Use cases

Validating local and regional network performance monitoring

10 April 2019

This covers

Validating local and regional network performance monitoring

As part of the Advanced demand and capacity balancing SESAR 2020 project (PJ09), we ran an exercise on the EUROCONTROL Network Manager validation platform (NMVP) with the objective to validate local and regional performance monitoring, integrating KPI benefit and trade-off mechanisms for the enhanced collaboration among air traffic management (ATM) stakeholders.

Local and regional monitoring of Network performance represents a stepping stone and key aspect of collaborative network management.
The paradigm of the collaborative approach relies on integrating KPIs that are shared by various ATM stakeholders - airspace users, airports, ANSPs and the EUROCONTROL Network Manager - with the objective to better use the available airspace and to avoid sub-optimal solutions to deal with local or regional demand and capacity imbalances. Sharing KPIs and other information offers the opportunity to use trade-off mechanisms in which constraints of different actors in the Network can be respected.

As a result, there will be more clarity regarding the anticipated impact of measures, which will in turn improve the performance of individual actors and ultimately improve the passenger experience.

Improved understanding and monitoring of the current state of the Network, as part of future collaborative performance management, should enable preventing further degradation of the state of the Network in case a disruption starts to affect Network performance. Likewise, in case of a more serious degradation of the Network status, it should be possible to restore the 'nominal' state of the Network quicker and with less impact on ATM stakeholders.

As part of the advanced demand and capacity balancing SESAR 2020 project (PJ09), we ran an exercise on the EUROCONTROL Network Manager validation platform (NMVP) with the objective to validate local and regional performance monitoring, integrating KPI benefit and trade-off mechanisms for the enhanced collaboration among ATM stakeholders. The exercise revolved around the central role of the flow management position (FMP) who were presented with performance indicators from other stakeholders.

"What is new for the exercise is the shareable performance indicators, which, from my perspective as an FMP user, allow me to see the potential impact that I have on other trajectories within the Network, the potential impact on airspace users in terms of turn-around times, and for the airport operators in terms of their stand allocation programme. The shareability means that you involve all of the users in a far more integrated way within the Network.”

Dan Schuller Manager SESAR concept, NATS

This information has been subsequently taken into consideration by the FMP as they were preparing the measures. Dedicated human-machine interface (HMI) prototypes for all actors have been developed for the purpose of the exercise to support the collaborative approach.

At a glance

operational stakeholder

actors (FMPs, AUs, APT and NM)

validated indicators

simulation scenarios

The exercise has shown that providing additional information to the FMPs by different stakeholders does have the potential to improve the measures deployed by the FMPs to deal with the demand and capacity imbalances in their respective airspace. In their feedback, the FMPs have pointed out the need for automation of certain elements of the process in order to cope with the workload increase. However, the overall idea of collaborative approach has been received well by all participants. The airspace users and airport representatives also appreciated the improved situational awareness and the opportunity to reduce the negative impact on their operations.