Method and system for allocating aircraft arrival/departure slot times

A method for an aviation system to temporally allocate aircraft slot times during a specified period for the flow of a plurality of aircraft toward a specified fix point, based upon specified data pertaining to said aircraft, said fix point and associated system resources, and aviation system specified criteria for allocating said slot times, said method comprising the steps of

• collecting and storing said specified data and criteria,
• processing said specified data applicable to each of said aircraft and associated resources so as to predict an arrival fix time for each of said aircraft at said specified fix point,
• assigning to each of said plurality of aircraft a figure of merit whose value is a measure of how likely it is that said predicted arrival fix time will be achieved by said aircraft, wherein said figure of merit having a specified value, which, when exceeded, implies that said predicted arrival time is sufficiently reliable so as to warrant said aircraft to be considered for an allocation of one of said slot times,
• accepting and storing a request by an aircraft operator for one of said slot times,
• accepting and storing a request by a system operator to create slack time in said specified period,
• utilizing said slot and slack time requests and the predicted arrival fix times for any of said plurality of aircraft for which a slot time request was not made for predicting the demand for said slot times,
• predicting, based upon specified data that is applicable to said specified period and fix point, the availability of said slot times within said specified period, and
• allocating, based upon said operator requests, predicted demand for and availability of said slot times and said slot time allocation criteria, said slot times.

A system, including a processor, memory, display and input device, that allows an aviation system to temporally allocate aircraft slot times during a specified period for the flow of a plurality of aircraft toward a specified fix point, based upon specified data pertaining to said aircraft, said fix point and associated system resources, and aviation system specified criteria for allocating said slot times, said system comprising:

• a means for collecting and storing in said memory said specified data and criteria,
• a means directing said processor to process said specified data applicable to each of said aircraft and associated resources so as to predict an arrival fix time for each of said aircraft at said specified fix point,
• a means for assigning to each of said plurality of aircraft a figure of merit whose value is a measure of how likely it is that said predicted arrival fix time will be achieved by said aircraft, wherein said figure of merit having a specified value, which, when exceeded, implies that said predicted arrival time is sufficiently reliable so as to warrant said aircraft to be considered for an allocation of one of said slot times,
• a means for directing said input device to accept and store a request by said operator of each of said aircraft for one of said slot times,
• a means for directing said input device to accept and store a request by a system operator to create slack time in said specified period,
• a means, utilizing said slot and slack time requests and the predicted arrival fix times for any of said plurality of aircraft for which a slot time request was not made, for predicting the demand for said slot times,
• a means, based upon specified data that is applicable to said specified period and fix point, for predicting the availability of said slot times within said specified period, and
• a means, based upon said operator requests, predicted demand for and availability of said slot times and said slot time allocation criteria, for allocating said slot times.