The EUROCONTROL Airspace Concept Handbook for PBN Implementation provides phased guidance for an Airspace Concept development. The handbook foresees 17 activities to be undertaken and these are clustered in four distinct phases: Planning, Design, Validation and Implementation.
Given that any new Airspace Concept is driven by the need to fulfil specific objective(s), either Safety, Capacity, Flight Efficiency, Harmonisation, Environmental mitigation or Access, the initial step for any implementation is to identify the operational requirements to meet that need. While some strategic objectives may be explicitly identified, others will remain implicit. Trade-offs and prioritisation of strategic objectives may be needed where there are conflicts between these objectives. Nevertheless, the maintenance of safety remains paramount and cannot be diluted by compromise.
Airspace Concept development relies on sound planning and iterative processes. Planning begins before to starting the Airspace Design, Validation and Implementation. Planning needs to be an in depth (and therefore, quite a lengthy) process because sound preparation is one of the pre-requisites to successful Airspace Concept development. Careful consideration is needed in terms of what needs to be done and the organising of the necessary time and resources to do it. Iteration is the other key to any Airspace Concept development: development of an Airspace Concept is not a linear process but relies on several iterations and refinement moving backwards and forwards between the 17 activities.
A key element to be retained is that PBN seldom contributes in isolation to an airspace concept. PBN is one enabler, in the family of C-N-S enablers.
Airspace Concept development for PBN Implementation can develop in a number of managerial ‘frameworks’ which affects the planning for PBN Implementation. By way of illustration, three sample ’projects’ are shown with their PBN aspects highlighted and remarks indicated
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Example of Projects |
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Example:
A new runway is to be added to an airport; this triggers a need for new RNAV or RNP SIDs/STARs. |
Example: (i)
Environmental mitigation measures are ordered by a national court or government ministry or the EU regulates PBN requirements; both of these can result in a requirement to re-design certain arrival and/or departure routes requiring RNAV or RNP. Projects launched by (i) can be politically loaded; whilst those under (ii) have strategic longer term supra-national objectives.. |
Example:
An airspace change is launched as a direct consequence of an operational requirement which has been identified triggered either by air traffic management or airspace users. Typically operational requirements are safety, capacity, flight efficiency etc, and may involve, for example improvement to flight profiles using Continuous Climb and Continuous Descent Operations (CCO and CDO – both of which are PBN based applications) or re-alignment of route placement enabled by RNAV or RNP routes. |
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Effect on Planning:
The PBN Airspace Concept development team would be one of various projects running simultaneously under an overall project steering committee. Implementation date is likely to be decided by the overall steering group. Such projects often span several years and may require close monitoring of the fleet’s PBN capability as it develops over time. |
Effect on Planning:
Projects from (i) can often be 'high speed' and 'high pressure' due to the political charge. Usually a high level of scrutiny regarding placement of routes. Projects under (ii) can take extensive consultation and debate. Depending on circumstances, environmental projects can be accomplished within several months, particularly when political pressure is high. In either kind of project, qualification of air crew and/or aircraft to the required navigation specification affected may take longer. |
Effect on Planning:
Usually simple managerial structure and implementation date chosen by the team responsible for PBN implementation. More complex projects tend to prefer phasing sometimes, for example, starting with RNAV SIDs/STARs with the intention to migrate to RNP SIDs/STARs over time. Phases can stretch over several years. |
