Schedule activated management system for optimizing aircraft arrivals at congested airports

Abstract

A system is provided for managing the inbound flow of aircraft to an airfield by ensuring that aircraft are sequenced before departure into an arrival stream. Sequencing uses operational data obtained from airlines and then provides a methodology for sharing this data with the air traffic control (ATC) agency. The outcome is a daily arrival schedule providing a predetermined operational arrival time for each aircraft movement. The operational data used by the system relates to airline punctuality, taxi times at departure airfields and actual flight times predicted on a flight-by-flight basis by airline flight planning systems. This information is combined to effect a predictive arrival time at a desired navigational fix. When used in conjunction with an optimised sequencing process for the final arrival time, the system then creates a Tactical Arrival Time (TAT) for an individual flight. Airlines share proportionally in a measure of departures from requested TATs, such measures being optionally weighted.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.