A 4D trajectory negotiation protocol for Arrival and Approach sequencing

Future 4D TBO will require effective air- ground data link communication and negotiation protocols. This issue is especially critical in Arrival and Approach flight phase due to the variability of conditions into a short space-time environment where multiple aircraft simultaneously converge. Besides, several subtasks are closely related with effective air-ground negotiation protocols for 4D TBO in Terminal Areas: predicting accurate arrivals 4D trajectories, performing well established 4D trajectory formats for an effective interoperability between airborne and ground systems, designing efficient real-time aircraft arrival sequencer and scheduler algorithms, etc. In this paper we propose a 4D Trajectory Air- Ground Negotiation Protocol for Arrival and Approach Sequencing. The Negotiation Protocol has been implemented in an ad hoc multi-agent platform. Based on this proposal we summarize other relevant information that should be incorporated into the 4D trajectory information.