TAM

Total airport management

Driving the integration of airports into the ATM network by sharing information in a timely manner.

The Total airport management (TAM) project (PJ04) was a SESAR 2020 research project that focused on a range of different airport complexity levels, developing scalable and cost-effective solutions, optimising both the local benefits and the benefits for the European network. Societal concerns were be addressed by ensuring that environmental mitigation measures and impact are included in the airport performance trade-off.

The integration of airports into the air traffic management (ATM) network was addressed through timely information sharing between the Network Operations Plan and the individual local airport Operation Plans.

Our role

EUROCONTROL contributed to the overall management of TAM project activities, with a focus on operational concept development and validation activities.

Benefits

TAM took a ‘holistic’ view of airport operations, including all of the key processes as well as, importantly,  the interaction between them, as it is the degree of synchronisation between these different processes which constitutes a significant contributory factor to punctual and predictable operations and ultimately, therefore, passenger satisfaction. The evolution towards the TAM approach within PJ04 was assured through closer integration of landside and airside performance monitoring, as well as through the development and validation of monitoring and decision support tools, optimised in accordance with the information requirements of the various stakeholder groups, in particular airlines, airport operators, ANSPs and ground handlers. Further work will be carried out in the specific context of environmental impact planning and monitoring, in order to ensure that environmental performance is fully integrated into the airport operations management process.

An additional area for development concerns 'what-if' decision support tools, business intelligence predictive tools and performance dashboards. The ability to analyse the trade-off among numerous performance indicators will become an integral part of the collaborative decision-making process.

This project favoured the evolution toward a 'performance-driven' airport through holistic monitoring of demand and capacity. Decision making will be based on more reliable information with enhanced decision impact assessment. As a result, there should be an improvement in the predictability, flexibility and efficiency of airport operations as well as increased resilience through shorter recovery to normal operations.

As clients of airport services, airlines benefit from enhanced operational efficiency. For passengers, benefits are tangible. The available information is of high quality and the more efficient use of airport resources lead to enhanced service quality.

Optimising the collaborative performance management process via the TAM approach is most beneficial at complex, busy hub airports, where measures such as improved communication between the airport and the Network Manager can bring both local and network benefits.

However, the project is not only about the major hub airports. In fact, the TAM concept was designed also to take into account the specific needs of smaller or regional airports, by ensuring scalability as a function of traffic and the potential network impact. Such 'regional' airports are often key drivers of the local economy, and it is important that there is not a 'one size fits all' approach. We have to ensure that only those elements which bring the most benefit at an affordable level are implemented locally.

The project performed a number of different concept development activities with increasing levels of maturity over time, and at each stage provided evidence of the performance benefits to be expected as well as more transverse elements covering safety, security and associated costs and benefits. The aim is to ensure that the final operational concept delivered by the project is safe and cost-effective and provides performance benefits.

Solutions

PJ04 Wave 2 focussed on the notions of ‘Network Connected Airports’ and ‘Digital smart Airports’ and a total of 6 SESAR Solutions were elaborated in these two focus areas:

  • Solution 28.1 ‘Connected Regional Airports’;
  • Solution 28.2 ‘Regional Airport Collaborative Management’;
  • Solution 28.3 ‘Connected Large Airports’;
  • Solution 29.1 ‘Airside/Landside Performance Management’;
  • Solution 29.2 ‘MET Performance Management’;
  • Solution 29.3 ‘Environmental Performance Management’.

Implementation status

At the end of Wave 2, the TAM Solution 28.1 had reached the ‘V3’ maturity stage following the successful validation exercises that had been conducted, along with the assessment of the formal SESAR Maturity Gate process. This means that this solution relating to regional airport connectivity is now ready to pass into the next phase of deployment with the SESAR Deployment Manager and will also potentially form part of the SESAR Digital Sky Demonstration process.

Elements of the other TAM Solutions relating to regional airport connectivity (Solution 28.2) and environmental performance monitoring (solution 29.3) are now being further developed within the SESAR3 Industrial Research Programme and its associated demonstration activities.

Background information

Airport Operations Management in SESAR1 promoted enhanced situational awareness via the Airport Operations Plan (AOP), whilst reinforcing the collaborative decision-making process through the Airport Operations Centre (APOC).

Validation activities stressed the need to further develop the performance monitoring and management services promoting the evolution from a reactive ("firefighting") approach toward one of pro-active collaborative decision making.

Watch these videos to learn more

UDPP and APOC - EUROCONTROL validation exercise

Getting to grips with airport operations management

APOC simulation at Paris CdG airport

CAST simulation of London Heathrow Airport

Partners

AT-One, DLR, NLR, B4Consortium, LPS SR, Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, Coopans, Enaire, EUROCONTROL, Frequentis SESAR Partners, Indra, Leonardo, Natmig, Sintef, Seac, Thales.