From airports to ATC, ground handlers to ANSPs, the Network Manager, airspace users, passengers and society as a whole – the FASTNet project’s innovative solutions are set to benefit all.
When it comes to aligning air traffic demand with airspace capacity, one could say that it takes a village.
“While every flight begins and ends at an airport, optimising operations and minimising disruptions requires the participation of not only the airport, but also pilots, ground handlers, air traffic controllers, air navigation service providers (ANSPs), the Network Manager and, of course, airspace users,” says Alan Marsden, a project manager at Eurocontrol.
Helping bring this village together is the FASTNet project.
With the goal of achieving demand capacity balancing (DCB), FASTNet is working to enhance collaborative data exchange at the local airport level while simultaneously improving the communication links between airports and the Network Manager, run by EUROCONTROL.
DCB is a predictive decision-making platform. Using powerful and accurate forecasting to balance demand with capacity, it allows airports to anticipate and mitigate disruptions.
Two innovative solutions
At the heart of the project are two innovative solutions, the first of which enables direct collaboration and coordination between airports during the tactical phase of an operation. Not only does the solution improve coordination between the origin and destination airports, it also optimises traffic DCB prior to coordination with the Network Manager.
“With this solution, airport pairs will play an active and direct role in the overall air traffic flow and capacity management process,” explains Marsden, who serves as the FASTNet project coordinator.
The second FASTNet solution reinforces the information being shared between the airports and the Network Manager. By ensuring that the right information is shared as early as possible, this solution will play a key role in optimising tactical operations.
Leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), both solutions will integrate new datasets (e.g., local restrictions, pre-tactical flight information, strategic local information) to enrich the DCB process and achieve efficient planning starting from the strategic phase.
How the entire village benefits
Although a work in progress, the FASTNet project team is confident its proposed solutions will benefit all involved actors. For example, airports will benefit from more stable and predictable operations, starting from strategic planning and through to the tactical phase.
This increase in predictability will also benefit the EATMN. For instance, by ensuring that sector count predictions are better aligned to actual traffic flows, the FASTNet solutions will stabalise air traffic flow management measures.
Furthermore, by improving the time horizon at which pertinent data is shared bi-directionally between airports and the Network Manager, the project will help ensure that all actors are able to plan their operations and allocate resources based on the most accurate information available.
This increase in the predictability of airport resources will also benefit airport operators and ground handlers, whereas the reduction in air traffic flow management delays will benefit ANSPs, the Network Manager, airspace users and passengers.
“Last but not least, because more predictable and punctual operations are directly linked to lower fuel consumption, the FASTNet project will help lower aviation’s environmental footprint – which is something we all can benefit from,” concludes Marsden.
The project is currently preparing to validate both of its solutions, with exercises planned in shadow mode and live operations starting in late 2025.
You can learn more about the FASTNet project here.
