Flow Control on its way!

[Dune]

Emirates Plans Time-based Operations at Dubai International | Aviation International News (http://www.ainonline.com/?q=node/104039)


Emirates Plans Time-based Operations at Dubai International
AIN Air Transport Perspective » May 21, 2012 by Bill Carey

Avtech Sweden and Emirates Airline are working to develop time-based operations into Dubai International Airport.

Avtech Sweden, a provider of air-traffic management services, is helping Emirates Airline develop time-based operations into its base at Dubai International Airport. The “Emirates-Flow” project could improve overall throughput and capacity at the airport, which lays claim to being the world’s fourth busiest hub for international passengers and freight.

Starting two hours out from Dubai, Emirates will sequence its arriving aircraft based on business and operational requirements. ATC will assign aircraft entering UAE airspace required time-of-arrival (RTA) fixes—specified waypoints crossed at specified times—monitored and maintained by their onboard flight management system (FMS) computers.

“While the RTA compliance is optional for crews, it is foreseen that high utilization will lead to an increase in throughput at Dubai International Airport, reduced overall holding times, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as well as a reduction in workload for ATC in the FIRs [flight information regions] surrounding Dubai,” Avtech said. “The expected result of the project will be that Emirates aircraft, which account for a large percentage of the traffic to Dubai International, are sequenced correctly from an airline business standpoint as well as for ATC before entering UAE airspace.”

Last month, Dubai Airports said passenger traffic in March exceeded 4.5 million at Dubai International for the third consecutive month. Overall passenger traffic for the first quarter totaled 14.3 million, an increase of 16 percent over the same period last year.

Avtech proved instrumental in developing FMS-managed, four-dimensional trajectories (three spatial dimensions and time) flown by Scandinavian Airlines at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and now participates in three projects of the Single European Sky ATM Research program. The company took part in the definition of the Emirates-Flow project, and is helping the airline with avionics considerations and training of pilots and dispatchers. The value of its agreement with the airline amounts to $150,000.

Earlier this year, Avtech Sweden started trading on the Nasdaq OMX First North exchange for small, growth companies in the Nordic countries.

[White Knight]

It would all have been so much easier if the parallel runways were another 40' (13m) or so apart!!!! I believe that this is the immediate problem with DXB. Great planning during the runway rebuild:D:D

Outbound - main problem is the Muscat and Bahrain FIRs...

[BigGeordie]

This is just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic. The only solution is to move the whole thing up to Jebel Ali AND sort out the airspace into the neighbouring FIRs.

We have the World's biggest airport site 20km up the road and yet are still building terminals at Dubai and trying to make it work. Why?:ugh:

Bahrain and Muscat are a different problem and I don't really see a solution to that.

Meanwhile this year's profit share is being burnt in the hold at Desdi every night.:{

[Sheikh Your Bootie]

At least habibis this is a stab in the right direction! The countless tons of fuel thrown out the back in the various holds in DXB everyday. This IS the one thing that is seriously denting the bottom line.

No matter what time you arrive in DXB, it is impossible to predict with accuracy if you may hold or not. So, as a result most crews arrive with the required 20 mins holding +++, whether loaded by dispatch or themselves as extra.

Talking to some of the ATCO's who are "trying" to improve things, with various working groups. Trying to get the various stakeholders, to agree to plans is very tedious and slow. I am sure if there are any in ATC UAE or DXB Approach, they would have more accurate info. This needs to be sorted out once and for all at the top. Otherwise the mess and bottom line will get worse.

Sorting out RTA's for EK aircraft inbound is all well and dandy, but unless other operators are included in the system, its not going to work!

SYB :zzz:

[ferris]

I'm interested to know why you think Bahrain and Muscat are the culprits 'outbound'?

[VoxPopuli]

Sorting out RTA's for EK aircraft inbound is all well and dandy, but unless other operators are included in the system, its not going to work!

Ding Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner, we have a winner!!

[ruserious]

not just that you will have some poor underpaid Johnny in an office somewhere with no operational experience, doing all the decision work.

[Capt Groper]

Grear idea but must be applied to all traffic inbound.

Holding delay can be absorbed by speed control for those accepting EAT enroute. ACARS arrival flow control clearence acceptance process, like DCL and NAT entry CLR.

If not able to accept an arrival EAT via ACARS then expect to go to the back of the que and wait for a spare slot.


Also need an RNAV arrival from arrival fix, I.e. DESDI. and not the S bend radar vectors at non optimum speeds and altitudes

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Permit spacing of arrival traffic, from the 3 gates (?).... holds are the primary timing options, s bends are the fine tuning...

ACARS is not a mandatory equipment fix, so to penalise non aircraft, might be counter productive.

As previously posted, really large airport 15km down road... with runways that comply (when finished) with ICAO spacing allowing multiple use...with no major residental areas at both ends, and only one rubbish dump.

glf

[Over and over]

That really large airport down the road still has the same arrival gates as Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Minhad. It's only through the flexibility of some controllers that aircraft inbound to these other airports are tactically removed from the flow in an attempt to (believe it or not) reduce the amount of holding.

Not sure making Dubai World busier is the ideal solution....

[ironbutt57]

with no major residental areas at both ends....yet...

[bigmanatc]

All good and well.....but can the flow control help immigration ? Standing in a queue for an hour + is not fun.....:yuk:

[Guy D'ageradar]

Also need an RNAV arrival from arrival fix, I.e. DESDI. and not the S bend radar vectors at non optimum speeds and altitudes

Careful what you wish for - Coming to an FMS near you in the next few months - and consisting of some lovely S-bends with mandatory speed control requirements built in :E

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Just look at the EU airports including Istanbul, with the S bends R nav.
Planning a descent is still a major problem, as the actual track miles will be dependant on traffic, often 20-30 miles less than expected, except IST which is always equal to or longer than...

Re the big field down the road..... when the powers that be, are actually considering a real operation at DXW, then I am certain the gates will be increased.....

Any news re the BASH in UAQ, discussed elsewhere......

Glf

[HamFan]

I'm not sure why you could all give a fv** about any of this.

Carry a little extra juice, take the lumps flying around in circles, then go home for a glass of vino. The aim is to avoid a diversion because it will cost you extra hours out of your life which they will try not to pay you for.

Your efforts at efficiency will not make any difference and see you paid a profit share.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

There is no future in "efficiency or planning" in this arena....
Too many vested interests........will we see an EK"alug".....
Word on the streeet, is no CDA in the new approach plan...
Based on past experience, it would be ignored by all sides anyway....

Keep the faith... glf

[rennaps]

Airbus and (The airline we can’t mention) Begin Full RNP-AR Implementation in Abu Dhabi Terminal Airspace
An Airbus A330-200 from (The airline we can’t mention) has performed the first high precision and environmentally efficient RNP-AR approach to Abu Dhabi International Airport.

An Airbus A330-200 from (The airline we can’t mention) has performed the first high precision and environmentally efficient RNP-AR (“Required Navigation Performance – Authorization Required”) approach to Abu Dhabi International Airport. This flight marks the beginning of full RNP-AR implementation throughout Abu Dhabi’s entire terminal airspace.

These new technology approaches, utilize ‘continuous descent’ operations and optimised trajectories which shorten the approach paths to the runway thereby reducing noise, flight times and minimising fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Overall, each RNP-AR approach can reduce fuel consumption by 100 to 200kg and reduce CO2 emissions by at least 20,000 tonnes per year.
Full article here: Airbus and Etihad Airways Begin Full RNP-AR Implementation in Abu Dhabi Terminal Airspace (http://www.canso.org/cms/showpage.aspx?id=4195)


RNP-AR requires expensive on-board equipment and extensive crew training. At the moment the RNP-AR minimum is, at best, 200ft. The Abu Dhabi ILS is cat I/II/III capable so I can not see a benefit in minimums.

At the moment Abu Dhabi has RNAV 1 SIDs / STARs and RNAV 1 transitions onto the ILS.

The ICAO RNP-AR manual states that the standard RNP values of initial – RNP 1 and intermediate – RNP 1 values are used. So I do not see a benefit here either.

You can get those sorts of CO2 reductions if you are flying by conventional means but not if you are already flying RNAV 1.

So as I see it, the “airline we can’t mention” will go to great expense for little or no actual gain or am I missing something? :confused:

[Rather Be Skiing]

Full article here: Airbus and Etihad Airways Begin Full RNP-AR Implementation in Abu Dhabi Terminal Airspace (http://www.canso.org/cms/showpage.aspx?id=4195)

RNP-AR requires expensive on-board equipment and extensive crew training. At the moment the RNP-AR minimum is, at best, 200ft. The Abu Dhabi ILS is cat I/II/III capable so I can not see a benefit in minimums.

At the moment Abu Dhabi has RNAV 1 SIDs / STARs and RNAV 1 transitions onto the ILS.

The ICAO RNP-AR manual states that the standard RNP values of initial – RNP 1 and intermediate – RNP 1 values are used. So I do not see a benefit here either.

You can get those sorts of CO2 reductions if you are flying by conventional means but not if you are already flying RNAV 1.

So as I see it, the “airline we can’t mention” will go to great expense for little or no actual gain or am I missing something? :confused:

I believe it is about routing traffic more efficiently around/through restricted areas near the airport and thus reduce track miles and therefore costs.

[rennaps]

But don't the existing RNAV 1 SIDs/STARs already do that?

[Gulfstreamaviator]

ifso then just move the airport, or palace.......

wait there already is an airport with no palaces in the circuit......

glf

[falconeasydriver]

Coulda done with some flow today, given a feckin EAT of 3 hrs after we would hit the hold at Desdi, yikes, I heard Lufty heading off to OMAA:}