A framework for dynamic air traffic management: optimizing trajectories under constraints

30 June 2024

Volcanic eruptions often lead to temporary airspace restrictions, due to the dangers posed by ash ingestion into aircraft engines. Currently, the consequences of these restrictions on air traffic flow and resulting financial impacts on airlines are difficult to predict. In order to address this, tools for estimating the impact of airspace closures are needed. Using simulated air traffic data and the OpenAP aircraft performance model, this work implements an algorithm for dynamic obstacle avoidance based on convex hull geometry. The tool generates alternative flight paths around restricted airspace and calculates the resulting changes in distance traveled and fuel consumption.

The project is part of the research area Air Traffic Management at the Chair of Air Traffic Concepts and was successfully finished on 01.07.24.

Supervisor: Simon B. Göppel