Generalized Arrival Planning for Airport Runway Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic management systems face inefficiencies in utilizing airport capacity due to uneven runway utilization and wake vortex separation constraints, leading to delays and suboptimal sequencing of aircraft by weight class.
Innovation Solution
The Generalized Arrival Planning (GARP) system defines an arrival network with nodes and legs, allowing for route and runway re-assignment to balance traffic across multiple runways, using a branch-and-bound technique to determine optimal sequences and schedules that minimize delays and maximize throughput by segregating aircraft by weight class.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If aircraft are sequenced by weight class to minimize separation times, then landing efficiency is improved, but traffic routing flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the arrival traffic into different weight classes and creates separate route sets for each class. This allows aircraft to be grouped by weight class for efficient sequencing while maintaining routing flexibility through multiple alternative routes within each segment. The segmentation enables homogenous sequencing to minimize wake vortex separation times while preserving adaptability through route alternatives.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the dimension of weight class classification to the traditional routing problem. Instead of treating all aircraft uniformly, it introduces weight class as an additional categorization dimension, creating route sets specific to each weight class. This dimensional addition enables both efficient weight-class-based sequencing and routing flexibility through multiple routes per class.
2Productivity
If runway re-assignment is implemented to balance traffic loads, then airport throughput is increased, but scheduling complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary route and runway assignment before aircraft arrivals, creating complete route sets for each aircraft including multiple alternative routes and assigned runways. This preliminary action balances traffic loads across runways in advance, increasing airport throughput while managing scheduling complexity through pre-computed assignments rather than real-time complex scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic route and runway re-assignment based on current traffic conditions, weight class compositions, and runway availability. This dynamic approach allows the system to adaptively balance loads across runways, increasing throughput while the computational framework manages complexity through systematic evaluation of alternatives.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple route options are provided for aircraft, then routing flexibility is improved, but computational complexity for plan determination is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides multiple route options (excessive action) for each aircraft, creating route sets with several alternatives. This improves routing flexibility while the computational complexity is managed by evaluating these partial sets of alternatives systematically rather than all possible combinations. The branch-and-bound technique evaluates only necessary alternatives to find optimal sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of route selection by providing multiple route alternatives within defined route sets for each aircraft. This parameter change enables routing flexibility while the computational framework manages complexity through systematic evaluation of these parameter variations using branch-and-bound techniques with pruning.
4Reliability
If wake vortex separation constraints are enforced, then safety is improved, but required separation times increase reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system enforces homogeneity by sequencing aircraft of the same weight class together. This homogenous sequencing minimizes wake vortex separation times because aircraft of similar weight generate similar wake characteristics, allowing tighter safe separations. The safety requirement is maintained while productivity is improved through reduced separation times enabled by weight class homogeneity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of air traffic planning includes defining an arrival network of nodes and legs. Each leg represents a segment traversed by an aircraft from an upstream one of the nodes to a downstream one of the nodes, with a plurality of the nodes being designated as scheduling points where one or more constraints are enforceable. The method includes defining for each of a plurality of aircraft, a route set including a plurality of allowed routes each of which includes legs between an arbitrary N scheduling points. And the method includes determining a plan including at least a sequence of the plurality of aircraft and an assigned route for each aircraft, with the assigned route of each aircraft may be one of the allowed routes in the route set of the respective aircraft, with the plan being determined in accordance with the arrival network, and the scheduling points and constraints.