Simulating Air Traffic Control Ground Operations:Preliminary Results from Project Modern Taxiing

Abstract : Automated technology is one of many solution that can help meet the growing air traffic demand at busy airports by assisting air traffic controller officers maintain efficient and safe operations. In particular, ground air traffic controllers can benefit from the services of an automated decision support system that can provide taxiing path suggestion and conflict detection. Fuel consumption can be minimized with the use of automated aids such as path suggestion for the most fuel-optimal trajectory, robotic taxiing tractors, or electric taxiing systems. Project MoTa - Modern Taxiing promises these capabilities and assists in the transition from current technology by developing a human centered user platform. Nevertheless, developing such a system requires a simulated air traffic control environment, both for testing new concepts and for validation. To this end, we have built an environment and begun evaluating taxiing performance for the ground operations in the south end of Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Results from the initial sessions indicate the modeled scenarios are representative and solutions have been found to account for the experience gap with ATCO participants not from Charles de Gaulle. This paper presents these results and discusses the solutions for the modeling and simulation challenges encountered during the development process.