Method and electronic device for optimizing a flight trajectory of an aircraft subject to time of arrival control constraints

An electronic device for optimizing a flight trajectory of an aircraft subject to time of arrival control constraints, the electronic device comprising:

• a communications unit for receiving
• at least one of real-time and forecasted atmospheric conditions about an aircraft route, and
• data on aircraft operational constraints and real-time aircraft state and performance;
• an optimization module configured to receive one or more time of arrival control constraints for the aircraft route and one or more flight trajectory optimization parameters at least including flight cruise altitude, the optimization module comprising a flight trajectory generator configured to:
• generate a plurality of set of values for one or more flight trajectory optimization parameters, so that all the generated set of values include flight cruise altitudes different from the current aircraft altitude;
• compute, for the generated set of values of the one or more flight trajectory optimization parameters, flight trajectories of the aircraft using the received atmospheric conditions and the data on aircraft operational constraints and real-time aircraft state and performance;
• select, based on one or more optimization criteria, at least one optimal flight cruise altitude with a computed flight trajectory complying with the time of arrival control constraints;
• and
• an alert generation module configured to generate one or more trajectory change alerts including the at least one selected optimal flight cruise altitude.