Rule derivation for arrival aircraft sequencing

At present, the conventional way to sequence aircraft in the terminal area is to follow the first-come, first-served rule. Even though such sequencing is considered fair to all airlines and is associated with no increase in the workload of air traffic controllers, it is not always the optimal solution in terms of fuel burn and runway capacity. In this research we consider a substitute to the first-come, first-served rule leading to a more optimal sequencing which would reduce the total fuel burn when aggregated by all airplanes approaching a destination airport. The approach taken is to provide air traffic controllers with a simple guideline which can help them determine the sequence without increasing their workload too much and whenever possible add up to runway capacity. Sequencing is based on fuel burn simulations of single aircraft entering the terminal area of a sample airport. First, optimal aircraft sequences and their associated flight times under high-density operations are determined by Sequential Quadratic Programming. Next, the results are analyzed considering several attributes and three sequencing rules are proposed. Their effect is verified through Monte-Carlo simulations and it is concluded that through two simple swaps significant fuel savings of up to 17% of the extra fuel needed to make adjustments to the flight profile because of congestions can be achieved. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.