Dynamic density management via minimal trajectory manipulation

Previous efforts have focused on the modeling and measurement of air traffic control (ATC) dynamic density (DD) as an indicator of the complexity of the air traffic situation for the human controller [1-3]. Many studies have addressed the appropriate formulation of the DD metric, including factors related to airspace and traffic characteristics [4-5]. Other studies have shown that DD is a better measure of controller workload and sector capacity than a simple count of the aircraft in the sector [6]. In this effort, we address methods and algorithms for active management of the DD in the sector through exception-based control of flight trajectories.