FRAL project
Free Route Airspace
LISBOA FIR
Vanda Cruz
MAR 2011
FRAL Project
•
FRAL Project Objectives
•
Interface with procedural Control
•
Civil-Military Coordination
•
General Procedures
•
Contingency Planning
•
Airspace Management
•
AIS Mechanisms
•
Interface with Eurocontrol for FPL
•
Impact on ATC
•
Systems
•
Traffic flow statistics & Benchmarking
•
Benefit results
•
Next Steps
•
Conclusions
FRAL Project Objectives
•
WHY FRAL PROJECT
•
The significant traffic growth experienced throughout the last decade, jointly with
the severe increase in the en-route delay, forced ANSP's to increase airspace capacity
by means of airspace restructuring.
•
Keeping in mind that the increase in demand is expected to continue, the
international community urges fuel savings and reductions in CO2 emissions.
•
Today, an ATS fixed route network appears inefficient to manage potential airspace
capacity and to satisfy aircraft operator's expectations in terms of greater operational
flexibility, punctuality and financial benefits.
FRAL Project Objectives
•
WHY FRAL PROJECT
•
As aircraft operators persistently insist for enhancements and new possibilities
providing more flexibility throughout the European airspace.
•
Being completely aware of future challenges faced by the aeronautical industry, NAV
Portugal decided to implement on the 7th of May 2009 a full Free Route Airspace
project within Lisbon FIR (FRAL) above FL245.
•
The FRAL aims to remove the constraints imposed by the fixed route structure and
through the optimized use of the entire airspace obtaining benefits of capacity,
flexibility, flight efficiency and cost savings, while maintaining safety standards.
FRAL Project Objectives
Before FRAL
FRAL
FRAL Project Objectives
LISBOA FIR
LND
• 1200 movements per day
Anchoring
points
• Main traffic flows
- Northbound/Southbound flow
- Westbound/Eastbound Oceanic flow
to/from Santa Maria Oceanic FIR.
BREST
ACC
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
QPR
NTS
BORDEAUX
ACC
MADRID
FIR/UIR
BTZ
TBO
LISBOA
FIR/UIR
MARSEILLE
ACC
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC FIR
BARCELONA
FIR/UIR
LPPT
B
LPFR
A
C
LPMA
CASABLANCA
FIR/UIR
CANARIAS
FIR/UIR
West
Central
East
Interface With Procedural Control
GANDER
OCEANIC FIR
Interface with procedural Control:
•NAV Portugal also provides non-radar services in Santa Maria Oceanic FIR.
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
• This figure illustrates the western
boundary limit between Santa Maria
Oceanic and Lisbon FIR.
BREST
ACC
BORDEAUX
ACC
•Random routing
• The main traffic flows along this
boundary between both Portuguese
FIR’s is oceanic traffic to/from the
Iberian Peninsula, being Madrid
airport the main hub destination.
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC
FIR
LISBOA
FIR
ALGER FIR
CASABLANCA FIR
MARSEILLE
ACC
Interface With Procedural Control
Previous route structure
•
Main ATS routes via landfall
BUSEN
RETEN
ARMED
BANAL
DETOX
ERPES
GUNTI
KO MUT
LUTAK
MANOX
NAVIX
IRKID
ABALO
NELSO
Free Route Airspace
•
Wider range of possibilities
Interface With Procedural Control
Traffic may now proceed directly from the entry point in Lisbon FIR to the exit point in Lisbon FIR.
Example: Flight planning from Madrid to Boston before and after the Free Route concept
implementation:
•
For those airlines operating in the oceanic region through Lisbon FIR airspace, the Free Route
Airspace project has permitted enormous flexibility and cost-efficiency
Civil – Military Coordination
Civil – Military Coordination:
•
Segregated airspace within Lisbon FIR is
composed by restricted (R) military areas,
danger (D) military areas, temporary
segregated areas (TRA) and one prohibited (P)
area with no impact in this project.
•
Above FL245 there are two types of military
areas:
- AMC, manageable areas;
- NON AMC.
•
LPR60B was the only NON AMC segregated
area inside FIR Lisboa above FL245.
•
As the main segregated area it has some
implications on traffic demand.
•
Coordination was made with the military to
become manageable above FL245.
It is necessary to recognize the excellent cooperation and close relationship between NAV
Portugal and Portuguese Air Force.
Civil – Military Coordination
•
Today, aircraft operators plan their trajectory
inside FRAL disregarding all segregated
airspace. In case there is no availability to cross
active segregated areas, it is expected that the
average flight extension to be considered by
aircraft operators is approximately 5NM and in
exceptional occasions 15NM.
•
Several fast time simulation exercises were
performed in order to evaluate the impact of this
military area in the attempt to identify the
rerouting options and the trajectory extension
most penalising to traffic.
General Procedures
Procedures
available above
FL245
Users free for using
Waypoints
No limitations on
the use direct
trajectories
Predefined trajectories
above FL245 will be
applied in case of
contingency
General Procedures
Delegated airspace is excluded
BABOV
BABOV/RAKOD and CCS, outside
RAKOD
FRAL area, are transfer coordination
points with Madrid ACC.
CCS
PORLI
PORTA
Lisbon
ACC
Madrid
ACC
ELVAR
Seville ACC
General Procedures
Flight Planning:
Within the
FRAL
area
there
will
be
no
limitations on the use of “DCT “.
YES
Traffic will be subject to general rules and
procedures
(AIP
Portugal
ENR1.1),
RAD
orientation scheme and internal Letters of
Agreements
(LoA’s)
between
neighboring
ACC’s.
ARIA
NICFlight planning within the FRAL area will
accomplish with adjacent ATS route network
R orientation.
LISBOA
FIR/UIR
NO
General Procedures
Flight Planning:
Arriving traffic should plan directly from
Lisboa FIR entry point to the STAR initial
waypoint.
ENTRY POINT
Departing
traffic
should
plan
directly
from the SID final waypoint to the Lisboa
FIR exit point.
Overflight
traffic
should
plan
directly
from Lisboa FIR entry point to Lisboa FIR
exit point.
STAR
ENTRY
POINT
LPFR
General Procedures
RALUS
CROSS BORDER:
MOSEN
Cross-Border -DCT- NOT Allowed.
Following IFPS procedures, DCT segment which ends in
the FIR but starts in another FIR which is not part of the
same NAS is NOT permitted.
BABEX
NINOS
ABRAT
Airspace users will have to plan their trajectory inside
FRAL through the use of intermediate waypoints.
Suggestions:
Intermediate waypoint ABRAT suggested for
trafficALAGU
entering MOSEN or NINOS with destination
LPFR or exiting via AMSEL/OSLAD.
Intermediate waypoint NARTA suggested
traffic passing through Casablanca FIR/UIR.
for
Contingency Planning in Lisboa ACC
CONTINGENCY PLANNING:
In case of contingency, a reduced ATS
route structure above FL 245 will
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC FIR
apply as defined in our AIP 2.2.3CONTINGENCY PLANNING IN LISBON
ACC (CONFLICT FREE FL ALLOCATION
SCHEME) .
MADRID
FIR
Arrivals to
Madeira
CASABLANCA FIR
CANARY
ISLANDS
FIR
Airspace Management
Airspace Management:
Lisboa FIR:
Traffic is still subject to the adjacent FIR’s ATS route network orientation. For this reason,
apart from minor modifications, no significant changes were encountered to these traffic
flows.
Santa Maria FIR:
A significant change to the oceanic flow was observed.
With no landfalls to accommodate the flows, airlines now have a variety of exit points in the FIR
boundary between Lisbon and Santa Maria to optimize their flights when flying within Lisbon
FIR.
Airspace Management
Conflict Detections:
•
•
Large number of different direct connections to meet operational requirements of the AO´s
Three Fast Time Simulations
–
–
3 day Sample traffic (August)
1000 Ft, 10NM
Airspace Management
Traffic exclusion list:
- No sector limit changes.
- Defined traffic exclusions
The traffic exclusion analysis was essential to guarantee a better demand/capacity balance
along Lisbon FIR traffic volumes improving our performance and avoiding any unnecessary
ATFM regulation.
Airspace Management
TMA:
•
Improved the arrival/departure (STAR's/SID's) routes
in the three main Portuguese terminal areas.
•
In terms of airspace structure, the only changes
made inside the TMA’s were some adjustments to the
SID’s and STAR’s procedures.
Airspace Management
Airspace Utilization
Lisboa FIR Route Structure before
Free Route
Free Route trajectories
Offering numerous possibilities
AIS Mechanisms
•
Aeronautical Information Publication
AIP updated:
1.- AIC publication. (5 months prior)
2.- ENR 1.10: Flight planning. Item 15.
(update)
3.- ENR 1.3: “Free route airspace
general procedures”. (new chapter)
4.- ENR 3: ATS routes. (update)
5.- ENR 6: En-route charts. (update)
6.- ENR 2.2.3: “Contingency planning in
Lisboa FIR”. (new)
7.- AD2 Aerodromes: (update)
LPPT, Lisboa
LPFR, Faro
LPPR, Porto
AIS Mechanisms
•
Aeronautical Information Publication
AIS information
delivery
Implementation
2 AIRAC cycle
AIC publication
1 AIRAC cycle
NOV08 DEZ08
JAN09
FEB09
MAR09 APR09
MAY09
AIS Mechanisms
•
Aeronautical Information Publication
EAD & SDO SYSTEM
NEW Airspace Type: RAS (Reserved Airspace)
Coded Identification: LPPCFRA
Name: Lisboa Free Route Airspace
Significant_Point_In_Airspace: each entry/exit point
ATS Route Segment:
Vertical Limit changed to:
FL245
FL460, within delegated airspace
Withdrawn (segments above FL245)
AIS Mechanisms
•
Aeronautical Information Publication
EAD & SDO SYSTEM
SDO (Static Data Operation).
Airspace definition.
An
specific
Free
Route
Airspace was created to define
all necessary components.
AIS Mechanisms
•
Aeronautical Information Publication
EAD & SDO SYSTEM
SDO (Static Data Operation).
Route
segments
version
withdrawn.
All ATS routes above FL245
were
eliminated
system.
from
the
AIS Mechanisms
•
Aeronautical Information Publication
EAD & SDO SYSTEM
SDO (Static Data Operation).
Route
segments
usage
condition.
All Upper limits of ATS routes
were corrected to FL245.
Interface with Eurocontrol for FPL
•
Having no route structure inside a Flight Information Region was a completely new
concept in regards to the flight planning system.
•
Considering some system issues that came across with the CFMU, effort was made in
close collaboration with Eurocontrol to avoid any Flight Plan rejections during the first
weeks of implementation.
•
Manual adjustments were adapted to the circumstances where it was not possible to
avoid the automatic rejection.
•
From the beginning, collaboration and monitoring of flight plans in the Lisbon control
room proved critical to identify and solve problems.
•
Many fast time simulations were performed to anticipate those situations and to
prepare cost-effective alternative options to inform airline operators and CFMU
personnel to act when those cases occurred.
Impact on ATC
•
Kept it simple avoiding changes that could have a negative impact on ATC.
–
No changes were made to sectors,
–
No new waypoints created on our FIR border,
–
Intermediate waypoints were maintained to allow the best planning possible by the
AO’s
–
Providing “directs” by the ATC was already a parte of the day to day operational reality
in Lisbon ACC which made the transition process of direct routing very familiar to the
ATC,
The day-to-day experience gained in the OPS room has permitted to
believe in the potential of Lisbon FIR to eliminate the upper ATS route network.
–
Use of LAT/LONG
–
Having in mind the air traffic controllers, the use of waypoint and nav-aids is preferable
as they are familiarized with their position whereas the use of LAT/LONG bring upon
infinite possibilities.
–
Training:
•
Real time simulations in Free Route scenarios contemplating procedures for radar
failure
Systems
•
From the technical point of view the existing systems and management tools are valid to
support operations in the airspace "free route"
In any case, five technical tools identified that could have a significant contribution to
facilitate the concept of "free route" in Lisbon FIR:
–
STCA Short Term Conflict Alert
–
Flight Leg
–
MTCD - Medium Term Conflict Detection
–
APW - Area Proximity Warning
–
Flight Plan Track
Traffic Flow Statistics & Benchmarking
KOMUT
•
Traffic flow statistics & Benchmarking
2010
2008
GUNTI
ERPES
DETOX
Traffic flows monitoring and post analysis
has identified an increase of 20%
additional
entry/exit
combinations
compared with the previous ATS route
network scenario regarding the overflight
traffic demand.
Flight planning freedom in both airspaces
has permitted to identify some variations
in the fixed boundary waypoints chosen
by the airlines. Comparing traffic samples
from August 2008 with an existing ATS
route structure, and traffic in August 2010
within a Free Route environment, the
following
graphs
show
concrete
conclusions regarding the variations
encountered in oceanic traffic flows.
BANAL
ARMED
RETEN
Percentage traffic (%)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
North/Westbound oceanic traffic flows 2008 vs 2010.
MANOX
2010
LUTAK
2008
GUNTI
ERPES
DETOX
BANAL
ARMED
RETEN
Percentage traffic (%)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
North/Eastbound oceanic traffic flows 2008 vs 2010
Traffic Flow Statistics & Benchmarking
•
Traffic flow statistics & Benchmarking
ABALO
2010
IRKID
NAVIX
2008
NAVIX
MANOX
MANOX
LUTAK
NELSO
LUTAK
KOMUT
KOMUT
GUNTI
2010
GUNTI
2008
ERPES
ERPES
DETOX
DETOX
Percentage traffic (%)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Percentage traffic (%)
0
10
20
30
40
50
South/Westbound traffic
South/Eastbound flow
Oceanic Traffic Flows 2008 vs 2010.
Oceanic Traffic Flows 2008 vs 2010.
60
Benefit results
From na economic perspective, the FRAL project enableded in it’s first year of operations:
•
Reduction of
1.300.000NM
•
Fuel Savings
8.783 Tones
•
Savings over
12.milion Euros
Environmental perservation
•
27.000 Tones CO2
•
Interface with Santa Maria Oceanic
Considering a monthly traffic sample (August 2010), the total saving of the oceanic
Westbound and Eastbound flows were:
7200 NM
– Eastbound traffic: 5300 NM
–
Westbound traffic:
As a total, 12500NM/month was saved with the implementation of the Free Route
airspace in Lisbon FIR for this particular overflight traffic.
OCEANIC FIR
Benefit results
Main Traffic Flows
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
•
ENTRY POINT: AKUDA
AKUDA – BABOV 819 Flights
Savings per flight 3.8 NM
TOTAL 3112 NM
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC
FIR
BREST
ACC
LISBOA
FIR
BORDEAUX
ACC
TURON
MADRID
FIR
MARSEILLE
ACC
AKUDA – TURON 208 Flights
Savings per flight 17.91 NM
TOTAL 3725 NM
BABOV
AKUDA
ALGER FIR
CASABLANCA FIR
CANARY ISLANDS
FIR
Benefit results
Main Traffic Flows
•
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
ENTRY POINT: RALUS
BREST
ACC
RALUS – BEXAL 246 Flights
Savings per flight 2.79 NM
TOTAL 686 NM
BORDEAUX
ACC
LISBOA
FIR
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC
FIR
RALUS
MADRID
FIR
MARSEILLE
ACC
RALUS – OSLAD 326 Flights
Savings per flight 7.58 NM
TOTAL 2471 NM
BEXAL
OSLAD
ALGER FIR
CASABLANCA FIR
CANARY ISLANDS
FIR
Benefit results
Main Traffic Flows
•
ENTRY POINT: CCS – ELVAR
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
CCS – LUTAK 204 Flights
Savings per flight 6.48NM
TOTAL 1321 NM
BREST
ACC
CCS – KOMUT 238 Flights
MARIA
Savings per flight 8.29NM SANTA
OCEANIC
FIR
TOTAL 1973 NM
BORDEAUX
ACC
LISBOA
FIR
MADRID
FIR
MARSEILLE
ACC
GUNTI
KOMUT
CCS – GUNTI 146 Flights
LUTAK
Savings per flight 15.53NM
TOTAL 2267 NM
CCS
ALGER FIR
CASABLANCA FIR
CANARY ISLANDS
FIR
Benefit results
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
• Traffic via NELSO
RALUS – NELSO
Savings per flight 14.49 NM
BREST
ACC
MOSEN – NELSO
Savings per flight 14.86 NM
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC
FIR
NELSO
CANARY ISLANDS
FIR
BORDEAUX
ACC
LISBOA
FIR
RALUS MADRID
FIR
MOSEN
MARSEILLE
ACC
ALGER FIR
CASABLANCA FIR
Benefit results
•
One of the main gains of FRAL concerns the Air Berlin flight from EDDL to LPPD
Saving: 70NM
SHANWICK
OCEANIC FIR
BREST
ACC
BORDEAUX
ACC
DEMOS
SANTA MARIA
OCEANIC
FIR
LISBOA
FIR
MADRID
FIR
MARSEILLE
ACC
LUTAK
ALGER FIR
CASABLANCA FIR
FRAL Future Steps
FRAL
Future Steps
FRAL Above
FL195
New Sector
Configuration
Cross Border DCT
Santa Maria FIR
FRAL Future Steps
Vertical Airspace Management above FL150
FRAL Above FL195
•
In order to harmonise the Lower/Upper airspace organisation, a feasibility study will be
performed to extend FRAL airspace to FL195.
FRAL Future Steps
Taking into account aircraft operators preferred trajectories, the airspace sectorisation will be adjusted
accordingly.
Current sectorisation
Alternative sectorisation
FRAL Future Steps
•
Improve Airspace Utilization
•
Although both FIR’s are managed by
NAV Portugal, there is still a boundary
limit between them with a fixed
waypoint based structure to serve as
compulsory fly-over reference.
DEMOS
CROSS
•
Unavoidably this confines the access
to a more flexible arrangement
whereas flying over these waypoints
would not be necessary.
DCT R
BORD
ER
LLOW
DC T A
ED
OUTE
15WEST
NEW
YORK
OCEANIC
Taking advantage of the Free Route Airspace concept in both Portuguese FIR’s (Lisboa +
Santa Maria) it will be studied the possibility to permit CROSS_BORDER_DCT between both
airspaces with the improvement of airspace utilisation.
Taking full advantage of the Free Route Concept, maximizing the benefits in both FIR’s.
Conclusions
Some AO’s opinions reflect key benefits of the free route concept:
•
IBERIA operations: “…free route permitted an optimal flexibility with a total alleviation of
military areas. Information published was clear and did not cause any disturb in the flight
planning department…”.
•
IBERWORLD operations: “…free route concept has permitted to achieve a dream for
airlines operations without the necessity to invest in new technology…”.
•
TAP Portugal operations: “…thanks to the flexibility of the free route concept we have
optimised TAP routes with significant gains in fuel saved…”.
•
VUELING operations: “…after some contacts with NAV Portugal airspace department we
achieved to optimise trajectories inside Lisbon FIR. Free route adaptation was easy, fast an
successful..”.
•
IACA operations: “…To our knowledge there have been no reported ATFM issues resulting
from military requirements which have been managed tactically by the Portuguese
authorities. We were delighted that any foreseen problems proved unfounded. We
recognize that significant savings have been made over the last twelve months in respect of
fuel burn and carbon emissions….”
Conclusions
•
Conclusions
•
On the 7th of May 2010, the Free Route Airspace concept in Lisbon FIR, FRAL project,
celebrated its first anniversary with the satisfactory recognition from the airspace user’s
community in favor of the success of the project.
•
After this first year it can be concluded:
–
It was founded in a simply and basic number of general procedures;
–
No new technical equipment required, just basic RNAV capability;
–
Simplicity has facilitated the success in the execution of the flight planning;
–
It was designed considering all partners (CFMU, Military, Aircraft operators and Database
operators);
–
Maximum freedom has been offered to verify aircraft operators expectations;
–
CFMU systems aware of new concept to be updated;
–
Efficiency and flexibility most appreciated by airline operators;
–
Huge benefits can be obtained for AO’s (>1 million NM, >8.000 Tons fuel, >27.000 Tons
CO2).
Conclusions
Eurocontrol Guidance Material: Concept of Operations for Harmonised Free Route Implementation
•
•
•
Airspace Classification
Flight Level Orientation
Limited Applicability of Free Route Airspace Operations
•
Airspace Organisation
- Vertical Limits of Free Route Operations Airspace and their publication
- Horizontal Limits of Free Route Operations Airspace and their publication
- Vertical connection between Free Route Operations Airspace and the underlying fixed ATS
route Network
Maximising efficiency of Free Route Operations Airspace
- Access to/from Terminal Airspace
- Publication of a contingency ATS Route Network and publication of contingency procedures
- Maintenance of a fixed route network within Free Route Airspace
- Special Use Airspace structures
- Route Availability
- Sectorisation
- Sector and traffic volume capacities /monitoring values
- ATS Delegation
•
Airspace Management
•
Letters of Agreement and Coordination
Procedures
•
Flight Planning
- Use of intermediate Lat/Long points for flight planning
- Flight Planning through Special Use Airspace
- Flight Planning Facilitation through the use of DCTs
•
Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management
- Sector Configuration Management
- Sector and Traffic Volume capacities /monitoring values
- Re-routing proposals
- ATFCM procedures
- ATFCM/IFPS tools support
•Network Systems Support
Conclusions
The iFlex program reinforces the importance of providing much more flexibility
in planning for aircraft operators in line with the FRAL project objectives.
Thank You For
Your Attention
[email protected]