Ground traffic management programs save time for passengers and airlines while reducing fuel costs.
If every commuter drives the same few roads at the same time every day, the traffic will become unbearable. That’s exactly what’s happening in the skies above the nation, known as National Airspace (NAS). Multiple flights from different airlines converge at the same airports to try to use the most direct flight paths. With limited runway space, that causes jumbo-sized traffic congestion.
“Much of the uncertainty at NASA can be attributed to surface operations and, in particular, uncertainty about how far from the gate,” said Jeremy Cope of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. When will the flight be available to push back.” To help develop solutions, NASA Ames focused on how to improve traffic management and schedule departures on Earth.
Working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), commercial airlines, and airports, NASA manages airport traffic on Earth. Developed and tested a new program to do – the Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface (IADS) system. In 2022, the FAA began adding the system’s capabilities to 27 of the nation’s busiest airports.
Just as a traffic officer can prevent gridlock at a busy intersection, IADS is designed to prevent similar traffic jams. The first test site for the program’s development was Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, the second-busiest airport on the East Coast with only three runways. About 75% of these are connecting flights.
Before IADS, one of the challenges facing the airport was technology mismatch – the airport control tower used one software program and ground management used another, with no way to connect them. A phone call was the most common way to inform each other of changes or problems. With around 115 aircraft on the ground at any given time, communication delays can cause complications. An aircraft leaving the gate before being notified of the delay may result in several aircraft queuing up on the runway.
“Knowing that you need to be there when the airline says they’re going to deliver you, when people are traveling, especially if they’re trying to connect to an airport like Charlotte. That’s what people stress about.” said Lee Davis, director of communications for the airport. Many factors, including weather, affect timing, but predictably conducting ground operations is fundamental.
With near-real-time data on on-time departures and delays, airlines can proactively address connection issues for crew, customers and cargo. Whether it’s in space or the skies above, NASA’s innovations are making travel more efficient.