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Framework to Assess an Area Control Centre's Operating Cost-efficiency: a Case Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2015

Gonzalo Tobaruela ,
Wolfgang Schuster ,
Arnab Majumdar  and
Washington Y. Ochieng
Gonzalo Tobaruela*
Affiliation:
(Imperial College London, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Wolfgang Schuster
Affiliation:
(Imperial College London, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Arnab Majumdar
Affiliation:
(Imperial College London, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Washington Y. Ochieng
Affiliation:
(Imperial College London, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
*
(E-mail: g.tobaruela-arnedo11@imperial.ac.uk)
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Abstract

Cost-efficiency is a crucial Key Performance Area (KPA) in today's Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. Traditionally, research has mainly focused on the airport domain, with little attention being paid to the operating cost-efficiency of Area Control Centres (ACCs). This paper addresses this shortcoming and develops a framework to assess the cost-efficiency of an ACC from an operational perspective. It investigates how the resources of an ACC are managed, from the start of the planning process to the day of operation. The framework develops new metrics to assess an ACC's performance. A case study is carried out on the Maastricht Upper Area Control (MUAC) centre. Results show that, despite being one of the most advanced ACCs in Europe, the human workforce is operating at only approximately 50% of their full capabilities.

Keywords

Air Traffic ControlCost-efficiencyAirspace ManagementMaastricht Upper Area Control Centre
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 68 , Issue 6 , November 2015 , pp. 1088 - 1104
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 2015 

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