2011 Summer Autumn Skyway55

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magazinewaySky

Designing & managingairspace routesManaging the networkJacques Dopagne,

Director Network Management,

EUROCONTROL

Interview withMatthew Baldwin,

Director Air Transport

European Commission

Skyway is a EUROCONTROL publication

No. 55, Summer - Autumn 2011

EUROCONTROL

Alsointhisissue:

n Airspacemanagement

nFreerouteimpleme

ntation

n4Dtrajectorymanagement


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The EUROCONTROL Skyway magazine.

Publisher: David McMillan

Managing Editor: Kyla Evans

Editor: Lucia Pasquini, Catherine De Smedt

Linguistic Advisers: Language Service

Layout: Frdrique Fyon

Photography: Vronique Paul/Graphix

Printing: EUROCONTROL Logistics and Support Services

magazinewaySky

Contents

FOCUS

Strategy and vision

Improving civil-military ATM

coordination for the Single Sky

in order to enhance European

network performance

Airspace developments:key in network operations

planning

Airspace management:a collaborative andtransparent decision-makingprocess

Tactical handling of theEuropean airspace network

FRAM: Free Route AirspaceMaastricht - As the crow ies

Integration of functionalairspace blocks into ARNversion-7

4D trajectory management

EDITORIAL

By David McMillan,Director General

5

6 18

Number 55Summer - Autumn 2011

European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation

(EUROCONTROL) September 2011

This document is published by EUROCONTROL in the interests

of exchange of information. It may be copied in whole or

in part, providing that EUROCONTROL is acknowledged as a

source. The information contained in this document may

not be modied without prior written permission from

EUROCONTROL.

Articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily

reect EUROCONTROLs ocial policy.

For more information and to receive a free copy of

Skyway, please contact the editor, Lucia Pasquini

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone: +32 2 729 34 20

Fax: +32 2 729 91 98

EUROCONTROL

96, rue de la Fuse, 1130 Brussels, Belgium

EUROCONTROL Website: http://www.eurocontrol.int

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VIEWPOINT

Blue Med Malta free routereal-time simulation

The FABEC ATFCM/ASMfunction: one step ahead

REVIEW

The Central Route ChargesOce, 2001-2011

INDEPENDENTPLATFORM

Operational challenges toenhancing airspace usage

VISITS

EUROCONTROL welcomes visitorsto its premises, both individuals andorganised groups

Forthcoming events

INTERVIEW

Seven questions forMatthew Baldwin,the newly appointedDirector of Air Transport atthe European CommissionsDirectorate Generalof Mobility and Transport,DG MOVE

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Skyway 55 Summer - Autumn 2011

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5Skyway 55 Summer - Autumn 2011

EDITORIAL

Dear Readers,

A sky without borders is the underlying vision of the SingleEuropean Sky. This means that we need to radically rethink theway in which airspace is designed in order to improve perfor-mance and eciency in the skies above Europe. In this issue

of Skyway, we will be looking at the main challenges Europe isfacing and the key initiatives currently in place to tackle them.

One of the main challenges is to adopt a real network approach thinking and operating as a network is essential for perfor-mance. Following on from the reform programme we under-took in 2010 to adapt ourselves to the changing political andoperational context, we have recently been nominated by theEuropean Commission to take on the role of European networkmanager.

As network manager we will work with all the various actorswithin the European aviation sector to make sure that the ATMnetwork can meet the demands of

its users. A key element in design-ing an ecient airspace and oper-ating as a network is the interfacebetween the air routes and themain airports. As Jacques Dopagne,Director Network Management,will explain airspace design mustcombine the route structure of theight together with the best possi-ble interface with the airport, wherefuture bottlenecks are expected.

Looking to the users of the network,

it is clear that dierent airspace usershave dierent needs. Balancing theneeds of civil and military usersso that the airspace is eectivelyutilised requires close coordinationat all levels, and we have unique experience in this area. Skywaywill tell you more about the changes required to make civil-military ATM coordination t for SES.

A network perspective is critical if we are to meet the perfor-mance targets of tomorrow. EUROCONTROL has solid experi-ence and expertise in air trac ow and airspace management,network planning and airspace design, and our nomination asNetwork Manager is clearly built on this. I see this nomination

as a token of the appreciation and trust of our stakeholders formore than 50 years and as an exceptional challenge for the next50 years. We are fully committed to building on our past experi-ence and to evolving in our new role, in full cooperation withour stakeholders.

Let me conclude by taking a few words from Matthew Baldwinsinterview and which reect the spirit of this edition of Skyway:Performance is the absolute beating heart of the SingleEuropean Sky. We cant consider it a done deal until we haverealised signicant and enduring performance improvements.

David McMillanDirector General

Chers lecteurs,

Un ciel sans frontires est ce que nous visons mettre en place travers le Ciel unique europen. Ce projet nous impose de repens-er radicalement la manire dont lespace arien est organis dansloptique damliorer les performances et lecience dans le ciel

en Europe. La prsente dition de Skyway examine les grandsds que lEurope doit relever ainsi que les principales initiativesmises en uvre pour les surmonter.

Un des ds majeurs consiste adopter une vritable approchede rseau penser et fonctionner comme un rseau est essentielpour la performance. Dans le sillage du programme de rformelanc en 2010 an de nous adapter lvolution du contexte poli-tique et oprationnel, nous avons rcemment t dsigns par laCommission europenne pour exercer le rle de Gestionnaire durseau europen.

ce titre, nous allons uvrer avec lensemble des direntsacteurs du secteur aronautique europen pour faire en

sorte que le rseau ATM soit mme de satisfaire auxattentes de ses usagers. Un facteur dterminant pourorganiser lespace arien de manire eciente et travailleren rseau est linterface entre les routes ariennes etles principaux aroports. Comme lexplique JacquesDopagne, Directeur Gestion du rseau , lorganisationde lespace arien doit combiner la structure de routes duvol et la meilleure interface possible avec laroport, odes goulets dtranglement sont escompts dans lavenir.

En ce qui concerne les utilisateurs du rseau, il est videntque les dirents usagers de lespace arien ont desbesoins qui leur sont propres. Concilier les besoins des

usagers civils et militaires de sorte que lespace arien soitexploit ecacement impose une troite coordination tous les niveaux, et nous possdons une exprienceunique dans ce domaine. Skyway vous en dira plus sur leschangements requis pour adapter la coordination civile-

militaire dans le domaine de lATM aux exigences du SES.

Une perspective de rseau est cruciale pour atteindre les cibles deperformance de demain. EUROCONTROL peut se prvaloir dunevaste exprience double dune solide expertise de la gestion descourants de trac arien et de lespace arien ainsi que de la plani-cation du rseau et de lorganisation de lespace arien, autantdatouts qui sont clairement la source de notre dsignation enqualit de Gestionnaire du rseau. Je considre cette dsignation

comme un gage de lapprciation et de la conance de nos parte-naires aprs plus de 50 ans, et aussi comme un d exceptionnelpour les 50 prochaines annes. Nous sommes pleinement dter-mins faire fond sur nos acquis et voluer dans notre nouveaurle, en totale coopration avec nos partenaires.

Je conclurai en reprenant quelques mots de lentretien deMatthew Baldwin qui retent bien lesprit de ce numro deSkyway : La performance est llment vital absolu du Cielunique europen. Tant que nous naurons pas apport des amlio-rations signicatives et durables sur ce plan, nous ne pourronsconsidrer que le projet a abouti .

David McMillanDirecteur gnral


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The vision for a Single European Sky is almost as old as thecommercial aviation sector itself. That vision is now nallybeing put in place but ecient airspace usage and designrequire a detailed strategy and careful implementation.Skyway talks toJacques Dopagne, Director NetworkManagement, who tells us more about how this is beingachieved.

Strategy

andvision

FOCUS


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Skyway 55 Summer - Autumn 2011 7

FOCUS

The political will to create a unied skyover Europe dissipated in the 1960sshortly after the creation of EURO-CONTROL the organisation that wasfounded with this very goal in mind.Some 50 years later, however, thephenomenal and initially unexpect-ed growth in air trac has led to aconsensus for the grand European avi-ation scheme to nally go ahead. Thistime though there is a political struc-ture in the shape of the 27 MemberStates of the European Union that isrobust enough to support the visionthrough to its fruition and pragmaticenough to work to extend it beyondits supranational borders.

The vision is to rethink the way air-space is designed so that it no longerrepresents the national borders belowit. The fragmentation created by theairspace design, as it was originallyconceived, is creating inecienciesand delays that currently dog the con-tinents aviation network. Therefore,a set of nine multinational projects,known as functional airspace blocks,are being dened to be implementedby the end of 2012 to improve the per-formance in the skies above Europe.Countries have banded together tocombine their airspaces into large

enough segments to be able to createthe unied network that was set out inthe rst legislative package of the Sin-gle European Sky back in 2004. A sec-ond legislative package (SES II) was ad-opted ve years later which ne-tunedand, to some extent, reinvigorated theproject. Within this second legislativepackage there are three elements thatwill drive the quest for greater e-ciency, lower costs, less environmentalimpact and increased safety a rigor-

ous Performance Scheme, the creationof the SESAR Joint Undertaking and aneective Network Manager.

Managing the network

The European Commission (EC) wasconscious of the fact that if it imposedtargets on the system then it shouldalso establish a means of helping thestakeholders to achieve them, hencethe concept of the Network Managerwas born. Its role is primarily to coor-dinate all of the various actors withinthe European aviation sector in orderto get the optimum output from themin terms of:

n route network design;n management of scarce resources;n trac ow management;n slot coordination and allocation;n support and synchronisation of the

deployment of SESAR technologiesand new operational concepts.

The Single European Sky PerformanceScheme will gradually build up itsremit. For the rst reference period(RP1), running from 2012 to 2014, thetargets relate specically to the ighteciency/environment, network ca-pacity and cost-eciency. Those cov-ered by the targets are all 27 EU Statesplus Norway and Switzerland whohave entered the project under agree-ments with the EU. The second refer-

ence period (RP2) will incorporate ad-ditional targets for safety and airports.

When the EC adopted the NetworkManagement Functions Implement-ing Rule in February 2011, it also pro-posed that EUROCONTROL should bedesignated as the Network Manager.Late August, EUROCONTROLs 39Member States accepted our nomi-nation. The European Commissionhas supported EUROCONTROLs ef-

fort to get all EUROCONTROL Stateson board as it is aware that the Net-work Manager would work best if its

JacquesDopagne


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FOCUS

remit was extended beyond the EU.Nevertheless the sovereignty rights ofEU States and EUROCONTROL non-EUStates has to be secured in the imple-mentation of Network Managementfunctions.

In preparation for such a move,EUROCONTROL has undergone aradical reorganisation, part of whichsaw the creation of the DirectorateNetwork Management (DNM) on 1January 2011. Jacques Dopagne, whoheads the DNM, sees EURO-CONTROLas the logical organisation to take onthis role. For decades now, we havebeen active in every technical and op-erational domain that is required forthis task airspace design, air trafficflow and airspace management, ca-pacity planning both for airspace andairports, managing scarce resourcesas well as introducing new technolo-gies and procedures. Moreover, theCentral Flow Management Unit thatwas established by EUROCONTROLin 1989 to drive down delay couldbe said to be a precursor of the Net-work Manager. Other high-profileprogrammes like the effort to increaseairspace capacity by implementingreduced vertical separation minima(RVSM) underline the Agencys abilityto develop and deliver pan-European

projects. The switch-over to 8.33 kHzvoice communications channel spac-ing is another good example.

In addition, the fact that EURO-CONTROL has been working with themilitary ever since its inception to-gether with the fact that its member-ship is larger than the EUs (39 against27) makes it an ideal bridge from theEU to the rest of Europe. This is vital asDopagne points out, The larger the

area of the airspace you design thebetter it is for the flow and airspacemanagement.

Designing the airspace

According to Dopagne, What airlineswant is shorter routes. They also wantto choose their own routes, the onesthat t their business, wherever pos-sible. But, he elaborates, There isone particular element that is very

important. That is the interface be-tween the air routes and the mainairports like Amsterdam, London,Madrid, Paris and so on. In short, theairspace design must combine theroute structure of the ight togetherwith the best possible interface withthe airport. It is, therefore, a functionof the Network Manager to work withthe other stakeholders air naviga-tion service providers, airlines, air-ports and the military to ensure the

overall coherency of the network byintegrating local plans with the bigpicture.

One key element that will make theight eciency target achievable isthe Free Route Airspace concept. Inthis, airlines choose where they enterinto an airspace sector and where theyleave it. This will achieve the shortermore direct routes and produce great-er eciency. Additional eciency

gains will also be achieved throughthe way in which ights actually takeplace. Signicant savings are alreadybeing accrued through the growingadoption of continuous descent ap-proaches (CDAs) where an aircraft canglide down from the top of its descentwith its engines on idle. Not only doesthis save fuel, but it also reduces noiseirritation along the route to the airportas less of the ight is within earshot ofthe ground. A similar concept is be-

ing adopted for aircraft departures.The airspace design around airportsneeds to be adapted so that there are


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The larger the area

of the airspace you

design the better it

is for the ow and air-

space management.

Skyway 55 Summer - Autumn 2011

multiple paths for these approachesand departures to be undertaken. Onthe airport side, besides operationaland technical evolutions that will con-tribute to the performance both ofairports and the network, there is nowgrowing optimism that there will bean acceleration of the implementation

of A-CDM in more airports.

Responding to crises

The eruption of Icelands Eyjaal-lajkull volcano was a stark exampleof how the lack of a coordinated re-sponse to an event, and the absence ofharmonised regulations, practices andprocedures can result in confusion, de-lay and increased costs. That is why theestablishment of the European Avia-

tion Crisis Coordination Cell (EACCC)was so necessary. This body has setabout nding a new consensus-

driven and more ecient method ofaddressing the issues arising from suchan event and deploying the remedialaction required to heal the system. Theprocess was put to the test in May2011 when Icelands most active volca-no, Grimsvtn, erupted, spewing ashonce again across northern European

airspace. We activated the EACCC,we had ve meetings and we were incontact with the major airlines, the airnavigation service providers (ANSPs),the national supervisory authorities(NSAs), EASA (European Aviation Safe-ty Agency) and the Volcanic Ash Advi-sory Centre (VAAC). We monitored thesituation, decided what to do and puta plan into action, Dopagne explainswith obvious enthusiasm. The secondvolcanic eruption may not have been

as severe as the rst but the responsewas markedly better. Plans are nowafoot to bring the EACCC within the re-

mit of the Network Manager so that itcan play a larger role within the entiresystem and help to address not justvolcanoes but other disasters such asnuclear contamination scares like theFukushima incident in Japan.

Reducing the distance aircraft have toy over Europe will inevitably result infewer emissions, which is good for theenvironment and good for the cost-eectiveness of the entire network andall the actors within it. It should comeas no surprise, however, that gettingto the end of the roadmap which hasbeen sketched out by the ATM MasterPlan that governs this huge eort willtake time.

By 2020 the aviation sector shouldhowever have radically overhauledthe way the airspace above Europe isorganised and the way in which air-craft y within it. n


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FOCUS

Ifweareto

achievecompleteand

successfulimplemen-

tationoftheSingleSky

atpan-Europeanlevel,

therearestillsome

challengestobe

mastered.Michael

Steinfurth, Head ofEUROCONTROLs

Civil-Military ATM

Coordination Division,

looksatthechanges

requiredtomake

civil-militaryATM

coordinationtfor

theSES.

Improvingcivil-militaryATM

coordinationfortheSingleSkyin

ordertoenhanceEuropeannetwork

performanceWhereas in the past, air travel wasthe privilege of wealthy elite, com-mercial air transport has gradu-ally evolved to become a commonmeans of transport for business andleisure trips. As a result, Europe hasexperienced a continuous growth inair traffic over the last 30 years anddespite occasional drawbacks stem-ming from various crisis scenarios,the growth is not expected to stop.In order to allow these activities to

be safely executed with the neces-sary punctuality, air traffic manage-ment (ATM) has become increas-ingly important. One major tasks ofATM is to manage the efficient useof airspace in order to facilitate theoperational needs of commercial airtransport, military aviation and gen-eral aviation. Consequently, airspacemanagement (ASM) has massivelyincreased in importance in recentdecades, especially since airspace

is a finite resource that has alwaysbeen facing and continues to face anever-growing demand for capacity.

MichaelSteinfurth


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From airspace as a singleentity to a SingleEuropean Sky

As early as the 1980s, EURO-CONTROL was already address-ing this problem, and provided itsMember States with best practicesfor managing airspace, utilising theFlexible Use of Airspace (FUA) con-cept. The FUA concept brought to-gether civil and military partners to

discontinue the practice of dividingairspace between civil and militaryuse. Instead, airspace was considereda single entity, which is allocated tothe various users when needed.

Today, this practice is well appliedin the vast majority of EuropeanStates. However, the effectivenessof ASM and the FUA finds its limita-tions in the nationally fragmentedEuropean ATM structure. The fact

that this national ATM fragmenta-tion reduces airspace and networkcapacity was identified by EURO-

CONTROL many years ago, and theresulting idea One Day One Skymay still be remembered. However,only the clear determination of theEuropean Union to reduce fragmen-tation, increase capacity, accommo-date major traffic flows and establisha transparent performance schemehas provided sufficient power andmomentum for the implementationof the Single European Sky (SES).

Since the first EC communication inDecember 1999, the SES has madegood progress, with the EU bringinginto force two legislation packages,establishing the SES ATM Research(SESAR) Programme, creating theEuropean Aviation Safety Agency(EASA), developing functional air-space blocks (FABs) and entrustingthe task of European Network Man-ager to EUROCONTROL. There are,however, still some remaining chal-lenges to be mastered before com-plete implementation of the SingleSky on a pan-European scale with allits expected benefits can be success-fully achieved.

Airspace management

(ASM) has massively

increased in importance

in recent decades,

especially since airspace

is a nite resource thathas always been facing

and continues to face

an ever-growing

demand for capacity.


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FOCUS

12

Single European Skychallenges

One of the major remaining chal-lenges is to improve civil-military ATMcoordination arrangements to reachbeyond national boundaries in orderto suciently match the SES environ-ment, including future changes result-ing from SESAR and the ATM MasterPlan. The good news is that EURO-CONTROL is ready and prepared tosupport its Member States in impro-ving civil-military ATM coordination.

EUROCONTROL, as the sole civil-military intergovernmental ATM or-ganisation in Europe, is best suited forthis task, since, with the Civil-MilitaryInterface Standing Committee (CMIC),the Military ATM Board (MAB) and theMilitary Harmonisation Group (Mil-HaG), appropriate consultation ar-rangements are already in place, andwith its Civil-Military ATM Coordina-tion Division (DSS/CM) forming part ofthe recently created Directorate SingleSky, there is also a work force of the ap-propriate size and quality to facilitatethe intended improvements.

Changes required tomake civil-military ATMcoordination t for SES

Before a start is made on the develop-ment of changes, an agreed desiredend-state must be dened. The desiredend-state for the civil partners is mani-fested within SES and SESAR: ten timesmore safety, half the cost, three timesmore capacity, 10% less environmentalimpact. The desired end-state for themilitary partners is to maintain opera-tional exibility and the availability ofappropriately sized airspace to trainas they ght at least at the same qual-ity level as today. On the assumptionthat the desired military end-state isaccepted by the relevant civil partners,the European military ATM communityis determined to fully support SES andSESAR and to adapt civil-military ATMcoordination arrangements for betternetwork performance.

Supported and facilitated by EURO-CONTROLs Civil-Military ATM Coor-dination Division (CM), the Europeanmilitary ATM community has alreadyreached important milestones towards

improved civil-military coordination ar-rangements at the strategic and techni-cal levels. MAB has established military-military coordination arrangements,which will deliver to the maximumextent possible single pan-Europeanmilitary positions for civil-military ATMcoordination, instead of multiple na-tional views.

With due regard to respective SES leg-islation and in line with the ATM Mas-ter Plan, CM has developed for EURO-CONTROLs military and civil stakehold-ers an airspace management supportsystem, the Local And sub-RegionalASM Support System (LARA). Thissystem is supporting military airspaceplanners, but far more importantly, forthe rst time in ATM history, a widelydeployed LARA could also provide apan-European view on military aerialactivities throughout all three ATM

phases for all civil actors involved.Currently, LARA is being deployed inBelgium, the Netherlands and the UK,but more States are lining up to get in-volved.

Together with the military liaison ocer(MILO) function that has been alreadyimplemented in the Network Manage-ment Operations Room, the future Net-work Manager could pro-actively initi-ate civil-military collaborative real-time

decision-making to improve networkperformance by using the enhancedASM opportunities provided by LARA.


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To assess the performance of ASM andto receive feedback for required cor-rective actions, the PRISMIL servicewas developed and initially establishedwithin the Belgian, French and Germanair forces. PRISMIL is currently the onlyoperational system in Europe capableof measuring ASM performance. Ap-propriately responding to SES II legis-lation and the ATM Master Plan, manymore States are therefore getting readyto use PRISMIL.

The military European ATM commu-nity has fully engaged in SESAR sincethe denition phase and is convincedthat SESAR has the potential to devel-op systems and tools that will enableboth the civil and military sectors toreach their desired end-state in ATM.

To achieve this, military requirementsneed to be duly regarded and inte-

grated into the ongoing research anddevelopment activities. For that pur-pose, the Directorate Single Sky andits Civil-Military ATM CoordinationDivision have established, internallywith EUROCONTROLs SESAR Direc-torate and externally with the SESARJoint Undertaking (SJU), functionalworking arrangements to managemilitary SESAR contributions. The on-going SESAR work is intended to pro-vide maximum civil-military system

interoperability in order to ensurebest possible implementation of theSESAR Concept of Operation and its

main enablers, system-wide informa-tion management (SWIM) and trajec-tory-based operations.

Coordination for a truepan-European SingleSky

Further activities to align civil-mili-tary ATM coordination with SES re-quirements are aimed at enhancingcivil-military CNS (communications,navigation and surveillance) systeminteroperability to minimise State air-

craft exemption policies, which alsoplace constraints on network perfor-mance.

Equally important for network per-formance is a sucient level of ATMsafety and subsequent eorts thatimprove civil-military coordinationin regulatory matters. Supported byEUROCONTROL, the military Euro-pean ATM community is engaged inharmonising military rules and shar-

ing them with its civil partners, and inthe process to establish sound work-ing arrangements with EASA.

The military European

ATM community has fully

engaged in SESAR since

the denition phase and

is convinced that SESAR

has the potential to de-velop systems and tools

that will enable both the

civil and military sectors

to reach their desired

end-state in ATM.

An often underestimated aspect isATM security, as security incidentsin particular could have a massiveimpact on the performance of thenetwork. The military EuropeanATM community is also active inthis field and is supporting civil-military coordination arrangementswithin the NATO-EUROCONTROL Air-space Security Coordination Group(NEASCOG). Many activities andprojects to improve civil-militaryATM coordination for the Single Skyand to enhance European networkperformance have already beeninitiated, developed or are about tobe deployed.

However, the eorts must continue ina true spirit of civil-military coopera-tion that acknowledges the require-ments of all partners involved andpays due respect to their constraints,even if this at times calls for a durablecompromise which might not providemaximum individual benet but im-proves overall network performancefor civil and military users at large. Ifall States and stakeholders involvedembark on these principles, nothingcan stop the successful implementa-tion of a true pan-European SingleSky.

These nal words could have been asuitable ending to my contributionto the summer edition of the Skywaymagazine. However, my article wouldnot be complete without mention-ing the merits of Jean-Robert Cazarr,who has just nished his contractwith EUROCONTROL, since it was hisstrategic vision and determination asDirector for Civil-Military ATM Coordi-nation which initiated and advancedmany of the projects that will pro-

vide sustainable improvements forcivil-military ATM coordination in theSingle European Sky. n


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FOCUS

A performance-drivendevelopment

As a result of the combination betweentrac growth and delay targets, the Eu-ropean ATM network capacity will needto increase by 28% between 2010-2014if it is to achieve and maintain the EUannual delay target of 0.5 minutes/ightand accommodate a forecast trac in-crease of 13%. The European ATM net-work also faces intense pressure to im-prove the environmental performancein order to achieve the EU environmen-tal targets and limit the impact of risingfuel prices.

A consolidateddevelopment

The Version 7 of the European air tracservices (ATS) Route Network (ARN) andits associated concept of operations andcatalogue of projects were developedto respond to these requirements. Thedeliverable is generally known as ARNVersion-7.

ARN Version-7 responds to the Provi-sional Councils Airspace Action Planand the 2015 Airspace Concept and

Version7oftheEuropeanATSRouteNetworkwasdevelopedtoaddress

tracgrowth,delaytargetsandenvironmentalrequirements.

ItrespondstotheProvisionalCouncilsAirspaceActionPlanandthe2015

AirspaceConceptandStrategyfortheECACStates. Razvan Bucuroiu,

Head of Operations Planning Unit at EUROCONTROL,

tellsusmoreaboutit.

Airspacedevelopments:keyinnetworkoperationsplanning

Strategy for the ECAC States. ARN Ver-sion-7 will also continue to addressthe main requirements included in theFlight Eciency Plan signed in 2008between IATA, CANSO and EURO-CONTROL.

The objective of ARN Version-7 isthe enhancement of European ATMcapacity, ight eciency and envi-ronmental performance through thedevelopment and implementation ofan improved ATS route network andterminal area (TMA) system structures,supported by corresponding improve-ments to the airspace structure

and optimal utilisation rules forboth within the ECAC area.

ARN Version-7 ensures thefurther deployment of the ad-vanced airspace scheme routenetwork and consolidates intoa network approach the rstfunctional airspace block (FAB)developments, the move to-wards free route applicationimplementation projects and

TMA system developments.It lays the foundations for thedelivery of the operational as-

pects of SESAR IP1 (2008-2013) andalso contributes to the achievement ofthe Single European Sky requirements.

ARN Version-7 oers more alternativeroutings and more direct route align-ments closer to the user-preferredroutes, whilst maintaining the internaloperational consistency of the Europe-an airspace organisation. It takes intoaccount the need for a coherent inter-face with the remainder of the ICAOEuropean and North Atlantic Regionand other relevant ICAO regions.

RazvanBucuroiu

ARN VRSION-7 IS DRIVD fROM

h fOLLOIN SORS:

n AAS route network;n additional proposals

covering a cohesivedevelopment of the European ATSroute network;

n solutions developed within variousFAB initiatives;

n proposals originating at

national or sub-regional level;n aircraft operator proposals.


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What is new?

ARN Version-7 includes a large num-ber of new features, namely it:

n is based on a dedicated opera-tional concept;

n includes a network-wide FreeRoute Concept of Operations;

n includes an evaluation of the con-tributions to European operation-al performance targets;

n comprises a European night routenetwork;

n includes a rst comprehensivepackage of Free Route Projects;

n integrates the rst comprehen-sive package of airspace improve-ments resulting from FAB devel-opments;

n has been developed on the basisof several layers of improvement(xed permanent route network,night route network, free routeairspace, sectors, TMA develop-ments, etc.) responding to the no-tion of airspace conguration.

What will be the impacton performance?

At this stage ARN Version-7 contains470 packages of airspace propos-als scheduled for implementationfor the 2011-2014 summer seasons.These proposals include more than1,500 route changes, around 40 re-sectorisation projects and about 25TMA projects.

The evaluation of the ATS route net-work improvements included in ARNVersion-7 indicates a reduction ofthe daily route extension of approxi-mately 33,000 nautical miles (NMs)per day as a result of the airspace de-sign actions implemented betweenautumn 2010 and autumn 2014.

As a result of these airspace designactions, the European ATS route net-

work will become only 2.90% longerthan the great circle distances (fromTMA entry to TMA exit points).

ARN Version-7 has the potential tosignicantly improve ight eciencyif all projects are fully implemented.

Between autumn 2010 and the endof 2014, ight eciency is expectedto improve by at least 10%. The routeextension due to airspace design (ifall ights use the route network with-out any route restrictions and withall CDRs permanently available) isexpected to decrease from 3.13% inSeptember 2010 to 2.90% by the endof 2014. The graphs above show theexpected trend of ight eciency in-dicators between autumn 2010 and

the end of 2014 in terms of extensioncompared to the great circle and netsavings.

The ARN Version-7 Catalogue containsapproximately 40 re-sectorisationprojects in addition to route networksolutions designed to reduce the com-plexity of the airspace structure. Basedon fast-time simulations of a numberof projects, it is expected that ARN Ver-

sion-7 will bring an additional 8-10%capacity to the European ATM networkwhen fully implemented.

As from full implementation of ARN

Version-7 in 2014, ying distances will

be reduced by approximately 12 million

NMs, representing the equivalent of

72,000 tons of fuel saved, or reduced

emissions of 240,000 tons, or 60 million.

Route eciency KPI per AIRAC cycle

Route savingsDaily reduction of route extension of 33243 NM


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16

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Main improvements

Map 1 indicates the airspace struc-ture expected to be in place at theend of the implementation of ARNVersion-7 (end of 2014), togetherwith the trac load based on cur-rent trac.

ARN Version-7 is an integral pack-age of airspace design and utilisa-tion solutions. It was built on thedevelopment of new concepts thatwere transposed in several layers ofairspace developments. These lay-ers are properly interconnected atnetwork level to ensure an appro-priate and cohesive airspace utilisa-tion:

n between various concepts;n over a 24-hours period;n and over various period of the

week or year.

The further development of theconcept of airspace congurationsat network level will ensure an en-hanced utilisation of these variouslayers at local, sub-regional, FAB andnetwork levels.

Map 2 shows the layer of new ATSroute segments that will be addedto the European ATS Route Network

through ARN Version 7.

Map 3 shows the layer of new night/weekend direct ATS route segmentsthat will be added to the EuropeanATS Route Network through ARNVersion 7.

Map 4 shows the layer containingthe implementation of Free RouteAirspace initiatives that are current-ly included in ARN Version-7. This

layer is supported by an initial net-work operational concept for FreeRoute Airspace Operations.

1.

2.

3.


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Linking airspace design

and airspace utilisationARN Version-7 oers a greater numberof possible options for use with ATSroute and ATC sector combinations,facilitating a balanced approach tocapacity and ight eciency. Theseoptions were taken into account inthe airspace design planning stages.Nevertheless, in order to exploit theirfull potential, development of appro-priate ight data processing systems,enhanced air trac ow and capacity

management (ATFCM) processes, thecharging scheme and an enhancedASM concept of operation will need tobe applied.

By bringing airspace design and air-space management closer together itwill enhance the eectiveness of theoverall ATM system. The target shouldbe a structure that allows airspace us-ers to y their preferred routes andproles, ANSPs to select the most e-

cient airspace organisation and ATFCMservices to manage overall capacity atits optimum.

Conclusions

ARN Version-7 enabled the achievement of a successful European airspace designthrough:

n the implementation of an advanced and consolidated concept of operations;n a pan-European view treating the European airspace as a continuum and a stra-

tegic vision of the European ATS Route Network, designed on the basis of maintrac ows and user-preferred routes and proles, with optimised supporting ATCsectors;

n the gradual elimination of bottlenecks and reasons for ight ineciency;n optimised procedures for an enhanced use of airspace;n a balanced approach between European network, regional and local requirements;n a coordinated and integrated partnership approach for the collective benet

of airspace users, Member States, air navigation service providers, and civil andmilitary authorities, deployed through a collaborative planning process. n

4.


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Background

The DMEAN concept of operations(CONOPs), developed in 2004, intro-

duces an organised and dynamic ex-ibility in the management of the airtrac management (ATM) system. Itdoes this in many dierent areas, withairspace management (ASM) beinga key solution, advocating as it doesa collaborative and transparent deci-sion-making process in the allocationof airspace.

Based on the DMEAN CONOPs, theEUROCONTROL ASM Improvements

Initiative was launched in 2007, withthe objective of achieving operationalimprovements in the short and medi-

Anders Hallgren,

EUROCONTROL Opera-

tions Planning Expert,

looksathowairspace

managementhas

developedtoensurea

dynamicutilisationof

availableairspaceinrealtime,ensuringthat

airspaceusersmakethe

mostoftheairspace

available.

Airspacemanagement:acollaborativeandtransparentdecision-makingprocess

um-term. This Initiative also focusedon issues relating to civil/military air-space utilisation as a means of opti-mising airspace use, as highlighted bythe Performance Review Commission.In particular, processes in support ofeective civil/military cooperation, to-gether with a more user-friendly noti-

cation process, were seen as very im-portant enablers to provide for a moredynamic use of airspace.

A more dynamicairspace management

A rst concrete step in the movetowards a more dynamic processhas already been taken: the air-space use plan (AUP) is now is-sued on the day before operations

(called D-1), and changes cantherefore also be dealt with beforethe tactical phase.

AndersHallgren


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This is the rst step towards a key de-liverable of the ASM ImprovementsInitiative, i.e. the promulgation ofprocedures allowing for a continuous,rolling process where the airspace us-ers can better take advantage of avail-able airspace. The scope of the rollingprocess is to improve the planning

phase by allowing for changes to air-space to be uploaded and shared withusers in real-time. Even though some

changes will still have to be dealt withat a tactical ATC level, the more thatcan be handled at the planning stage,the more ecient network operationswill be.

Support toolsThe development of tools to supportthe airspace management activitiesis of course essential. Without the in-troduction of improvements to thesystem such as CIAM (the CFMU/air-space manager interface), and LARA(local/sub-regional ASM tool), it wouldnot be possible to take full advantageof the processes developed. A full in-teroperability of tools required both atnational and network level is certainly

a pre-requisite to ensuring an auto-matic exchange of data.

Real-time up-to-dateairspace data

At the same time, the DMEAN CONOPsrecognised the need for a commonand consolidated view of Europeanairspace data, kept up-to-date in real-time, as the main enabler for opera-tional improvements.

ADR, a virtual airspace data repository,provides access to consistent sources

of airspace information containingboth static and dynamic elements,which will support the ASM/ATFCM/ATC collaborative process.

Real-time simulation to

conrm benetsA real-time simulation is scheduledfor the beginning of 2012 to preparefor how processes related to the ADR(in particular data on airspace status)could be provided. This simulationwill address and investigate changesin airspace status as they are handledin real-time during actual ATC opera-tions, which in ASM terms is calledASM level III. The objective of thesimulation is to perform an initial val-

idation of the process and conrmpossible benets that can potentiallybe delivered such as:

n promoting the use of the air-space and/or capacity for plan-ning purposes as soon as it isavailable;

n safety improvements;n more accurate and relevant air

trac ow and capacity manage-ment (ATFCM) measures due to

ASM/ATFCM operations basedon real use of airspace and notonly on intentions.


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Role of airspace management cells

States have established airspace management cells (AMCs) to allocate the requiredairspace on a day-to-day basis and to promulgate each day the airspace allocationdecision for the following day, through an airspace use plan (AUP).

Today, most national AMCs are involved only during the planning phases, and donot perform any tactical monitoring of the airspace situation. In most cases, the tac-tical information is not even available. However, the developments previously out-lined aiming at increasing the dynamism of ASM and moving parts of the pre-tacticalphase into the day of operations through a rolling process will have an impact on thefuture roles and responsibilities of AMCs.

If, in a future dynamic system, the AMCs are not aware of the real situation i.e. do notreceive real-time airspace status updates, it will be dicult for them to take informeddecisions on the development and progressive issuing of dynamic airspace use planupdates and to be sure that the plan and updates are still relevant.

ASM solution process

However, the ASM ImprovementsInitiative is not only focused on thedevelopment of processes. One of itsimportant objectives is to identify andsupport States and air navigation ser-vice providers (ANSPs) to make use ofhidden ATM system capacity throughan assessment of where ASM improve-ments could support more ecientnetwork operations. ASM solutions arethe response to the current capacity is-sues linked to the sharing of airspacebetween civil and military users, mak-ing extensive use of airspace manage-ment tools, processes and procedures.

The ASM solution process is aimed at

delivering ATFCM options that will al-leviate capacity problems identiedin any particular area of the Europeanairspace, where a better managementof ASM airspace structures (e.g. CDRs)could help alleviate ATM delays. It isintended to complement the currentCFMU scenarios in use, oering a ex-ible approach towards network-wideair trac management.

The ASM solutions process is a col-

laborative process; it is based on thepartnership between ANSPs, aircraftoperators and the military to make the

best decision acceptable to all parties.While decision-making remains withthe national Flight Management Posi-tion (FMP)/AMC, the Network Manager

is the entity best situated to have thenetwork perspective and to proposethe optimal solution for a particularsituation.

In order to get the process for ASMsolutions up and running, a numberof enablers have to be put in place,namely:

n concept of utilisationn supporting toolsn appropriate coordination proce-

dures between the network man-ager, aircraft operators and military

n data availability (trac demand,airspace status and environmentdata).

To date, a number of trials organisedby EUROCONTROL have been run toprove the concept and to identify pre-liminary requirements for further de-ployment of ASM solutions.

The outcome in terms of usefulnessand network management improve-ments is promising, as these resultingsolutions have been validated by ap-plication to real trac.

So far, the ASM solutions have beenused only during weekends; therefore,coordination with the military was not


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FOCUS

required. The next phase will be toconsider application during weekdays,which will require full coordinationwith the military.

The trials were also focused on D-1processes using historical trac data.The objective is now to extend the ap-plication of ASM solutions to the dayof operations with the purpose of us-

ing the developed scenarios with realtrac data, hence responding moredynamically to capacity problems.

Short-term deliverables

Based on the nalisation of proceduresand use of existing supporting tools,the short-term target is to put the ASMsolution process into operation for thissummer, mainly focusing on the south-east axis major trac ow. The rst ob-jective is to improve the situation dur-ing weekends, and once the process isstable and running smoothly, it will beconsidered for weekdays as well.

By the end of 2011 the ASM Improve-ments Initiative is expected to deliverthe processes and procedures neededto apply the rolling process, and thereis now a need to identify the next stepsrequired to continue improving the

management and utilisation of air-space. Various EUROCONTROL workingarrangements, in close coordinationwith the related SESAR work packages,are already looking at the implemen-tation steps needed over the next veyears to enable the new ASM/ATFCM/ATS scenario in the context of networkoperations. A conceptual vision of awider collaborative sequence of pro-cesses between the ASM, ATFCM andATS partners that should provide for

further enhancement of the exible useof airspace and the European ATM as awhole is required.

The intention is to dene implemen-tation steps that introduce perfor-mance-driven operations based onthe management of airspace con-gurations. It will also provide forprocesses that support the use ofmore dynamic and exible elements,and describe in more detail a seam-less, CDM-based ASM/ATFCM/ATSprocess with real-time managementof airspace congurations as well asa continuous sharing of informationenabled by advanced technologydeveloped within SESAR step II (e.g.SWIM, the system-wide informationmanagement).

Once such conceptual elements areagreed, they will steer the future

developments in a way that is con-sistent with the SESAR ATM MasterPlan, allowing us to progress in theright direction on our way towardsSESAR, while continuing to progres-sively improve network operationsin order to to meet agreed perfor-mance targets. n

So far, the ASM solutions

have been used only

during weekends;

therefore, coordination

with the military wasnot required. The next

phase will be to consider

application during

weekdays, which will

require full coordination

with the military.


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22

FOCUS

Preparations for each summer seasonculminate with the publication of theseasonal Network Operations Plan atthe end of April each year. By this stage

the capacity plans, route network andairspace changes of all area controlcentres (ACCs) have been nalisedfrom a planning perspective. Basedon forecast trac demand, strategicair trac ow and capacity manage-ment (ATFCM) and airspace manage-ment (ASM) measures are planned tocounterbalance bottlenecks and otherpotential problems.

Of course, the tactical situation will

vary quite signicantly from that fore-seen at the planning stage for severalreasons.

Basedonforecasttracdemand,strategicairtracowandcapacity

management(ATFCM)andairspacemanagement(ASM)measuresareplannedtocounterbalancebottlenecksandotherpotentialproblems.

Brian Flynn, EUROCONTROL Head of Network Operations,tellsus

moreaboutanticipatingeverytypeofeventanddisruption,anddevelop-

ingandimplementingsmalloperationally-focussedactionstosuitevery

circumstance.

TacticalhandlingoftheEuropeanairspacenetwork

The weather

We hear a lot about climate change.Whether there is a genuine climate

change in Europe or not, we have cer-tainly experienced signicantly dier-ent weather patterns over the last fewsummers. Summer en-route weatherdisruption usually mostly aects thecentral parts of Europe. While much ofnorth western Europe basked in un-seasonal early summer sunshine, sev-eral other parts of Europe experiencedsignicant weather disruption in June.

Network Management Operations (NM

Operations) has increased its activitiesin this area in order to better anticipateand mitigate the eects of adverse

weather on capacity. Detailed weatherforecasts (precipitation, winds, visibi-lity) are assessed. Discussions then takeplace with air navigation service pro-

viders (ANSPs) so that the likely eectson capacity are assessed and mitiga-tion measures prepared for implemen-tation at an appropriate stage, ratherthan relying on the traditional reactiveapproach. These procedures are beingnalised and will be fully deployed be-fore the end of 2011.

Political events

Events in the Arab world have had

some impact on the tourist tracpatterns expected for this summer.Growth has been lower than expected

BrianFlynn


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FOCUS

in parts of the south east and higherthan expected in the south west andScandinavia. The patterns are howeverirregular, which makes it dicult forANSPs to provide day-to-day capacityaligned with a volatile demand situa-tion. A no-y zone in Libyan airspacehas been in place since March. Where-as the overall disruption to air tracis minimal, substantial coordinationbetween NATO, Malta ATS, other ad-

jacent ACCs and NM Operations (par-ticularly on ight plan authorisations)is continuing.

We have had our second (hopefullynot annual) signicant volcanic erup-tion. Fortunately the disruption wasmuch less signicant than in 2010. Theeruption lasted for a shorter duration.New thresholds for the safe opera-tion of commercial air trac were inplace in time for the event. The Euro-pean Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell(EACCC) was ocially convened un-der the joint chair of EUROCONTROLDirector of Network Management(DNM) and the European Commission.Our newest tool, EVITA (the EuropeanCrisis Visualisation Interactive Tool forATFCM) was operationally deployed.This enabled the volcanic ash chartsand associated danger areas to beplotted and displayed to all opera-tional NOP users. Aircraft operatorswere able to plot the route of a ightplan using the EVITA tool as part oftheir assessment of the circumstancesin which intended ights should takeplace.

Signicant ATFCM events also tookplace, including the relocation ofFrankfurt air trac controllers to a newtower in preparation for the fourthrunway and a new ACC in Belgrade.Such events require detailed short-term planning and special transitionmeasures. Most airspace changes areimplemented in the spring or winter.A number of signicant changes havebeen successfully implemented andare providing more ecient route op-

tions for airspace users. These changesrequire substantial testing and valida-tion by operational sta from ANSPs

and NM Operations prior to imple-mentation. All these events took placewith no signicant problems andreect the excellent cooperation be-tween the ANSPs concerned, airspaceusers and NM Operations.

Despite the comprehensive advanceplanning there are several other fac-tors that result in tactical bottleneckswhich need to be handled on a dailybasis.

Some ANSPs are facing signicantnancial problems, mirroring theserious economic circumstances inseveral European countries. Such dif-culties, together with other factors,also lead to social tensions in the ATCcommunity that are reected in rigidi-ties in stang, and sub-optimal capac-ity and sector congurations. A con-stant eort on a daily basis is requiredthroughout the network in order tosqueeze the maximum capacity andminimise delays and routing penalties

for aircraft operators.

One of the main ATFCM processesused to manage the network is theaxis concept. This concept has been inuse for more than 10 years and seeksto optimise the handling of major sea-sonal trac ows (e.g. south west axis UK/IRL/Scandinavia < > Iberian pen-insula). A new network delay attribu-tion technique was successfully usedon this axis this summer. The tech-

nique involves collaborative agree-ment on an optimised trac owand an equitable sharing of the delay

Despite the

comprehensive

advance planning

there are several

other factors that

result in tactical

bottlenecks which

need to be handled

on a daily basis.


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24

FOCUS

penalty among the ANSPs involvedaccording to the capacity providedrather than the actual delay incurredin each sector. This technique shouldprove to be a powerful tool for networkoptimisation in the future.

How are we doing so far?

First let us look at a bad day. On Sunday24 July there were just under 29,000ights. Total delays were more than126,000 minutes. The average delayper ight was 4.37 minutes. Whereasthis average delay may not seem verylarge, more than 5,000 ights haddelays in excess of 23 minutes each.During the peak part of the day over1,300 queries were received in NMOperations operations room from air-craft operators seeking an improve-ment for their individual ights. Oursta succeeded in nding alternativeroutes for some ights. The aircraft op-erator must choose between the cost ofthe additional route length and the de-lay. In many cases it was not possible toreduce the delay on ights. There weresevere stang and capacity problemsboth in the south west and south eastpart of the airspace. Weekends are very

busy in these areas with thousands ofholiday makers going to and returningfrom these holiday destinations.The overall situation, however, is muchimproved on 2010 (admittedly a verybad year for delays and disruptionsto the network). Delays are down byover 40% compared with the rst threesummer months of 2010. The forecasten-route delay for the summer is 1.7minutes per ight. Current indications

are that this gure will be met or bet-tered. Signicant capacity improve-ments have been achieved at some

ACCs and airports. In addition tothese real capacity improvements, NMOperations in its new role as part ofthe network management function isfocussing its eorts on comprehensiveassistance to and coordination withANSPs in order to achieve every pos-sible minor real-time improvementon a daily basis. A number of concreteand practical action plans have beendeveloped with individual ANSPs.These involve bilateral visits betweenNM Operations and ACC ow manage-ment position (FMP) and supervisorysta, tailor-made training, renementsof sector congurations and capaci-ties, etc. Within the new NetworkManagement Directorate structure, allother aspects including airspace androute design, airport integration in thenetwork and safety form a fully inte-gral part of these action plans.

The allocation of the network mana-gement function to EUROCONTROL

presents enormous challenges andopportunities for the Directorate ofNetwork Management. We are al-ready well advanced in focussingon this network optimisation role inour activities, including the tacticalhandling of the network. Whereas2012 and beyond will present enor-mous challenges in the context ofthe SES performance scheme, a firstlook at summer 2011 operationsshows that we have clearly em-braced the role.

Tactical handling of the networkneeds a constant eye on the ball,anticipating every type of event anddisruption, and developing and imple-menting small operationally-focussedactions to suit every circumstance. n

Tactical handling of

the network needs a

constant eye on the

ball, anticipating

every type of event

and disruption, anddeveloping and

implementing small

operationally-focussed

actions to suit every

circumstance.


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MireilleRoman

DirkDeHerdt

Jean-Marie Leboutte, FRAM Project Leader, Dirk De Herdt,

FRAM Deputy Project Leader, and Mireille Roman, responsible

for Communications at Maastricht UAC,reportontheimplementation

ofFreeRouteAirspaceinthecoreofEurope.

Asthecrowies

FRAM: Free Route Airspace Maastricht

Sub-optimal air routes

Recent studies1 have demonstrated that

air routes in Europe are not optimally

designed. In 2010 a ights route was on

average 47.6 km (or 5.5%) too long com-

pared to its optimum ight trajectory.

Deviations from the optimum ight

trajectory generate additional ight

and engine running time, fuel burn, gas

emissions and high costs to the indus-

try. Extended air routes are due to sev-

eral factors, e.g. sub-optimal airspace

design, inecient city pairs, constraints

related to the need for civil and military

airspace users to share the airspace, in-

appropriate ight planning and route

utilisation or route restrictions.

The current environmental and eco-nomic challenges facing the aviationindustry demand rapid and funda-mental progress on ight eciency.The introduction of performance as-sessments and targets is an eec-tive mechanism in driving the per-formance of the European air tracmanagement system.

Carbon-neutral growth

Starting in 2012, the EU-wide per-formance targets agreed under theSingle European Sky legislation willprovide a formal framework for thedevelopment of safer and more ef-cient European airspace, with

straighter and shorter routes. Theobjective is to move towards carbon-neutral air trac growth. The SingleEuropean Sky performance schemestipulates that by 2014 the averageroute extension in Europe must be

reduced by 0.75% compared to thesituation in 2009.

So far, signicant focus has beenplaced on initiatives to improve air-space design and network mana-gement and to reduce ight routeextension. One of the most signi-cant developments in the corearea of Europe is the introductionof a Night Route Network in theFABEC Functional Airspace Block

Europe Central area, the busiestof Europes nine functional airspaceblocks.

The Single European

Sky performance

scheme stipulates

that by 2014 the

average route exten-

sion in Europe must

be reduced by 0.75%

compared to the

situation in 2009.

Jean-Marie

Leboutte

1- Performance

Review Report,

An Assessment

of Air Trac

Management in

Europe duringthe Calendar Year

2010, published

May 2011


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FOCUS

At the end of 2010, some 115 newroutes were implemented as part ofthe FABEC Night Network programme,

shortening total ight distance by 1.5million km per year and resulting insavings of 4,800 tonnes of keroseneand 16,000 tonnes of CO

2.

The Free Route Airspace Maastricht(FRAM) programme complements theFABEC Night Network programme andprovides an initial operational valida-tion for conceptual elements of theSESAR air trac management targetconcept. FRAM is therefore a rst step

towards the implementation of aircraftoperators preferred business trajecto-ries, which will allow pilots to choose

their entry and exit points freely in agiven airspace and y their preferredroute.

What is free routeairspace?Free route airspace refers to a specicportion of airspace within which air-craft operators may plan a route freelybetween a dened entry point and adened exit point, with the possibilityof deviating via intermediate naviga-tion points without reference to thexed route network. Within this air-

space, ights remain at all times sub-ject to air trac control and to anyoverriding airspace restrictions.

Free Route Airspace Maastricht (FRAM):

142 new direct routes introduced as from March 2011.

What is FRAM Free Route AirspaceMaastricht?

For several decades now air trac con-trollers at the Maastricht Upper AreaControl Centre (MUAC) have been of-fering aircraft operators direct routesas far as possible. However, these

routes or direct clearances have notbeen reected in the ight plan, whichhas always referred to the xed routenetwork.

In March 2011, some 142 new directroutes were introduced, in additionto the 40 direct routes already de-ployed in MUAC airspace as part of theFABEC Night Network. Aircraft opera-tors are therefore able to ight-planthese routes and it is estimated that

some 250 aircraft are able to benetfrom shorter routes every night from00:00 to 08:00 CET.

FABEC Night Network: at the end of 2010, some 115 new routes had been implemented, shortening

total ight distance by 1.5 million km per year and resulting in savings of 4,800 tonnes of kerosene and

16,000 tonnes of CO2.


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For aircraft operators and for air tracmanagers, this means:

n better ight and network predict-ability

n better ight eciencyn reduced fuel upliftn reduced engine running timen greater cost-eectivenessn reduced environmental impactn better air trac management per-

formance through more accuratetrac prediction and improved sec-tor workload.

FRAM aims to achieve an acceptablebalance between ight eciency andcapacity requirements while maintain-

ing or improving current safety stan-dards without hampering military mis-sion eectiveness.

FRAM and militaryoperations

Military aviation has a vital role to playin the security of each State. It is, there-fore, fundamental for each State to beable to operate its military forces to en-able them to discharge their securityand defence responsibilities. FRAM willsupport the level of military mission ef-fectiveness required by each State.

In order to meet the increasing needsof both civil and military airspace usersin terms of airspace volume and utili-sation time, close cooperation is key in

order to take full advantage of limitedairspace.

Operational characteristics

of FRAM

n The FRAM concept is characterised by theabsence of any reference to the routenetwork and is an integral part of theoverall airspace organisation.

n FRAM will encompass the lateral boundar-ies of the MUAC area of responsibility andwill extend vertically from ight level 245(24,500 ft or 7.5 km) to the highest operat-ing level of managed airspace.

n FRAM airspace is seamlessly connectedwith non-FRAM airspace.

n Transparency with adjacent partners isensured in the Brussels UIR, AmsterdamFIR and Hannover UIR 245+, with theexception of ATS delegated areas.

n Close coordination is maintained withthe CFMU.

n Unrestricted free route airspace cannotbe envisaged within the MUAC area ofresponsibility owing to the complexity ofthe airspace and the nature and density oftrac. Because ight proles are no longeraligned with routes, there are a greaternumber of random crossing points.

n Airspace Management Cell manageableairspace structures remain unaltered.

n All airspace users have equal accessto FRAM.

Expected benets

FRAM is all about planning, lingand ying direct routes in one of thedensest areas of the continent.

The savings expected from FRAMdeployment at night and at week-

ends alone compared to the xedroute network are:

n 624,000 NMs or 1.16 million km per year whencompared to the xed route network. Thisequates to ying 29 times around the world!

n Some 3,700 tonnes of fuel (calculations arebased on the average consumption of anA320).

n 12,000 tonnes of CO2.n 37 tonnes of NOX.


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28

Technology

The operational implementation ofFRAM is closely linked to the technicaldeployment of features of the high-tech air trac control system in placeat MUAC. Systems are maintained andmanaged in-house in line with opera-tional requirements. With only slightmodications to the existing software,technical and operational sta wereable to prove during real-time simula-tions that the system can fully supportFRAM operations.

Partnerships

In order to ensure its optimal deploy-ment, the implementation of freeroute airspace is being closely coor-

dinated with similar initiatives inthe area. The future will bring newpartners on the road to greater ighteciency. DFS Karlsruhe ACC (Ger-many), Naviair (Denmark), NATS (UK)and LVF (Sweden) are expected tolink their initiatives with the MUACFRAM programme.

Free route airspacedeployment in Europe

Air navigation services in FABEC,Sweden, Portugal and Ireland havealready deployed free route air-

space at local level, either in full orin part. FRAM, however, representsthe rst operation of free route air-space in the high-density core areaof Europe.

To ensure the robustness of the

concept, FRAM will be deployed

in incremental phases:

n Marc 2011:during the least busy hours of the night,from 00:00 to 06:00 CET

n June 2011:extended night-time, from 00:00 to 08:00 CET

n nd o 2011:weekends, from Saturdays 00:00 to Mondays08:00 CET

n arly 2012:a real-time simulation will conrm thatfurther deployment is feasible and safe

n 2012:day-time on busy Fridays(from 12:00 CET to Monday 08:00 CET)and during national holidays

n 2013+:24/7 operations. Full concept ofuser-preferred trajectories.

Area of responsibility: MUAC is responsible for the upper airspace (above 7.5 km or 24,500 feet) ofBenelux and north-west Germany. With 1.5 million ights controlled per year, MUAC is the second

busiest air trac control facility in Europe. It is responsible for the upper airspace of the Benelux

and north-west Germany. Because trac patterns show a signicant portion of climbing and de-

scending ights, MUACs airspace is among the most complex in Europe. The airspace is located

either above or close to the main European hubs of London, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. For

several successive years MUAC has been rated by independent assessors as one of the most cost-

eective air navigation service providers in Europe, with by far the highest controller productivity.

For more information,please contact:

JeanMarie Leboutte

FRAM Project [email protected]+31 43 366 1554

Dirk De herdt

FRAM Deputy Project [email protected]+31 43 366 1321

Mireille Roman (or media)

MUAC Communications

[email protected]+31 43 366 1352

Aircraftoperators:for moreinormationonthe directroutes, consult theROONROL RouteAvailabilityDocument(RAD)on:https://www.public.cfmu.eurocontrol.int/PUBPORTAL/gateway/spec/index.html

TheRADcanbeconsultedviatheseventhblueheaderintheleftcolumnoftheNetworkOperationsportal(NOP),byclicking onRADhomepage, thenAIRAC, then Appendix 4.


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Since 2007, as part of an overall net-work development approach, theRoute Network Development Sub-Group (RNDSG) Secretariat has workedin close cooperation with all functionalairspace block (FAB) initiatives to pro-vide support to FAB airspace design.

All the FAB initiatives utilised the Ad-vanced Airspace Scheme (AAS) andthe Dynamic Management of the Eu-ropean Airspace Network (DMEAN)Operational Concepts as the maininputs for their operational concepts.Most of the FAB initiatives used a har-monised approach, as suggested byEUROCONTROL, for the development

of their future airspace structure.

OneoftheSingleEuropeanSkyrequirementsfortheFABs

istoenableoptimumuseofairspace,takingintoaccount

tracows,andtoensureconsistencywiththeEuropean

routenetwork.Razvan Bucuroiu, Head of the EUROCON-TROL Operations Planning Unit,looksatthevariousFAB

approachestakeninthecontextofATSRouteNetworkVer-

sion-7.

Integrationoffunctional

airspaceblocksintoARNversion-7

The close cooperation betweenEUROCONTROL and the FABs allowedfor continuous cross-fertilisation be-tween the airspace projects developedin the context of the FABs, the mediumand long-term airspace developmentprocesses, the deployment of futureoperational concepts and the evalua-tion of the future operational perfor-mance of the European ATM network.

EUROCONTROL supported the coor-dinated development and deploy-ment of the FAB improvements. Thisensured, as requested for all FAB ini-tiatives, overall pan-European net-work consistency and interconnectiv-

ity, interconnectivity inside FABs and

between FABs, uniform application ofairspace management (ASM) and airtrac ow and capacity management(ATFCM) procedures, synchronised im-plementation of new airspace projectsor operational concepts and a cohesiveview of performance improvements inrelation to the targets set at politicallevel.

ARN Version-7 (ATS Route Network)includes contributions from a largenumber of FABs. This consolidatedview responds to the Single EuropeanSky requirements for the FABs: to en-able optimum use of airspace, takinginto account trac ows, and to ensure

consistency with the European routenetwork.

RazvanBucuroiu


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FOCUS

1. fAB urope entral (fAB)Very close cooperation was established through the techni-cal and operational support provided to the FABEC airspacedesign working groups. A large number of projects were de-veloped covering various parts of the FABEC airspace, andconsolidation of individual projects, an overall FAB view andan overall European network view and integration were en-sured. All the projects scheduled for deployment over theperiod 2011-2014 are now included in ARN Version-7. Theseinclude the deployment of the new concept of night directroutes. 6

2. BL MD fAB

A catalogue of airspace projects was nalised with the BLUEMED FAB containing a large number of airspace designproposals that are within the scope of ARN Version-7. TheRNDSG Secretariat provided support in the developmentof this catalogue and in the assessment of the benets ofthe proposals made. Network integration of all the projectsscheduled for deployment over the period 2011-2014 wasensured through ARN Version-7. The deployment of thenew concept of night direct routes within the BLUE MEDFAB forms part of ARN Version-7.

3. fAB entral urope (fAB )

All the projects due to be deployed during the period 2011-2014 within the geographical area of the FAB CE are nowincluded as FAB CE contributions to ARN Version 7. Full net-work consistency was ensured. A proposal on the futureevolution of the European night direct routes network inthe FAB CE airspace forms part of ARN Version-7, as does theimplementation of night Free Route operations in PragueFIR.

4. KIreland fAB

All the projects due to be deployed during the period 2011-

2014 within the geographical area of the UK-Ireland FAB arenow included as FAB contributions to ARN Version 7. Fullnetwork consistency was ensured. Appropriate links were

ensured to provide good interconnectivity with similar ini-tiatives in the FABEC or other adjacent airspace.

5. Danube fAB

A good cooperation process was established with the Dan-ube FAB on airspace design aspects with the clear under-standing that the work with the States involved forms partof the overall European network airspace design process. Acatalogue of proposals was developed containing a largenumber of airspace design proposals covering the short,medium and long term. These proposals took into accountthe overall European ATS route network evolution but alsothe implementation of more advanced concepts (FreeRoute or Free Route-like). Complete integration of theseprojects within ARN Version-7 was ensured.6. Nort uropean (N) fAB

A good cooperation process was put in place between theNE FAB and the RNDSG Secretariat for the introduction ofthe related projects within ARN Version-7 and in order toensure overall network consistency. The main aspects ad-dressed were related to the implementation of Free Routeoperations.

7. Denmark/Sweden fAB

The main contributions of the Denmark/Sweden FAB toARN Version-7 relate to the harmonised deployment of FreeRoute Operations. In addition, network consistency was en-sured at the interface with other FABs through the develop-ment of a number of interface projects that ensured overallnetwork consistency. These projects were a result of theoverall network coordination process.8. Baltic fAB

The contributions of the Baltic FAB to ARN Version-7 relateto the overall development of a new airspace structure forPolish airspace, as part of the European airspace network

developments, and to the development of more ecientconnections within Lithuanian airspace with the overallroute network. The deployment of these projects will en-sure enhanced capacity and ight eciency performancein the Baltic FAB.9. Sout est Portugal Spain fAB

The airspace design projects relating to the South West Por-tugal Spain FAB contributions to ARN Version-7 relate to theoverall development of new airspace projects within Spain.The implementation of Free Route Operations within all ofPortuguese airspace completed the overall improvement

of the airspace structure in Portugal. Further developmentsin Portugal could be expected in terms of sectorisation, de-pending on the trend in trac demand. n

Approach taken with the FABs in the context of ARN Version-7


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2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9


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32

FOCUS

The challenge for air traf-c management (ATM)is to manage large num-bers of aircraft safely andeciently while match-ing capacity and limit-ing the environmental

impact. In this context,trajectory management (TM) ensuresthat the constraints of individual air-craft are met. This is the basic prin-ciple advocated by both SESAR andNextGen when they envisage ATMdevelopment programmes centredon trajectory-based operations (TBO),i.e. programmes which are entirelydependent on the management of 4Dtrajectories.

Basically, 4D trajectory managementmakes it easier for aircraft operatorsto plan their preferred routes at their

preferred times, through coordinationwith all ATM stakeholders, and subse-quently to y their preferred plannedtrajectories without the need for inter-vention, whenever possible.

4D trajectory planning consists of a

layered process taking into accountbusiness intention, aircraft type andperformance, meteorological infor-mation and potential airspace/airportconstraints. It is negotiated through ef-cient collaborative decision-making(CDM) processes, driven by the busi-ness intentions, with a view to achiev-ing the best possible compromise.

4D trajectory prediction starts at thegate. Taxi routes and target o-block,

take-o and in-block times resultingfrom CDM processes become partof the agreed reference trajectory,

which is jointly agreed between all ac-tors and shared through the network.Similarly, 4D trajectory execution andrevision can be initiated in the air oron the ground, the output being thereference trajectory.

A number of activities involving sev-eral disciplines are required within the4D TM framework. The quality, accu-racy and timeliness of the data avail-able to all ATM participants is essentialfor the successful management of 4Dtrajectories and is subject to extensiveresearch and development activities.

Why do we need 4Dtrajectory management?

The goal of achieving TBO introducesa paradigm change not only in theconcept of operations, but also in the

Ibrahim Bayraktutar

4Dtrajectorymanagement

4Dtrajectorymanagementisexpectedto

improveairtracoperations,inparticularto

increasetheoverallpredictabilityoftrac,withbenetstoairlinesandairtracmanagement.

Ibrahim Bayraktutar, SESAR Trajectory Management

Design Project Manager, explainshow4Dtrajectory

managementmakesiteasierforaircraftoperatorsto

plantheirpreferredroutesattheirpreferredtimes.


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interaction between the ight man-agement and trajectory managementfunctions. This shift has an impact onthe multitude of dierent trajectorypredictors that support these func-tions.

4D TM is required to achieve true gate-to-gate operations, ensuring that tra-jectories are ecient and conict-freeand that where possible they corre-spond to the users preferred trajec-tory the reference business trajectory(RBT) in SESAR terminology. This meansthat there is a requirement for a systemcapable of getting the trajectories fromthe users who generate them to theATM system where they are needed.The trajectories have to be exchanged

in a consistent manner, together withall the associated quality tags whichwill qualify them for planning, separa-

tion or both, using criteria such as ac-curacy, robustness, stability, etc.

What is required?

4D TM requires the use of control-ler decision support tools (e.g. arrivalmanager utilising P-RNAV) featuringadvanced automation and the associ-ated infrastructure and procedures.Central to the concept and the sup-port tools are the air and ground tra-jectory prediction processes and thenegotiation of the trajectories.

To achieve TBO using 4D TM, severalissues will have to be addressed at

each ATM capability level dened inSESAR. These include:

n how to ensure a consistent view ofthe trajectory among the dierentcivil and military stakeholders;

n how to dene what a consistent viewof the trajectory actually means (i.e.how to dene certain TM systemrequirements) and derive its conse-quences and impacts on ATC groundsystems;

n how to accept changes in the refer-ence business trajectory/mission tra-jectory. For example, what is the setof changes/constraints that can beproposed and how are they encoded

and interpreted, how is the ight in-tent and aircraft intent informationcreated and by which system?

4D trajectory plan-

ning consists of a

layered process taking

into account business

intention, aircraft

type and perfor-mance, meteorologi-

cal information and

potential airspace/

airport constraints.


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FOCUS

34

How can this be achieved?

44PLANNIN

The preparation of a Network Operations Plan (NOP) will startwith the user-preferred trajectories (UPTs) combined with theATM constraints which have an impact on a ight or group ofights.

Currently, owing to uncertainty in the long term (more than10 minutes the look-ahead time), trac complexity manage-ment does not consider potential conicts but only interact-ing pairs. As some of the trajectories will have a quality tagsuitable for separation, the trac complexity managementlayer will have already performed separation management atplanning level in order to reduce complexity and it will deliverconict-free NOP RBTs, whenever possible.

This process will already require some level of TM support tofacilitate a trajectory as close as possible to the UPT satisfyingthe set of constraints. This means that:

n for the airspace users who have the capability to provideshared business trajectories (SBT), trajectory negotiation/exchanges will be applied;

n for the airspace users without the capability to provideSBTs, the NOP will be prepared by the ATM system support-ed by the required automation tools.

Since not all the constraints will have the same urgency tag, aprioritisation process can be applied. In this case, the NOP-pre-paring ATM process may decide to release some constraintsdepending on the level of associated uncertainty.

Use of ATM automation tools is a continuous process, andfor each ight the nal RBT identied as NOP-compliantshould be frozen as late as possible to ensure that it hasbeen agreed taking into account the latest informationon ATM constraints and other ights RBTs.

The process of getting to the RBTs should be implement-ed within the real-time ATM system itself, which will alsoinclude a set of automation tools to support the imple-mentation of the agreed NOP and, where this cannot beachieved, to use the required tools to revise the RBT (e.g.to provide a new departure sequence, arrival sequence,rerouting, etc.).

44XION

In a fully compliant SESAR concept, we can envisage theplanning phase of ATM ending just before push-back.The following phase will require the guidance element,on board and on the ground, ensuring that the aircrafties the agreed RBT and that everything happens asplanned.

This already raises the question of the location of theTM process for the future ATM system should it be inthe aircraft operations centre (AOC) or in the ight man-agement system (FMS)? Since the AOC will have a betterknowledge of the overall strategy for the complete eetand given the availability of high bandwidth links whichcan be used to continuously update the ATM constraintswhere each SBT/RBT is optimised, a shift of the TM pro-cess from the cockpit to the AOC could be envisaged.

Challenge

A challenging area will be when theprogress of one or more aircraft cre-ates a situation in which the NOP can-not be maintained or in which the ATMsystem itself requires a change to theNOP.

The ATM system will rely on a manage-ment component by means of which,through a set of strategies and what-

ifs, a solution can be found which is asclose as possible to the previous NOPin order to ensure plan stability while

at the same time taking into accountight eciency. This component willrequire a level of intelligence so thatconstraints coming from separationinsurance components (conict de-tection and resolution), ETO planningmodules (integrated arrival/departuremanager), trac complexity manage-ment modules, and probably others,can be integrated in the most ecientway whilst minimising the changes tobe applied to the NOP.

This will require the development of avery interdependent/integrated set of

ATM automation tools and strategieswithin the ATM system. For example,a change in the trajectory of one air-craft to satisfy a separation constraint(probably the ones with the high-est priority) may result in a trajectorywhich can no longer satisfy a planningtime constraint (calculated time of ar-rival (CTA)) for the same ight. Howev-er, the opposite is also possible, suchthat a management module with theright level of intelligence can nd a

strategy to comply with a separationconstraint which also has a benecialimpact on a trac complexity con-


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REVIEW


However, in the next decade, such an advanced system maynot be feasible, because not all aircraft will be able to y theirtrajectory to a level of quality sucient to ensure gate-to-gate conict-free planning at NOP-preparation time. Thismeans that the ATM planning layer will have to be support-ed by a separation (conict detection and resolution) layeras well as the automation tools from tactical controller tool(TCT) to trac complexity management during execution.

This ATM system will operate in a closed loop and continu-ously monitor the progress of individual ights against RBTs.Due to the dierence in the quality of each trajectory, someights with high-quality trajectories may only require RBT-adherence monitoring (position, time and speed), whereasothers with lower-quality trajectories may require continu-ous monitoring of their separation and planning time adher-ence (estimated time over (ETO)).

Consequently, prior to entry into the SESAR 4D TM area,each ight will receive a trajectory clearance which may bequite dierent from one aircraft to the next depending onaircraft capabilities. For non-equipped aircraft, the trajec-tory clearance may simply result in a sequence of standardroute/level/speed clearances provided to the air trac con-troller (ATCO) by automation and sent by voice, whereas forfully equipped ones it may be a 4D TM contract for a givenlook-ahead time with tolerances in the constraint-matchingprocess.

As soon as the aircraft is active in the 4D TM area, it will becontinuously monitored against the RBT, covering separationas well as ETOs to ensure that the NOP can be maintained.

straint downstream of the ight with-out invalidating a CTA constraint onthe same ight.

Conclusion

TBO is the foundation of the SESARconcept. It requires a signicant shiftin the focus for ATM from airspace totrajectory. The essence of the TBO con-cept is an agreement in which aircrafty their preferred trajectories (busi-

ness trajectories) which are facilitatedby airport and air navigation serviceproviders.

This will mostprobably not besimple time andspeed monitoringbut will, at least forthe less equippedaircraft, continuouslypredict a limited look-ahead-time trajectory(15 minutes) to feed sepa-ration and planning prob-ing tools.

In addition, the monitoringlimits will not be dened, as inthe present system, as a set oflimits requiring re-planning whenoverrun, but as an area where theaircraft can evolve without requiringre-planning to ensure that no ight isover-constrained unnecessarily . The dy-namic denition of this area of freedomwill be quite a challenging process, as itrequires the integration and prioritisation ofconstraints coming from the die

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