Differentiation through integration

“Airports need to be integrated into the ATM network.” This is a state – ment you may well have heard recently; certainly it is being discussed at conferences. But what does it mean? What benefits will it bring? And who will see these benefits?

The network is becoming more clearly defined with the creation of the Network Manager in 2011. This function builds on the flow management role that EUROCONTROL has played for many years and is more pro-active in helping to plan and manage traffic flows across the continent. It is also a key part of the work on the Single European Sky – both in terms of the Performance Scheme (which started this year) – and also in preparation for the future of European ATM, SESAR.

At the heart of SESAR is the concept of system-wide information management – information flowing between aircraft, air navigation service providers, the Network Manager and, of course, airports. More than ever, it is now recognised that airports have to be included; not only are they an unavoidable part of any flight, they also represent a real constraint on future growth (yes, we do still expect growth to return!).

So anything we can do to help smooth the passage of aircraft through airports and make them more efficient is very clearly worthwhile. One such initiative, which has already been implemented by five major airports (Munich, Brussels, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and London Heathrow) is Airport Collaborative Decision Making – A-CDM.

All too often passengers land at an airport and then find they need to wait for a gate, or a set of steps, or a bus. Certainly I recognise this experience, particularly when the flight is very early or late. Whilst there is sometimes a good reason for the delay, often it is just as a result of a lack of communication. The person who had the latest information on the arrival time just hasn’t passed it on to everyone who needs it.

The basic idea of A-CDM is that there are real benefits to be achieved if you share information as a matter of course. More than that, if the main players at an airport tell each other about what matters to them, then subsequent decisions can start to be made taking into account the needs of everyone. Similarly, if everyone is working off the same Target Off Block Time (TOBT), then you can get better use of resources (such as pushback trucks). We have also seen better departure sequencing, significantly reduced taxi/holding times and much better predictability of when the aircraft will actually take-off.

And while all this helps in terms of improving the efficiency of the airport and reducing the fuel burn and maintenance costs of the airlines, I would just like to explore a little more the impact of the improvement in predictability as a key part of A-CDM is improving the exchange of information with the network – specifically with the Network Manager. With more accurate and more up-to-date information, we can improve our predictions of how much traffic will affect each airport or sector at a particular time and we can fine tune the system to prevent problems. That makes it easier for aircraft to fly their optimum trajectory, thus again reducing fuel burn.

We can also produce a better estimate of when the aircraft will arrive and pass that on to the destination airport. If that airport also has A-CDM, then there is another opportunity for better planning and a more efficient turnaround. At Heathrow, where they have very recently put in place A-CDM, they are already seeing very clear, positive and quantifiable results. A spokesman recently said: “We are only just beginning to realise the wider benefits that linking to the network brings.”

These benefits will increase as – with the active support of ACI Europe – more and more airports will sign up. Plans are well advanced at many more airports, including Kiev, Helsinki, Zurich, Schiphol, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Berlin Brandenburg, Rome, Madrid and Oslo. While the benefits are more evident at the busier airports, those running close to capacity, even less busy airports can see results, easily justifying the time and effort involved in setting up A-CDM.

Indeed, we are now looking at how to expand the network. For example, there has been major progress recently with the FAA on improving the exchange of information on trans- Atlantic flights. Again, this helps improve predictability and helps both continents plan their traffic flows much better.

So, when an airport does become part of the network, there are real benefits – for all the different players at the airport, for the airlines and, perhaps most importantly, for the passengers.