The Design and Optimization of an Integrated Arrival/Departure Scheduler

Intelligent Automation, Inc. (IAI) proposes the design and validation of a dynamic integrated arrival/departure scheduler. In contrast to current approaches, we propose changing arrival and departure runway assignments dynamically based upon the traffic situation, weather conditions, surface congestion, and planned departure pushbacks as well as planned arrivals flowing into the terminal area from the enroute centers. Testing of the concept will be done in a virtual software environment, first using an analytic environment and later with humans-in-the-loop (controllers and pilots). When complete, this project has the potential to provide (1) a strategy to handle the FAA's Best-Equipped Best-Served concept at airports, (2) a significant increase in Metroplex capacity without building additional runways and (3) support for a new aviation business model in which flights are scheduled to Metroplexes rather than specific airports. To accomplish these goals, this effort will develop a controller that dynamically assigns arrival and departure slots available at a given runway based on the valuation of an "integrated capacity utilization metric." The metric will be a function of arrival/departure demand, arrival queue lengths at fixes and surface departure queues. The result is a more efficient use of airport resources than provided by currently available controllers.

The most promising commercial applications outside of NASA are: All large airports, which will benefit from maximizing runway resources without adding costly additional infrastructure Fourteen large metroplexes, which will benefit from generating required times of arrival consistent with airport capacity constraints The Federal Aviation Administration, which can potentially use the technology to help incentivize equipage in conjunction with their nascent Best-Equipped, Best-Served policy.

The proposed technology is built upon proprietary control technology developed by IAI scientists over the past few years. The proposed technique can be used with a wide range of potential NASA systems, including Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor (McTMA).

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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