Air Traffic Management

Course summary

This Air Transport short course examines issues in air traffic management, including economic, regulatory and performance aspects. We will discuss current procedures, regulations, policies and data sources, in addition to the latest research and European planning in SESAR. You will also explore the technical aspects of flow management, flight planning and performance measurement.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for air transport professionals, such as:

• middle management at both airlines and airports
• management from air transport related industries (eg software/solutions development)
• employees at air navigation service providers
• employees working in airline scheduling, airport management and operations, and ATM research functions

Academics from research institutes and universities, especially those engaged in air transport research, also will find the course beneficial for their work and research

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• evaluate and assess current issues in air traffic management
• critically appraise current air traffic management and flight planning methods and practices, identifying future challenges, considering planned improvements and new concepts
• identify key research areas in air traffic management, citing applied examples and new methods

Course structure

This course ranges from presenting the principles of air traffic management through to introducing advanced future concepts. Flow management and current flight planning are explained before the main features of operation of domestic airspace and oceanic airspace are compared, and ATC at the world’s busiest dual-runway airport (Heathrow) is set in the context of future expansion challenges. Performance measurement is explained across the main global regions with insights into KPIs and the regulatory context.

The main operational and technical content of SESAR and its Key Features are explained, followed by dedicated sessions discussing trajectory-based and free-route operations, the key challenges and benefits of increased automation, and the vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies relating to cybersecurity.

A discussion of modelling approaches in ATM is complemented by a session on key datasets available to support aviation research, with an overview of the research landscape in SESAR, its main events and funding mechanisms, and insights into an ongoing SESAR research project.

The course will equip participants new to the area with air traffic management knowledge that is necessary and relevant in a number of airline, airport and other air transport industry functions. It furnishes industry middle management and researchers with complementary knowledge to their existing job/research functions (eg airline scheduling, airport management and operations; ATM research). Each session is presented by a senior expert in the field, with a balance between practitioners from industry and leading academic researchers.

Seminar schedule

Day 1

• 9.30am-9.50am: Welcome and ATM Course Overview
  Professor Andrew Cook, University of Westminster
• 9.50am-11am: The Principles of Air Traffic Flow Management
  Dr Luis Delgado, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 11am-11.30am: Break
• 11.30am-12.10pm: An Introduction to Flight Planning and ATM Messaging
  Graham Tanner, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 12.10pm-1pm: Operating En-Route and Oceanic Airspace – Design and Challenges 
  Adrian Clark, Manager Advanced Concepts, Airspace & Future Operations, NATS
• 1pm-2.30pm: Lunch break
• 2.30pm-3.15pm: ATC at Heathrow: The World’s Busiest Dual-Runway Airport 
  Adrian Clark, Manager Advanced Concepts, Airspace & Future Operations, NATS
• 3.15pm-4pm: Sesar – A High-Level Content View of The Programme
  Dr Tatjana Bolic, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 4pm-4.30pm: Break
• 4.30pm-5.15pm: Performance Measurement in ATM
  Professor Andrew Cook, University of Westminster

Day 2

• 9.30am-10.15am: Future Concepts in ATM
  Dr Luis Delgado, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 10.15am-11am: Delays in European Aviation: Trends and Costs
  Professor Andrew Cook, University of Westminster
• 11am-11.30am: Break
• 11.30am-12.15pm: Essential Data Sources in Aviation and ATM 
  Graham Tanner, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 12.15pm-1pm: Modelling Methods in Aviation – Comparative Benefits
  Dr Gérald Gurtner, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 1pm-2.30pm: Lunch break
• 2.30pm-3.15pm: Machine Learning in ATM: Improving Airline Performance
  Dr Paolino De Falco, Research Fellow, University of Westminster
• 3.15pm-3.45pm: Break
• 3.45pm-4.30pm: Domino – A Novel Platform to Assess the Coupling of ATM Systems from a Flight and Passenger Perspective
  Dr Gérald Gurtner, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster