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Although schedule design has further potential to reduce airline operation costs and flight delay, the effectiveness of the globally optimal schedule design integrating air traffic flow has not been discussed thus far. This paper presents a global multi-objective takeoff time optimization to design efficient flight schedules that lead to minimal congestion and provide sufficient resilience against traffic problems. NSGA-II is adopted as the multi-objective optimization technique in this study. The objective functions include minimization of the total arrival delay and total fuel consumption because these are key performance indicators of air traffic management (ATM). The design variable used in this study is the takeoff time offset of each flight landing at the Tokyo International Airport. 607 design variables were used in this study. The range of the design variables was ±300 s to investigate the effect of a minor variation in the takeoff time. A cellular automaton-based model was utilized to simulate the interaction of the flights with each other. The results of the simulations demonstrated that the obtained optimal solutions could drastically reduce the total arrival delay and total fuel consumption by 1500 min and 80 tons, respectively. The spacing adjustments of one of the optimum flight schedules, in comparison to the original flight schedule, were reduced by 80% in the en-route and terminal airspaces. Additional analyses suggest that it is preferable to have longer takeoff time intervals for flights originating from the same point during congestion hours than those during non-congestion hours. This indicates that the optimization of ground movements in airports improves the efficiency of air traffic operations.
Katsuhiro Sekine; Tomoaki Tatsukawa; Eri Itoh; Kozo Fujii. Multi-Objective Takeoff Time Optimization Using Cellular Automaton-Based Simulator. IEEE Access 2021, 9, 79461 -79476.
AMA StyleKatsuhiro Sekine, Tomoaki Tatsukawa, Eri Itoh, Kozo Fujii. Multi-Objective Takeoff Time Optimization Using Cellular Automaton-Based Simulator. IEEE Access. 2021; 9 ():79461-79476.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKatsuhiro Sekine; Tomoaki Tatsukawa; Eri Itoh; Kozo Fujii. 2021. "Multi-Objective Takeoff Time Optimization Using Cellular Automaton-Based Simulator." IEEE Access 9, no. : 79461-79476.
Accommodating the air traffic growth, reducing arrival delay is one of the most important functions of designing the ATM system. One of the newest concepts to further optimize arrival flows is multi-stage arrival management, proposed by DLR, in which different guidance principles to manage the arriving traffic are implemented in different stages. These stages are optimized to the core management task to be done in a certain area of the arrival stream and the conditions of the surrounding environment. This paper discusses this concept through a macroscopic analysis on the overall arrival traffic flows. Further, this paper analyzes parts of the multi-stage arrival management concept applied to Tokyo International Airport as a case study. A stochastic characteristic of arrival trajectories will be discussed as a counterpart of conventional deterministic trajectory-based operation based on data-driven analysis and arrival procedures at the airport. The best strategies of shifting arrival flow control to time-based management are analyzed based on the stochastic data analysis. Impacts of pop-up aircraft are discussed as one of the causes to increase uncertainties in aircraft trajectory management.
E. Itoh; Y. Miyazawa; M. Finke; J. Rataj. Macroscopic Analysis to Identify Stage Boundaries in Multi-stage Arrival Management. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering 2021, 59 -76.
AMA StyleE. Itoh, Y. Miyazawa, M. Finke, J. Rataj. Macroscopic Analysis to Identify Stage Boundaries in Multi-stage Arrival Management. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering. 2021; ():59-76.
Chicago/Turabian StyleE. Itoh; Y. Miyazawa; M. Finke; J. Rataj. 2021. "Macroscopic Analysis to Identify Stage Boundaries in Multi-stage Arrival Management." Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering , no. : 59-76.
Recent research on Flight-deck Interval Management (FIM), a modern technology for increasing safety and improving airspace and runway utilisation through self-spacing, has led to the development of a new rule-based logic for FIM, namely Interval Management – Speed Planning (IM-SP). In an initial benchmark study, IM-SP showed good spacing performance with a significant reduction in speed commands, a major area of concern with previous FIM logics, resulting in a lower burden on the flight crew during FIM operation. Nevertheless, there remains scope for improvement in other aspects, such as fuel burn. In this study, the internal cost function of IM-SP is further analysed and optimised using speed-constrained multi-objective particle swarm optimisation to improve the performance of IM-SP under the multiple objectives of FIM. The optimisation renders new settings that address the problem areas, improve the speed commands and enhance the overall quality of IM-SP. Two distinctive solutions, viz. a spacing performance optimised setting and a fuel burn optimised setting, are further analysed and discussed, and directions for follow-up research are explored.
T. Riedel; M. Takahashi; E. Itoh. Optimisation of interval management – speed planning using SMPSO. The Aeronautical Journal 2020, 124, 1 -27.
AMA StyleT. Riedel, M. Takahashi, E. Itoh. Optimisation of interval management – speed planning using SMPSO. The Aeronautical Journal. 2020; 124 (1281):1-27.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. Riedel; M. Takahashi; E. Itoh. 2020. "Optimisation of interval management – speed planning using SMPSO." The Aeronautical Journal 124, no. 1281: 1-27.
This paper proposes data-driven queuing models and solutions to reduce arrival time delays originating from aircraft arrival processing bottlenecks at Tokyo International Airport. A data-driven analysis was conducted using two years of radar tracks and flight plans from 2016 and 2017. This analysis helps not only to understand the bottlenecks and operational strategies of air traffic controllers, but also to develop mathematical models to predict arrival delays resulting from increased, future aircraft traffic. The queue-based modeling approach suggests that one potential solution is to expand the realization of time-based operations, efficiently shifting from traffic flow control to time-based arrival management. Furthermore, the proposed approach estimates the most effective range of transition points, which is a key requirement for designing extended arrival management systems while offering automation support to air traffic controllers.
Eri Itoh; Mihaela Mitici. Queue-Based Modeling of the Aircraft Arrival Process at a Single Airport. Aerospace 2019, 6, 103 .
AMA StyleEri Itoh, Mihaela Mitici. Queue-Based Modeling of the Aircraft Arrival Process at a Single Airport. Aerospace. 2019; 6 (10):103.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEri Itoh; Mihaela Mitici. 2019. "Queue-Based Modeling of the Aircraft Arrival Process at a Single Airport." Aerospace 6, no. 10: 103.
This study evaluates energy-saving arrival operations based on a series of experiments using B777-200 and B787-8 full-flight simulators. A total of 50 trials were carried out to simulate arrivals at two major international airports located at the metroplex area in Japan: the Tokyo and Kansai International Airports. This paper proposes applying fixed-flight path-angle descent—in which the aircraft descends continuously, following a defined vertical path—as a potential solution for both arrival-time management and fuel-efficiency enhancement. The proposed type of descent improves the predictability of the arrival aircraft trajectory on the ground, and therefore, supports the air traffic controllers’ task of maintaining safe separations within the air traffic flows in both en route and terminal areas. The operational feasibility of the proposed method under nominal and nonnominal situations is studied, considering the pilots’ operation of the flight management system, and the operators’ benefits—through fuel reduction—are discussed and compared with conventional arrival operations. The obtained results show that the fixed-flight path-angle descent is operationally feasible for both B777-200 and B787-8 aircraft, and that by applying speed control during the descent, it has a significant potential as an operational approach to adjust arrival delay while minimizing fuel consumption.
Eri Itoh; Sachiko Fukushima; Hiroko Hirabayashi; Navinda K. Wickramasinghe; Daichi Toratani. Evaluating Energy-Saving Arrivals of Wide-Body Passenger Aircraft via Flight-Simulator Experiments. Journal of Aircraft 2018, 55, 2427 -2443.
AMA StyleEri Itoh, Sachiko Fukushima, Hiroko Hirabayashi, Navinda K. Wickramasinghe, Daichi Toratani. Evaluating Energy-Saving Arrivals of Wide-Body Passenger Aircraft via Flight-Simulator Experiments. Journal of Aircraft. 2018; 55 (6):2427-2443.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEri Itoh; Sachiko Fukushima; Hiroko Hirabayashi; Navinda K. Wickramasinghe; Daichi Toratani. 2018. "Evaluating Energy-Saving Arrivals of Wide-Body Passenger Aircraft via Flight-Simulator Experiments." Journal of Aircraft 55, no. 6: 2427-2443.
This study proposes the use of fixed flight-path angle (FPA) descent as a potential alternative for eco-friendly air traffic operations. Additionally, given that the proposed descent procedure follows a fixed, assigned flight-path angle, with the aircraft continuously descending toward the runway threshold with near-idle thrust, the trajectory should be more predictable for air-traffic controllers. As such, the proposed approach is expected to contribute significantly toward decreasing the air traffic fuel consumption, while simultaneously facilitating the air traffic controllers’ task of maintaining the required time spacing between concurrent traffic. Furthermore, FPA descent does not require any retrofits in the fundamental components of current ground systems and/or onboard avionics. This paper clarifies the feasibility of fixed flight-path angle descent for B777-200 and B787-8 wide-body jet passenger aircraft, envisaging its implementation in near-term operations. A total of 30 trials were carried out in a series of experiments designed to evaluate the proposed descent method, considering arrivals at two major international airports in Japan—the Tokyo and Kansai International Airports—using B777-200 and B787-800 full flight simulators of a national airline. The pilots’ procedures, cockpit operability, assigned vertical path tracking performance, and fuel efficiency associated with the proposed FPA descent are discussed and compared with those of conventional arrival operations. The analysis results indicate that the fixed flight-path angle descent is feasible for large-sized jet aircraft within the assumed operational environment, and that its combined use with speed control has the potential to result in even better energy-saving performance in future air traffic management operations.
Eri Itoh; Navinda K. Wickramasinghe; Hiroko Hirabayashi; Sachiko Fukushima. Feasibility study on fixed flight-path angle descent for wide-body passenger aircraft. CEAS Aeronautical Journal 2018, 10, 589 -612.
AMA StyleEri Itoh, Navinda K. Wickramasinghe, Hiroko Hirabayashi, Sachiko Fukushima. Feasibility study on fixed flight-path angle descent for wide-body passenger aircraft. CEAS Aeronautical Journal. 2018; 10 (2):589-612.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEri Itoh; Navinda K. Wickramasinghe; Hiroko Hirabayashi; Sachiko Fukushima. 2018. "Feasibility study on fixed flight-path angle descent for wide-body passenger aircraft." CEAS Aeronautical Journal 10, no. 2: 589-612.
Daichi Toratani; Navinda K. Wickramasinghe; Eri Itoh. Merging Optimization Method Application to Arrival Scheduling Algorithm for Parallel Runways. AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference 2017, 1 .
AMA StyleDaichi Toratani, Navinda K. Wickramasinghe, Eri Itoh. Merging Optimization Method Application to Arrival Scheduling Algorithm for Parallel Runways. AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference. 2017; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaichi Toratani; Navinda K. Wickramasinghe; Eri Itoh. 2017. "Merging Optimization Method Application to Arrival Scheduling Algorithm for Parallel Runways." AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference , no. : 1.
Eri Itoh; Sachiko Fukushima; Hiroko Hirabayashi; Navinda Kithmal Wickramasinghe. Simulation Evaluation on Fixed-flight Path Angle Descent. JOURNAL OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES 2016, 64, 50 -57.
AMA StyleEri Itoh, Sachiko Fukushima, Hiroko Hirabayashi, Navinda Kithmal Wickramasinghe. Simulation Evaluation on Fixed-flight Path Angle Descent. JOURNAL OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES. 2016; 64 (1):50-57.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEri Itoh; Sachiko Fukushima; Hiroko Hirabayashi; Navinda Kithmal Wickramasinghe. 2016. "Simulation Evaluation on Fixed-flight Path Angle Descent." JOURNAL OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES 64, no. 1: 50-57.