Description
En-route air traffic is challenging to manage due to fast-changing conditions such as traffic density, complex routes, weather, and various other factors. A dynamic approach to air traffic flow management is necessary to balance traffic with demand where and when needed. The ANTICIPATE project aims to enhance current short-term ATFCM measures by introducing “capacity-on-demand” mechanisms at the operational level, paving the way for new airspace capacity management methods. These will address the constant increase in traffic demand through a pairwise adjacent-sector balancing mechanism, extending to longer adjacent-sector chains. ANTICIPATE introduces a new capacity-on-demand model by delegating air traffic control for a cluster of aircraft between adjacent ATC sectors. This approach focuses on more balanced workload distribution for air traffic controllers while preventing sector overloads and ground regulation scenarios. Aligned with the Digital European Sky vision, the project will evaluate a mechanism to transform spare capacity into virtual sector capacity where and when needed. It will also review the licensing and training requirements for controllers. In addition, ANTICIPATE will promote collaboration with industry experts to develop efficient and effective solutions to manage European air traffic.
