Methodology to Quantify and Attribute ATM Inefficiencies and Their Impact on Fuel Consumption

Abstract

Air Traffic Management (ATM) is a critical component of the European air transport system; its efficiency has a significant impact on the airlines’ profitability but is also a lever of the pathway towards aviation sustainability, with an expected contribution up to 8% in reducing aviation-related emissions between now and 2050. In this context, the presented work has the ambition of developing a methodology to quantify and question the aforementioned efficiency gain potential, and to categorize inefficiencies in the ATM. This paper details the initial workflow referring to one among a small number of city pairs that have been selected to cover routes of various lengths departing from Europe. Later, the complete subset of city pairs, plus broader, statistically relevant study cases will be assessed. In this perspective and as the basis of a synthetic efficiency indicator, key metrics, targeting vertical, horizontal and combined flight efficiency are revisited to contribute to the quantification of ATM inefficiency. The insight offered by these metrics enables tracking the efficiency evolution with the update of flight plans and along the complete flight execution, rather than focusing on a specific flight phase.