Dynamic Sectorization: assessment of new configurations of the Barcelona ACC sectorization

Abstract

A decade ago, the SESAR programme was launched. SESAR aims to restructure of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) through new infrastructure, systems and procedures inside a lesgislative European framework which will cover the future air traffic demand. One of the concepts borned with SESAR is the Dynamic Sectorization, where any necessary segregation is temporary, based on real-time usage within a specific period. The project focuses in the ACC of Barcelona West Airspace, which its maximum traffic demand is produced in summer, and the capacity is limited in the peak hours, causing the application of regulations, hence delay, almost in a daily basis in some of its sectors. This project covers an assessment based on the viability, benefits and inconveniences of two new possible configurations proposed by Enaire, the Air Navigation Service Provider in Spain, which are based in the FUA concept. For that, real air traffic samples are used from the months of July and August of 2015, and the configuration are simulated with EUROCONTROL NEST tool. The first configuration studies the possibility to rise the vertical limit between two sectors (Levante Upper, Levante Lower) from FL325 (3250 ft.) to FL345 (3450 ft.). The second configuration studies the possibility to incorporate temporary segregations between three sectors (Ponent 1 Upper, Ponent 1 Lower, Ponent 2) through the creation of two subsectors between them with the goal of joining them with the existing ones based on the traffic. Results show that in the first configuration the global conditions of capacity and saturation would be of the same order of magnitude, but having some benefits. The second configuration does not show any improvement with neither of the solutions provided, due to the capacity problem is focused in the airspace zone where the adaptable sectors have been created.