Improving future air traffic punctuality: “pinch‐and‐pull” target windows

Recent studies concerning future air transport systems propose an operational model based on contract‐based air transportation system concepts, which impose 4D (spatial and time) constraints, called target windows (TWs), at different parts of the flight plan that an aircraft has to respect. The paper's aim is to find the set of all possible approaches for controlling punctuality at destination without violating the constraints imposed by a given sequence of TWs.

By quantifying such factors as distance between neighbouring TWs, size and temporal location of TWs, as well as the duration for which each TW should be valid, the authors arrived at a methodology for calculating a feasible sequence of TWs specific and appropriate to each flight scenario. Using these they sought control interface designs that would provide better arrival times at flight path reference points while minimizing potential conflicts.

A “pinch‐and‐pull” interface capable of implementing a real‐time, arrival‐time delay‐minimization process, which aims to achieve punctuality at destination by dynamically imposing appropriate modifications on aircraft flight velocities as dictated by TW definitions, was created.

With novel improvements to current methods for controlling aircraft punctuality at destination as proposed in this paper, great strides in flight path manoeuvrability may result, provided the pace of data management and display can parallel such developments.

The unorthodox approach to optimizing punctuality involves novel development of TWs, so as to transitively reduce uncertainty throughout the 4D trajectory defining the journey, rather than just at terminals. As a means of dramatically enhancing information display, a highly efficient pinch‐and‐pull interface for visualising these TWs was also developed.