Optimization of aircraft arrival procedures in TMA: Proposal of a method based on a new concept of airspace structure

ATM applied research usually focuses on increasing the capacity and security. Recently, ecological and economic considerations enabled a significant number of major developments in terms of ATM: adaptation of working methods, new tools and new navigation procedures. This paper proposes an innovative approach in the construction of RNAV arrival procedures for TMA that relies no longer exclusively on controllers´ ability to separate and regulate aircraft, but also on the ability of on board systems to calculate optimal paths through the use of FMS. This paper proposes a new concept of structure for the arrivals and departures that looks like the combination of several “combs”, each corresponding to one of the major flows from a geometrical perspective. The design of the structure is made in such a way that it provides a support for separating and regulating the flights. Furthermore, as the procedures are closed, the DTG (distance to go) is known for each branch of the structure, to enable the flights to fly their optimized profiles. The concept has been applied to Toulouse-Blagnac TMA for fast time simulations and the computation of environmental metrics such as noise and chemical emissions proved the concept to be promising from an economic and ecological perspective. It became obvious that, for an optimal exploitation of the structure, ATC controllers would need an assisting tool to help them in the process of affectation of the flight to the branches of the RNAV structure. This paper presents the new concept and the expected benefits through the first sets of Fast Time Simulations, it also proposes a very initial model for this assignment problem with special constraints and associated heuristic.