Sebastian Timar

Evaluating Concepts for Metroplex Operations

Metropolitan areas with high traffic demand are often served by a system of two or more airports whose arrival and departure operations are highly interdependent. Such an airport system is referred to as a metroplex. A temporal-spatial framework for evaluating concepts for improving metroplex operations was developed. In this framework, concepts for metroplex operations were defined by their spatial and temporal impacts on operations. These impacts were evaluated parametrically with a Generic Metroplex model. The experiment revealed that temporal scheduling and route segregation are the two most important integrated concepts for reducing delays in the terminal area airspace. These two concepts were then incorporated to form an experiment matrix, and their effects were tested in a metroplex model based on the New York terminal area airspace. Simulation analyses showed a nearly 80% reduction in queueing delay for arrival flights when the scheduling and route structural design were combined and more than 60% reduction with scheduling alone.

Super Density Operations Airspace Modeling for the Southern California Metroplex

This paper discusses the process for and results of developing a candidate airspace model that describes airport runway configurations, arrival and departure procedures and routes for airplanes arriving to and departing from the Southern California TRACON (SCT). The airspace model includes arrival and departure traffic routes for six major Southern California metroplex airports including Los Angeles International (LAX), Burbank (BUR), Ontario (ONT), Long Beach (LGB), Santa Ana (SNA), and San Diego (SAN). The model comprises a series of airspace model components including: a) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM)-based characterization of the operating conditions of all six airports throughout 2009 and 2010; b) trajectory data-based modeling of arrival and departure traffic flow routes and altitude ranges and comparison against published Departure Procedures (DPs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs); c) route and airspace traffic volume analysis to identify the most commonly used arrival and departure procedures and to identify the fraction of total metroplex airspace traffic associated with each procedure; d) modeling and analysis of continuous descent and standard arrival procedures and departure procedures spanning the entire terminal airspace between the en-route airspace and the runway threshold of each airport; and e) trajectory generator-based evaluation of modeled procedures to ensure flyability of modeled procedures.

Metroplex Demand Analysis and Applications

,A metroplex is a group of two or more adjacent airports whose arrival and departure operations are highly interdependent. The NASA Airportal Project’s Characterization of and Concepts for Metroplex Operations study investigated current sources of metroplex inefficiency and evaluated methods for improving performance. Metroplex demand analysis supported the study by generating traffic demand schedules for the evaluation of four hypothetical metroplex configurations. Each generated traffic demand schedule was the adaptation of a real-world airport traffic demand schedule to a hypothetical metroplex airport according to the specified demand loading and airspace geometry. The generated traffic demand sets were applied in subsequent analyses of metroplex airspace geometry, scheduling, and metering precision. This paper discusses the metroplex demand analysis process, its application to the Characterization of and Concepts for Metroplex Operations study, and its application to metroplex demand redistribution impact evaluation.

Contrast and Comparison of Metroplex Operations An Air Traffic Management Study of Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami

*† ‡ § ** †† ‡‡ §§ *** A metroplex is a group of two or more airports within a metropolitan area whose arrival and departure operations are highly interdependent; thus the solution for the airspace structure around and the traffic flows to and from, constituent airports must be solved cooperatively as a system. Existing metroplexes in the National Airspace System have gone through different development paths and possess different characteristics, due in large part to differences in natural, social, environmental and political considerations. Consequently, strategic and tactic air traffic control measures tend to be specific to a given metroplex and therefore not easily abstracted. However, to develop concepts for metroplex operations to meet future traffic demand in the 2025 timeframe, it is necessary to develop a deeper understanding of the constraints on metroplex operations that limit system capacity, and to develop a model of metroplex operations. To this end, a study of the state-of-the-art in air traffic management of metroplex operations was conducted at four metroplexes, namely Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami, each representing unique characteristics. The results from the survey of each site, covering airport configuration dependencies, airspace delegation, traffic flow interaction, weather, and environmental constraints, were compared to identify the most critical issues in today’s metroplex operations. Next Generation Air Transportation System concepts were analyzed against metroplex issues to identify their potential impact on metroplex operations. This study provides bases for developing novel NextGen metroplex design and operating concepts. The process and the results from the contrast and comparison of metroplex at the aforementioned four metroplex sites are documented in this paper.

ACES terminal model enhancement

Terminal Model Enhancement is an advanced modeling capability for simulating terminal area airport and airspace traffic operations. But, more importantly, TME is a platform for testing advanced air traffic management concepts using plug-and-play modeling. TME augments the existing airport surface and terminal airspace modeling capabilities of NASAs Airspace Concept Evaluation System, an agent-based fast-time National Airspace System simulation. TME supports detailed analysis of concepts addressing future surface and terminal airspace operations. TME models 4-dimension trajectories and provides a system of pluggable components upon which replacement components can be developed to model alternative operational concepts. TME Airport ATC and TFM agents generate surface route plans, move aircraft through a vertex-edge graph, implementing pilot self-separation and controller conflict resolution, gridlock avoidance and gate utilization models. TME TRACON ATC, TFM and Flight agents apply advanced sequencing and spacing modeling to determine conflict-resolved airspace route plans, assign landing times and use 4D trajectory modeling to fly aircraft along route plans. TME introduces a unique runway operations model that integrates TRACON landing management with Airport ATC takeoff and runway taxi crossing management.

Preliminary queuing analysis of integrated departure operations at metroplex systems

Airports and their terminal airspaces are key choke points in the air transportation system, where most delays are generated. Solutions to mitigate these choke points have consisted mostly of isolated concepts and capabilities that are applied to components of the system. Integrated solutions are needed in order to reap the benefits of the isolated capabilities. In this paper we present a preliminary simulation-based analysis of integrating departure operations in a metroplex consisting of a major airport and its surrounding secondary airports. The departure operations are integrated from the release from the gate on the airport surface, to the takeoff from the runway, to the crossing of departure fixes and the merging into the overhead traffic stream. Applying the analysis at Atlanta Hartsfield airport, we demonstrate the delay savings that result from such integration and their dependence on the flexibility afforded by allowing certain levels of queues to accommodate uncertainty.

Analysis of s-turn approaches at John F. Kennedy Airport

This study analyzed tracking data for arrival flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) during the period of August 16 to August 21, 2009 to identify s-turn maneuvers and to characterize s-turn trajectories. The s-turn maneuver appears in the tracking data as a sequence of turns alternating in heading range. S-turns can arise as an alternative path stretching technique to vectoring and holding. This study developed analysis algorithms and associated metrics to automatically assess the occurrence conditions and operational impact of s-turn trajectories, and determined they (1) exhibit terminal airspace transit times several minutes greater than non s-turn trajectories, (2) occur in all runway-metering fix combinations, (3) occur in merging and in-trail flight conditions, (4) occur at numerous distances from the airport, (5) do not exhibit significantly different inter-flight time spacing at the runway, and (6) the lateral spatial extent of s-turn maneuvers can be quite large. Analysis remains to assess the separation of s-turn trajectories from others throughout the maneuver, and to identify and characterize other such flight maneuvers and behavior in terminal airspace.

An Airport Adaptation Methodology and Arrival Throughput Analysis of Terminal Metering Concepts

This paper describes the modeling and analysis of arrival benefits at the John F. International Kennedy Airport (JFK) terminal airspace due to hypothesized application of a set of possible concepts and technologies (C&Ts). Some C&Ts intend to increase throughput by improving arrival conformance at metering points. This paper describes a model which uses the arrival conformance of each C&T as a means for estimating and comparing potential throughput benefits. Current traffic is scheduled by a Traffic Management Unit (TMU) with help from the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) at each Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). TMA was assumed to be in use only during periods of high demand. By analyzing these time periods, an airport model based on unimpeded throughput was extracted and TMA scheduling parameters can be found. A saturated demand set was calculated from the airport model. Based on the saturated demand, a set of schedules were generated over a range of key parameters by a scheduling emulator. Based on the schedules, the metering conformance for every aircraft was calculated for every C&T’s differing arrival conformance methods. If an aircraft was too far out of conformance, it resulted in a controller intervention. A Controller Intervention Rate (CIR) over all aircraft was calculated for every C&T. The CIR was compared with the baseline TMA parameters and was then used to estimate how much throughput may be increased for each C&T, thus relating arrival conformance and throughput improvements.

A what-if analysis tool for planning airport traffic

This paper presents the implementation and application of a prototype What-if Analysis decision support tool for airport traffic planning. The What-if Analysis tool is used to predict airport traffic performance during a future time horizon with forecast operating conditions and to design Departure Management Programs to mitigate the negative impacts of predicted demand/capacity imbalances. Application scenarios include dynamic weather imposing ground hold and/or Miles-In-Trial restrictions on airport departures. We demonstrate the use of the prototype for a historical traffic and weather scenario at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Future work includes enhancing the capabilities and user interfaces of the tool, and researching methods to predict future traffic management initiatives from forecast weather and traffic conditions.