Flight Planning Under Trajectory-Based Operations

Abstract

Trajectory-Based Operations enable key changes to traditional approaches used for flight planning. The exchange of more and more timely information through System-Wide Information Management provides flight planners with greater situational awareness allowing a better assessment of an individual flight's outcome, given a flight plan. In-flight re-planning and collaborative planning further allows strategic decisions to consider and adapt to tactical impacts. This study describes and investigates three levels of flight planning: deterministic, expected value and collaborative planning enabled through Trajectory-Based Operations. Benefit mechanisms are described and a quantitative example coupling constraints on the North Atlantic Tracks with arrival management constraints is evaluated through simulation. Results show reductions in average costs and their standard deviation.