GLOBAL > Airspace Design Projects
Airspace Design Projects
Optimizing Airspace Management:
Challenges and Solutions for Tomorrow's Traffic
Balancing Efficiency and Future Demands
Air navigation service providers (ANSPs), countries, and airports have precise and ambitious objectives in airspace design, with safety as the top priority. They strive to design air routes and airspace structures that not only ensure maximum safety but also optimize travel times, while anticipating traffic demands for the next 10 to 20 years. Minimizing investments while accurately quantifying the capacity of these structures is essential to maintaining high safety standards.
These entities seek to adopt a rapid project management approach, characterized by adaptability and seamless, cost-effective implementation, all while adhering to the strictest safety requirements and taking care of environment considerations.
In this article, we will discuss our airspace design methodology and how it has enabled us to successfully complete various projects in countries such as Colombia, Sudan, and Jordan.
New direct road between Egypt and Chad
New entry exit point between Jordan Irak and associated PBN routes
Bogota airport point merge evaluation
The objectives are clear: to maximize traffic management efficiency while ensuring safety with existing resources. In the medium and long term, the goal is to accommodate the increase in movements without overloading the system, in order to prevent delays and other disruptions that could compromise safety. Achieving these objectives strengthens the trust and satisfaction of entities with our services, while ensuring an optimal level of safety.
However, several critical challenges can be faced. Robust verification and quantification tools are often lacking. Collaboration with neighboring countries, complicated by complex political dimensions, adds another layer of difficulty. Additionally, gaining internal team buy-in and facilitating change remains a significant hurdle.
Despite challenging conditions, significant improvements were introduced at Bogotá’s El Dorado Airport, the second largest in South America. Bogotá’s Terminal Control Area (TMA) features a complex airspace structure, with several military zones limiting ATC capacity, mountainous terrain reducing airport accessibility, frequent stormy weather, turbulence, and an active volcanic region. Furthermore, the airspace accommodates mixed-performance traffic, ranging from the latest commercial aircraft to older state-operated aircraft without alternative airports.
Despite these constraints, a point merge system was successfully implemented in 2017. This system, along with solutions for low-performance aircraft, not only increased airport capacity but also represented a significant step forward in traffic management, dramatically reducing the workload for air traffic controllers and pilots and enhancing safety, efficiency, and environmental impact (less vectoring, reduced communications, and greater flight predictability). Additionally, the Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) between Military and Civil ATC was introduced to optimize shared airspace. More recently, comprehensive studies with FRACS evaluated 14 scenarios — including constructing new airports and transforming existing infrastructure.
CGX AERO's Solutions for Airspace Design
Innovative Tools and Collaborative Approaches
At CGX, we provide a range of products and services tailored to meet the needs of airspace design. GéoTITAN® and DATA4Flight® are two solutions that were internally developed for flight trajectories creation and aeronautical data management. They have been proven for over 20 years by users worldwide.
We employ a co-construction approach, supported by DIADEME platform developed by FRACS, which enables close collaboration between the client and the service provider.
This model offers advantages such as accelerated and real-time simulation capabilities directly integrated into DIADEME as well as peroformance assessment (Safety, capacity, environment). By relying largely on remote communication, it reduces the need for on-site missions and optimizes the budget. Continuous knowledge transfer to the client, facilitated by their active participation throughout the project, ensures a smooth handover, resulting in time and cost savings. The AIM integration allows us to communicate project data effectively to the client, using standards such as ICAO's AIXM.
Our solutions address our clients' challenges comprehensively. The credibility of our expertise, recognized internationally, facilitates relationships among stakeholders. The involvement of teams throughout the project ensures smooth adoption of the changes introduced.
France Aviation Civile Services (FRACS), formerly known as "DSNA Services," operates as the consultancy and expertise arm of the French civil aviation sector.
Established and owned by the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) and the French Civil Aviation Academy (ENAC), FRACS offers comprehensive consultancy services globally. Their areas of specialization include regulatory compliance, safety oversight, optimization of air traffic management (ATM) operations, innovative solutions, and operational training for a wide range of aviation stakeholders such as Civil Aviation Authorities, airlines, air navigation service providers, and airport authorities. FRACS is the ideal partner for airspace design projects, complemented by their advanced tool DIADEME, which seamlessly integrates with CGX AERO's solutions.
Combining operational expertise, flexible approach, international standards compliance and operational efficiency is the DNA of France Aviation Civile Services. With the capacity to bring to any Airspace Design project all the expertise (ATCO, ATM, ATFM, CNS, Systems, Environment, …) needed to succeed in operational implementation and gain the targeted performance, FRACS together with CGX AERO are able to address challenging airspace projects over the world.
For this purpose, FRACS developed DIADEME (Digital Airspace Design and performance Modelling Environment). If you’d like to learn more about how DIADEME enhances airspace performance, visit https://fracs.aero/2022/06/20/diademe-new-services-for-optimal-airspace-performance/.
CGX AERO's Approach to Airspace Optimization
Our products and services are specifically designed to address the problems and aspirations of our clients. For example, by using DIADEME for airspace design and our simulation tools to anticipate future traffic, we help our clients optimize travel times and efficiently manage long-term traffic. Our co-construction and knowledge transfer approach ensures that our clients are well-equipped to manage this new structure of spaces and routes independently after our intervention.
Diademe real time simulation environment
CGX AERO approach to airspace design is comprehensive and systematic, ensuring that every aspect of airspace management is meticulously evaluated and optimized. The methodology is structured into the following key steps:
Through this structured methodology, we deliver airspace designs that are not only compliant and strategic but also innovative and efficient, ensuring optimal performance and safety in airspace management.
Driving Excellence in Airspace Management - Sudan Case
CGX AERO and its partner offer a tailored value proposition that directly addresses the needs and challenges of our client in airspace management. With extensive expertise and a comprehensive range of products, we specialize in optimizing airspace utilization and operational efficiency.
Sudan aimed to enhance the capacity of its airspace — the largest on the African continent — by leveraging the flexibility and capabilities of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN). In 2017, the country set an ambitious target to manage traffic growth and evolution over the following decade. One notable challenge was the sharp surge in traffic during the Hadj period, which increases significantly within a very short timeframe. Improved coordination with the military was also identified as a key objective.
Implementing our methodology, from data collection to implementation support, CGX AERO and its partner provided comprehensive consultancy services to the Sudan Civil Aviation Authority.
The main challenges of this project included negotiating with neighboring countries to change and adapt existing routes. This involved creating several new interface entry/exit points, new routes, redesigning several airspaces, and implementing flexible airspace designs with the military. The benefits of this airspace restructuring are forecasted to lead to the following improvements:
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150 000 tons of fuel saved each year
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100 000 000 US$ savings for airlines
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474 000 tons of CO2
Overall, our consultancy ensured that Sudan could meet its ambitious airspace management targets efficiently and effectively.
Our solutions, including advanced tools like DIADEME for airspace design and simulation technologies, enable clients to streamline operations, reduce costs, and maximize capacity. We prioritize collaboration and knowledge transfer, ensuring that client teams are equipped to manage new airspace structures independently.
Through proactive engagement and proven results globally, we empower clients to achieve operational excellence. Explore our track record and contact our team to discover how we can support your projects effectively.