Methodologies for the
determination of Airport
and ATC Sector Capacity
Presented By: Sindiswa Siwisa
Content
• Overview
• Airport and ATC Sector Capacity Explained
• ATNS 2014 ATM Capacity Determination Study
• Future Airport and ATC Sector Capacity
Studies – AirTOP Fast Time Simulation
Air traffic management
(ATM) involves ensuring
the safe and efficient
movement of aircraft
through airspace and
airports. Two critical
components of ATM are
Overview airport capacity and ATC
sector
Determining
capacity.
these
capacities is essential for
optimizing the flow of air
traffic, minimizing delays,
and maintaining safety
standards.
• Defines “declared capacity” as the measure of the ability of the ATC system
or any of its subsystems or operating positions to provide service to aircraft
during normal activities. It is expressed as the number of aircraft entering a
specific portion of airspace in a given period of time, taking due account of
weather, ATC unit configuration, available staff and equipment, and any other
ICAO Annex factor that may affect the workload of the controller responsible for the
11 airspace.
• Establishes that the appropriate ATS authority should periodically review ATS
capacity in relation to traffic demand; and should provide for flexible use of
airspace to improve operational efficiency and increase capacity.
Doc 4444
ATC Sector Capacity
ATC sector capacity refers to
the maximum number of
aircraft that can be managed
safely within a defined
airspace sector by air traffic
controllers during a specific
period
ATC Sector Capacity
Number of
Airspace ATC
ATC System Sectors & Segregated Available CNS
Design and Availability &
Capacity Airspace Airspace Infrastructure
Flexibility Training
Complexity
Route Airspace Complexity of Number of
Level of Equipage and
structure in Volume of the Operations in Adjoining
Automation Aircraft Type
the sector Sector The Sector Sectors
Weather & Military Special Use
Terrain ATC Workload
Operations Airspace
ATC Sector Capacity
• Monitoring
• Radio Telephony
• Clearances
• Coordination
• Conflict Detection
• Conflict Resolution
• Sequencing
• Strip Marking
• Training
ATC Workload
Airport Capacity
The maximum number of
aircraft operations (take-offs
and landings) that an airport
can handle within a specific
timeframe under given
conditions.
Planning Factors Landing and Take-Off
Air Traffic Sequencing & Operations
Coordination Conditions Regulatory aircraft separation
minima
Personnel Training
Aerodrome layout
Nav-Aids
Final approach speed
Communication
Aircraft Mix
Separation criteria adopted by ATC
Average runway occupancy time
Length of final approach segment
ATNS 2014 ATM Capacity Determination Study
Terminal Runway
ATM
Capacity
Air Traffic
Control
Apron
DORATASK Methodology
An analytical model based
Widely used for task on a Fast Time Simulation
assessment and workload (FTS) provides clear
analysis. examples and logical
calculations.
Fast Time Simulation or FTS
is a system used to simulate
an airport and/or airspace Yields highly realistic
by the specific simulations of aircraft
requirements to develop operations.
and implement new
procedures.
DORATASK Methodology
• The workload is calculated by adding up the time the controller takes to
perform all the necessary, observable, and non-observable tasks associated
with air traffic flow in his/her sector and working position. Sector capacity is
determined by adding the total task load to a parameter that indicates the
amount of time needed for controller recovery.
• The DORATASK Model contains algorithms that estimate workload, which is the
time the controller spends on planning tasks. These estimates and examples
are based on statistical data that provide constant values used to adjust
analytical formulae.
Data Sampling
The controller workload is the summation of
times spent on:
• Communication (transmissions/reception);
• Manual activities (filling out flight progress
strips or aerodrome log) and coordination;
and;
• Traffic planning and distribution
• Sequencing
Future Airport
and ATC
Capacity Studies
From Airport to Airspace Capacity Analysis
It´s rather easy to count the number of movements at an airport until a
certain delay criteria is reached.
Runway Capacity Analyzer
• Transoft Solutions´ Runway Capacity Analyzer overcomes the limitations of existing analytical capacity
assessments by applying Monte Carlo simulation method to calculate runway throughput. The method
allows for a practically unlimited number of traffic sequences to be analyzed in order to obtain the
corresponding capacities of the runway system in place at a given airport, while respecting the user
definable (optional) constraints on fleet mix, Level of Service, arrival/departure ratio and existing schedule
times.
• Monte Carlo methods, or Monte Carlo experiments, are a broad class of computational algorithms that rely
on repeated random sampling to obtain numerical results. The underlying concept is to use randomness to
solve problems that might be deterministic in principle. They are often used in physical and mathematical
problems and are most useful when it is difficult or impossible to use other approaches. Monte Carlo
methods are mainly used in three problem classes: optimization, numerical integration, and generating
draws from a probability distribution.
Runway Capacity Analyzer
−Obtain optimized traffic sequence
−Evaluate throughput of the runway system
−Evaluate delay with respect to runway target
times
−Test future traffic demand in terms of runway
capacity shortfall or excess
−Study the impact of:
− Fleet mix
− Required aircraft separation
− Runway layout and mode of operation
− Location and use of runway entries and
exits
− Level of Service (accepted delay)
− Preferential treatment of certain flights
Airspace Analysis
AirTOP = Task Based Workload Model
Example: Monitoring task
Modelling of the controller´s routine activities
• Radar monitoring, repetitive activity
• Strip marking, on paper or paper less
• Monitoring of flight path and altitude
CDV : Capacity Default Value
Example to Determine Capacity declared sector capacity refers to the number of flight entries per hour assessed by
the ANSP and declared to the Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU). This
declaration ensures that the sector is protected from overload during air traffic
control operations.
Capacity figures are depending on traffic complexity.
Traffic complexity is picked up by task based workload model.
Thank You
