achieve the ATM objectives during different phases of flight.

Air Traffic Management Tools● Devices and systems that assist air traffic controllers in

monitoring and managing air space to ensure an orderly and safe flow of aerial traffic.

● Key objectives,– Provide optimum air space visibility,

● Accurate and timely visualisation of appropriate air space segments facilitates decision making.

– Optimise air space utilisation,● Non-optimum air space utilisation translates to financial losses.● Congestion avoidance and control is necessary to provide an orderly

flow of traffic.– Increase safety,

● Higher air space utilisation reduces tolerance to errors.– Allow flight crews to adopt efficient trajectories,

● Conflict resolution performed as far ahead as possible.– Provide scalability and support extensibility for evolution.

Application of Computer-based Tools● Collection, communication, storage, compilation and

presentation of data.● Systems integration and multi-sensor data fusion.● Data refinement, integration and tracking.● Simulations

– Predicting aircraft positions and conflict/violation alerts.– Operator training.– Research and development.

● Decision support.● ATM tool frameworks and Integrated Development

Environments (IDE).

Benefits of Computerised ATM Tools: Systems Development

● System scalability and fault tolerance. – Parallelism and distribution

● System integration.– Heterogeniety management

● Integration of sensors and C3I systems using different data formats and communication protocols.

– Multi-sensor data fusion● Fusion of tracks generated by sensors and location and status

information provided by the aircraft via air to ground links.

Benefits of Computerised ATM Tools: Systems Development (Contd.)

● Data modeling and integration.– Track and plot data– GIS– Weather information– Flight plans

● COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) hardware and software.– Economic and convenient system administration and

maintenance.● Extensible systems development.

– Patterns, frameworks and components.

Benefits of Computer-based Tools: Operations● Improved visualisation

– Colour coding– Overlays– Visual modeling

● Decision support– Flight planning,– Conflict prediction and resolution,– Flight conformance monitoring.

● Computer Supported Collabotive Working (CSCW) to support team functions.

● Reduced overall operator workload due to reduced manual coordination and communications.

Benefits of Computer-based Tools: Support

● Simulations– Operator training,– Research and development.

● Recording and replay for evaluation and investigations.– Recording and replay of local and global data and

console switch operations.● Automatic statistics generation for

– Performance evaluation of operators,– Analysis of traffic patterns to determine and investigate

abnormalities.

Key Issues in Computerised ATM Tools● Visualisation techniques require on-going research and

development,– Representation of multi-dimensional data on a two

dimensional display.– Data visualisation in dense environments.

● Striking a balance between information starvation and information indigestion.

– Overlaying certain information may cause confusion.● Performance and reliability requirements complicate

system design and implementation.– Complexity of ATM applications further complicates

system verification and validation.● Trade-off of simulation speed with simulation detail.

Key Issues in Computerised ATM Tools (Contd.)

● Variation in ATCO (ATC Operator) job and skills.– Reduced overall understanding of the processes and procedures

due to automation.– Automation may mask human professional inadequacies.– Striking a balance between trusting the system and verifying its

operation.● Essential to ensure reduced overall operator loading while ensuring

correct system operation – a key issue in early ATM automation.● Organisation change management.

– Introducing automation with minimum organisational impact.– Understanding and managing the impact of automation on the

organisation.● Define a suitable implementation strategy.● Managing the “initial dip”.