Implementation of Long-Range Air Traffic Flow Management at Large Hub Airports: An International Perspective

Many international airports have operations with a diverse mix of flight times. When demand/capacity imbalances are predicted to occur, traditional traffic management techniques often exempt long-haul flights which can cause inequity and extra delay to the short-haul flights. Long-Range Air Traffic Flow Management (LR-ATFM) concepts are designed to more equitably share delay across all flights. Using a simulation model, this paper presents results on how different uncertainty sources affect the management of long- and short-haul flights in international airport hubs. Case studies from the United States (Newark), Australia (Melbourne) and Japan (Tokyo Haneda) are presented. The objective of the simulation is to establish a relationship between (1) push-back uncertainty of short-haul flights, (2) estimated time of arrival uncertainty of long-haul flights, and (3) the ratio of short- and long-haul flights on the sequence stability and system delays. Results on these metrics are reported in the paper to discuss different scenarios when LR-ATFM is applied or not. The results provide insights into how LR-ATFM strategies could be more effectively implemented in the future.