Vertical Efficiency Analysis of Continuous Climb and Descent Operations in Canadian Terminal Areas

Abstract

This work presents a data-driven framework that links ADS-B surveillance data with ICAO GANP vertical efficiency KPIs to evaluate climb and descent performance across ten Canada’s major airports. Based on an analysis of 158,660 departure flights and 155,840 arrival flights crossing Canadian airspace, this study characterizes patterns of vertical flight efficiency across major Canadian airports. Rather than attributing causality, the results highlight systematic differences in efficiency across airports and over time, including variations observed during the winter–spring transition period covered by the dataset. Differences between western airports (e.g., Vancouver area) and eastern airports (e.g., Toronto, Montréal, Québec) are also observed, reflecting distinct operational and environmental contexts. The findings therefore emphasize the role of traffic intensity, regional operating environments, and short-term temporal variability in shaping observed vertical efficiency outcomes. Vancouver shows greater inefficiency during the climb phase than Montréal and Toronto. At both eastern hubs, climb times increased by 105% from January to April 2025, coinciding with the seasonal transition from winter to spring. Descent phases are generally less efficient than climbs, especially at Vancouver and Toronto, where level-off durations frequently exceed five minutes. Montréal and Ottawa also show notable inefficiencies, with average durations exceeding three minutes. Calgary, benefiting from less congested airspace, shows better overall performance compared to the other major hubs, while Winnipeg demonstrates efficient descents but inefficient climbs. Targeted measures such as segregated arrival/departure corridors and time-based metering at Vancouver and Toronto are suggested to improve vertical efficiency. This research contributes to establishing a versatile tool for continuous ATM performance monitoring and collaborative optimization across international boundaries.