From 2017, students from the Aviation Academy HvA will carry out research within the CoE.
The first major long-term research line of Capacity Management of the Aviation Academy is very relevant to aviation industry in the Netherlands. For one the effective capacity management has the potential to reduce airline delays and reduce controller workload. In fact, effective capacity management has the potential to create growth perspective for airlines and airports. The research focuses on gaining opportunities from the current limited system of the airport and its surroundings. The reasoning behind the research line, is supported by the developments – such as, increasing air traffic demand, increasing delays in the network, increasing strain on the ATM system and political pressure – that result in capacity bottlenecks influencing smooth operations more and more. To achieve higher efficiency levels, higher the CoE sets out at ten research topics per year. These topics are obtained from the major stakeholders at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, to reflect sector wide issues and provide an unbiased result in how to overcome, the current challenges.]
Below are the topics and the results.
Batch February, 2018
1. How are the airspace capacity effects of big events justified?
Big or large-scale events (e.g. Nuclear Security Summit, Tour de France, etc.) that limit the use of airspace in an effective way, make the already complex activities for air traffic controllers and airlines to perform their schedules on time difficult. An impact analysis of the past events such as the nuclear summit or other limiting events should be analysed to determine their impact on the normal operations. Which specific options were chosen and how did it impact the operations for airlines, air traffic control and other relevant stakeholders. The research must provide insight how these events influence capacity, what specific actions result in the least disturbances to the system and provide requirements to create/change the process (non-normal/special operations) that copes with these events in a structured way. The customer wants to be better prepared for future “big events” which impact airspace capacity. Justification of capacity effects and costs (for instance the secondary effect on passenger compensations for the airlines) for its stakeholders is a key area of interest.
Main stakeholders: LVNL, AAS, Airlines
Research student: Bas Broekstra
2. Analysis of capacity benefits of optimized hand-over conditions
The current ATM paradigm is characterized by local optimization. Controllers manage traffic, as efficient as they can, within their own sector or area of responsibility. Due to the ever-increasing capacity demands, these areas of responsibility have become smaller and smaller. As a result, the optimization processes have become more and more limited geographically and have become less effective.As part of an incremental approach concepts such as “cross-centre arrival management” try to optimize ATM at a smaller scale. However, these initial chain-optimization steps are instrumental for the transition to TBO.LVNL is interested to explore near term chain-optimization solutions, such as optimized hand-over conditions between centres, sectors, or stakeholders. The intention is to define examples of near term chain optimizations and to analyse their benefits. The SESAR concept relies on “Trajectory Based Operations” (TBO) as a means to optimize traffic management across sector and centre boundaries. This upscaling of the geographical area of optimization should unlock very large benefits for airspace users.
Main stakeholder: LVNL
Research student: Marc Eijkens
3. Impact analysis of the Schiphol airport/runway/design/layout developments
The position of Schiphol compared to its competitor airports is strong but maintaining this level of operation and also coping with the upcoming growth, the system shows signs of fatigue. Schiphol seems to be losing ground and efficiency due to capacity constraints, analysis on the current weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and treats of the system, can provide the needed view on the gap between current and operations where we can operate the airport at. In addition, in the analysis considering seasonality and peak and off-peak operations. The result must provide a deeper understanding of the impact of the current infrastructure on the efficiency of the operation for all involved stakeholders (airline, ground handlers, ATC).
Main stakeholders: LVNL, AAS
Research student: Gijs Peters
4. Impact analysis of the effects of airline strategies on airspace capacity
Airlines provide the demand side of capacity, being full service network carriers focusing on MCT and operating in waves of small and large aircraft, or low-cost carriers operating high frequencies around the existing peaks. The airline strategies (business model) influence the use of the infrastructure, including company policies adhered by for instance pilots, on performance. Analysis of company policies on airline operations and operations requirements of the airline’s operations should be researched. The results must provide the impact of the airline strategies on airport capacity.
Main stakeholders: LVNL, Airlines, AAS
Research student: Martijn Ringelberg
5. A-CDM efficiency
The customer wants an in-depth analysis of the impact – efficiency gains of A-CDM at. It is up to you to provide insight for and from the involved A-CDM stakeholders.An analysis into the actual efficiency that A-CDM can provide an airport and its stakeholders is required. Where are the actual benefits within the operation and why? What does A-CDM provide for which stakeholder and how much? Is it provable that A-CDM provides these benefits? A-CDM is almost fully implemented at Schiphol Airport, airports in Europe are gradually working towards an interconnected network of airports.
Main stakeholder: AAS
Research student: Roel Wouters
Batch September, 2017
1. Analysis of the effectiveness of the limitation/regulations in controlling airspace towards and from Schiphol
Air traffic controllers find the most efficient way to align aircraft towards the runway, maintaining separation requirements, trying to prevent delays, choosing the most fuel-efficient routes for airlines from and to the airport. Although in some cases regulations in the airspace are deemed necessary to cope with an increase in demand, on top of that pilots (airlines) tend to defeat the system by asking for directs (deviations), instead of following the rest. In addition, relaxing some airspace constraints did not have the effect of a higher utilisation of the airspace. The analysis should provide insight in the effectiveness of limitation/regulations used in the airspace. Possible input can be an aircraft priority study (KLM), that provides the airline with information which aircraft to speed up or slow down. The results of the research must provide air traffic controller with the impact of certain regulations and also airspace users with the insight on how their decisions impact the whole system. Included should be at least a list of the most used regulations with their impact/effectiveness and deviations by users including their impact as well.
The customer wants to get insight in the current effectiveness of Network Manager regulations, and in particular the effect of airline/pilot behaviour on the effectiveness of regulations.
Keywords: limitations, regulations, airspace, airlines, pilots
Research student: Joep Boekhout
2. How can Schiphol transition to use of APOC in an effective way?
ATC controllers are respected for their high-performance jobs, training is consistent and on high quality level, still the individual controller has the opportunity to guide air traffic in the most efficient way for that moment. An analysis of ATC decision taking (taxiway, gates, runway usage, approach and take-off routing), finding deviations and variations in the operation, should determine the current way of working and should form the basis to work towards APOC. In APOC, a key difference between the current situation is the way of information sharing and availability, this difference with the current situation should be analyzed, providing the insight how to transition towards the use of APOC. The results must provide how the current decision-making process impacts capacity and to what extent can these deviations and variations be reduced when APOC is used. Furthermore, what are benefits and what are the requirements to transition to this future situation. In addition, also maintaining sufficient flexibility in the operations after the decisions have been made.
The customer wants insight in how a transition can be made from the current discrete (4 times per day) decision-making process to a decision-making process that is based on continuous actualization of information. Furthermore, what would be most efficient way to communicate the decisions to the stakeholders (also for instance pilots at a gate) to create a transparent decision-making system.
Keywords: ATC, deviations, variations, decision making, APOC, what-if scenarios
Research student: Huib de Jong
3. Analyses of deviations and variations in the ground operations due to runway changes
Schiphol has the most runways in Europe with respect to major hub airports, this does not automatically translate to the highest ATMs. During the day runway use is changed, primarily because of the noise restrictions surrounding Schiphol. An analysis of the impact on the capacity on the ground and in air, is needed to determine, how this already complex change of runways also increases the complexity in other parts of the system. Included in the analysis the effect on TATs can be determined possibly through A-CDM data, also information from the ORS (Omgevingsraad Schiphol) must be considered as input. The results must provide an effect analysis on specific parts of the system and the reasoning, the related stakeholders need to be covered also the cost and benefits in operational sense need to be addressed.
The customer wants to get insight in the capacity, operational (deviations from filled flight plan, missed connections, etc.) consequences of the current environmental framework.
Keywords: runway changes, complexity, TAT, A-CDM, cost, benefits, operation
Research student: Remsey Kanis