System and method for planning, disruption management, and optimization of networked, scheduled or on-demand air transport fleet trajectory operations

A method for managing aircrafts within an airspace comprising:

• A) upon entry of an aircraft into an airspace, receiving from the aircraft and storing in a computer memory data describing a trajectory representing the aircraft;
• B) periodically re-calculating the trajectory representing the aircraft;
• C) identifying conflicts between the trajectory representing the aircraft and another trajectory representing one of another aircraft and an obstacle within the airspace;
• D) modifying the trajectory representing the aircraft;
• and
• E) communicating data representing a modified trajectory to the aircraft
• wherein the data describing the trajectory representing the aircraft comprises multi-dimensional data comprising a first time value and a second time value.

A system for simulation and management of aircraft trajectories within an airspace comprising:

• A) a network interface, operably connectable to one or more sources of data relevant to an airspace model;
• B) a computer memory coupled to the network interface;
• C) a processor coupled to the computer memory and the network interface;
• D) an airspace model stored in the computer memory, the airspace model initialized to a plurality of parameters which collectively define characteristics of the airspace;
• E) a plurality of trajectory data structures stored in the computer memory, the trajectory data structures respectively representing trajectories to be flown by aircrafts within the airspace model;
• and
• F) a trajectory management server application executable on the processor and configured for:
• i) acquiring and storing in the computer memory data describing an aircraft trajectory;
• ii) periodically re-calculating the trajectories respectively represented by the trajectory data structures stored in the computer memory;
• iii) identifying conflicts between a first trajectory representing one of the aircrafts and a second trajectory representing another of the aircrafts or between the first trajectory and an obstacle within the airspace model;
• and
• iv) modifying the first trajectory;
• wherein the modification of the first trajectory is performed in accordance with at least one predetermined rule;
• wherein each of the trajectory data structures comprises data representing multiple dimensions associated with one of the trajectories to be flown by the individual aircrafts within the airspace model;
• and
• wherein the multiple dimensions comprise data representing a first time value, and a second time value.