Defining dynamic route structure for airspace configuration

Abstract

This article describes a method for defining route structure from flight tracks. Individual merge and diverge intersections between pairs of flights are identified, clustered, and grouped into nodes of a route structure network. Links are placed between nodes to represent major traffic flows. A parametric analysis determined the algorithm input parameters producing route structures of current day flight plans that are closest to today's airway structure. These parameters are then used to define and analyse the dynamic route structure over the course of a day for current day flight paths. Route structures are also compared between current day flight paths and more user-preferred paths such as great circle and weather avoidance routing.

Keywords

route structure airspace configuration traffic flow critical points

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Histon

J. M.

Hansman

R. J.

Aigoin

Delahaye

Puechmorel

Introducing structural considerations into complexity metrics. Air Traffic Control Qtly., 2002, 10(2), 115–130.

Sabhnani, G. Geometric algorithms for dynamic airspace sectorization. PhD Thesis, Stony Brook University, New York, USA, 2009.

Xue, M. Three dimensional sector design with optimal number of sectors. In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2–5 August 2010, pp. 1–16.

Martinez, S., Chatterji, G., Sun, D., and Bayen, A. A weighted-graph approach for dynamic airspace configuration. In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA, 20–23 August 2007, pp. 1–16.

Wang

Hwang

A spectral clustering based algorithm for dynamic airspace configuration, 9th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration and Operations Conference,21–23 September 2009, pp. 1–21, Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Sridhar

Sheth

Network characteristics of air traffic in the continental United States. In Proceedings of the 17th International Federation of Automatic Control World Congress, 6–11 July 2008, Coex, South Korea, 1–6.

Sabhnani

Yousefi

Kierstead

D. P.

Kostitsyna

Mitchell

J. S. B.

Polishchuk

Algorithmic traffic abstraction and its application to NextGen generic airspace. 10th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, 13–15 September 2010, pp. 1–10, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

Zelinski

Defining critical points for dynamic airspace configuration. In Proceedings of the 26th International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences, 14–19 September 2008, pp. 1–12, Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Meyn, L., Windhorst, R., Roth, K., Van Drei, D., Kubat, G., Manikonda, V., Roney, S., Hunter, G., Huang, A., and Couluris, G. Build 4 of the airspace concept evaluation system. In Proceedings of the AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference and Exhibit, Keystone, Colorado, USA, 21–24 August 2006, pp. 1–16.

10.

Love

Chan

Lee

C. H.

Analysis of automated aircraft conflict resolution and weather avoidance, 21–23 September 2009, pp. 1–15, In Proceedings of the 9th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration and Operations Conference, Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA.

11.

DeLaura, R. and Evans, J. An exploratory study of modeling en route pilot convective storm flight deviation behavior. In Proceedings of the 12th Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 28 January–2 February 2006, pp. 1–15.