Ground control support functions to optimize surface traffic flow in a CDM environment

Today the ground controller is limited in optimizing the surface traffic flow. In general all traffic is handled on a first-come-first-serve basis. The Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) process can be utilized to create a planning in advance and the information provided in the CDM process can be used to reduce uncertainties in the execution phase. However when an aircraft cannot comply with the original plan, a modification of the original plan is required. Instead of using the first-come-first-serve principle, traffic that complies with the original plan must be handled as close as possible to this plan: a best-planned-best-served principle. Our proposed approach is to develop planning functions to support the controller with real-time optimization of the taxi traffic flow, taking into account the CDM requirements and the best-planned-best-served principle. This paper discusses the development and in initial testing of these planning functions and the development of a prototype based on the taxi operations at Amsterdam airport.