Capacity management based on the integration of dynamic airspace configuration and flight centric ATC solutions using complexity

Abstract

This paper presents a new capacity management concept where Dynamic Airspace Configuration (DAC) and Flight Centric ATC (FCA) are dynamically applied together during the Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) pretactical phase. An airspace delineation methodology is also introduced aiming at identifying when and where DAC or FCA can perform better. This methodology entails the establishment of a dynamic vertical boundary that divides the airspace in two different parts where DAC and FCA are deployed. In addition, the geometrical complexity metric has been considered to measure the traffic demand and the sector capacity as an evolution of the current use of entry counts or occupancy counts