Modeling Resilience of Air Traffic Management Systems Based on Complex Networks

The air transport market has a strategic character, promotes economic and social development, and has a strong correlation with the level of economic activity. The Air Traffic Management (ATM) system plays an essential role in air transportation and can be characterized as a sociotechnical system that is too complex to research through classical approaches such as systems engineering. In this sense, the application of Complex Network Theory (CNT) analysis and modeling paradigms is driven by the need to accommodate the growth of air traffic within an already saturated ATM infrastructure. The present work describes the development of a resilience evaluation model of ATM systems based on CNT, its metrics and analysis tools. The model was applied to the Brazilian ATM system, demonstrating its usefulness in identifying the air traffic control (ATC) agencies that have the greatest influence on the network. The results also showed that the Brazilian ATM network is resilient to random failures; however, it is particularly vulnerable to targeted attacks to the ATC agencies with the highest centrality. The research findings can be applied to prioritize the deployment of systems and equipment that enhance the resilience and operability of the Brazilian ATM system.