NY TBO: Integrated Demand Management 

REDAC Subcommittee Briefing

August 12, 2015

Nancy Smith

Airspace Operations Laboratory

Human-Systems Integration Division

NASA Ames Research Center

nancy.m.smith-1@nasa.gov
Contents

• Glossary 

• New York Trajectory-Based Operations

• Integrated Demand Management Concept

• FY15 Activities

• Supplementary material
Glossary

3

ANSP Air Navigation Service Provider

CDM Collaborative Decision Making

CSG CDM Steering Group

CTOP Collaborative Trajectory Option 

Program

EDCT Estimated Departure Clearance 

Time

ERAM En Route Automation 

Modernization

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival 

FCA Flow Control Area

FEA Flow Evaluation Area

GUI Graphical User Interphase

HITL Human-in-the-loop

IDM Integrated Demand Management

IDMwxIntegrated Demand Management 

for Weather

MACS Multi-Aircraft Control System (ATC 

sim platform)

nCTOP NASA CTOP emulation

PGUI Planview GUI

RTA Required Time of Arrival (assigned 

to aircraft)

TBFM Time-Based Flow Management

TBO Trajectory Based Operations

TFMS Traffic Flow Management System

TGUI Timeline GUI

XM Extended Metering (TBFM

function)
NY Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO)

Multi-year Objective: 

• Develop a ‘toolkit’ of TBO procedures and methods to improve efficiency and 

robustness of NY operations under all conditions. 

• Current focus is on improving convective weather operations. 

General Approach: 

• Talk to subject matter experts (SMEs) and stakeholders to select problems. 

• Analyze problem and develop solution, leveraging near- and mid-term NextGen 

technologies and operations.

• Use simulation “prototype “ to test and refine the concept, evaluate feasibility, and 

identify benefits mechanisms. 

• Document results and requirements for each solution.

 Engage stakeholders and SMEs throughout process to insure operational relevance.

 Leverage current and prior work (internal, external) as much as possible

4
Proposal: “Integrated Demand Management for Weather”

Concept summary:

• TFMS (CTOP) “strategically” manages demand into TBFM

• TBFM “tactically” manages delivery to capacity-constrained 

destination

• RTA provides key delivery mechanism from TFMS into TBFM

Work plan:

• FY15: Initial integration addresses volume problem (IDM)

• Fy16: Framework used to address demand-capacity issues 

with weather (IDM-wx)

5
Concept: Integrated Demand Management

Develop CTOP

• Identify constraints, select 

FCA(s) / FEA(s)

• Establish rates for FCAs

• Initiate program (assign 

routes, EDCTs, and/or RTAs

to manage FCA arrival times)

Manage “pre-TBFM” ops

• Support RTA operations

• Manage non-RTA flights

• Monitor & maintain plan

• Implement revisions (to 

CTOP; RTA) as needed.

• Conclude RTA operations on 

transition to TBFM.

TBFM to destination

• TBFM to series of meter 

points conditions traffic to 

runway threshold.

• Close-in departures are 

scheduled from TBFM.

Corresponding ANSP Operations: FCAA08

FCAA05

CTOP-coordinated 

departure time 

CTOP RTA to an FCA

freeze horizon

CTOP-TBFM transition

Weather reroute

FCACAN

TBFM...to meter fix

Trajectory-Based Operations:

Transition to TBFM

• CTOP ends at FCA.

• TBFM takes over.

Manage 

weather 

impact

*2016 focus*

Develop an air-ground TBO concept that integrates near-term to mid-term NextGen 

technologies to manage demand through capacity constrained resources to a capacity 

constrained airport, with an initial focus on New York operations.

6
FY15 Outreach Activities

• Sept 2014: Met with FAA TFMS Deployment team at Ames; interest in CTOP-TBFM

integration

• Nov 2014: First workshop at Ames; explored topics/problems with SMEs and 

stakeholders (Port Authority NY/NJ; Delta Airlines)

• Jan 2015: Second meeting with TFMS Deployment Team; briefings on “TMA Flow 

Program” (TFP) and “CTOP for EWR”

• Mar 2015: Attended CDM Spring Meeting; learned about relevant activities, 

capabilities (ABRR, DFW OAPM release, forecast-based estimates of reduced FCA

capacity...)

• April 2015: Second Ames workshop: worked on IDM concept with SMEs.

• June 2015: Briefing to CDM Co-leads. Third Ames workshop demonstrated initial 

simulation prototype to SMEs and stakeholders (NBAA, American Airlines).

• June-Aug 2015: Began regular telecons with FAA AJV-73, the Technical Analysis & 

Operational Requirements Group, who offers support for August HITL. 

• Aug 2015: Submitting request to CSG for CDM sub-team support for FY16. IDM

concept demonstration HITL planned for August 24-28. 

• Next year: With support from CDM team and TBFM design experts, plan to refine 

concept and conduct follow-up HITL in January 2016 to complete investigation of 

non-weather IDM. Work on IDM-wx concept to begin mid-year FY16.
QUESTIONS?
[Supplementary Material]

• Traffic characteristics

• Initial TBFM and CTOP architecture

• Simulation environment

• Simulation plans

9
10

Traffic Characteristics: Newark Arrivals

*Does not include airports with less than 40 flights to EWR in 2013 (ASPM).

11.8% 1.9% 9.5% 26.0%

12.8%

14.3%

14.0%

9.8%

EWR Arrivals: Distribution by Departure Airport Distance, all filed flights, 2013*
Proposed TBFM Arc Locations

Meter 

Fixes

TBFM Meter Point

TBFM Freeze Horizon

West flow
Proposed FCA/FEA Arc Locations

FEA/FCA-SG

FEA/FCA-WG

FEA/FCA-NG

FCA / FEA (color coded by flow)

West flow
Proposed Arc Locations (combined)

Meter 

Fixes

FCA / FEA (color coded by flow)

TBFM Meter Point

TBFM Freeze Horizon

West flow

FEA/FCA-SG

FEA/FCA-WG

FEA/FCA-NG
Station Setup

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TBFM GUIs “MACS” ERAM Planning Station

“nCTOP”
MACS ERAM emulation / planner display: closeup

15
TBFM Display (PGUI, TGUI)

with Experimental MFX Freeze Horizons
Comparison of nCTOP with CTOP

nCTOP CTOP
Manage “pre-TBFM” 

operations

• Execute plan

• Support RTA operations

• Manage non-RTA flights

• Implement revisions (to 

CTOP; RTA) as needed.

• Conclude RTA operations 

on transition to TBFM.

Concept: Integrated Demand Management for NY TBO

FCAA08

FCAA05

CTOP-coordinated 

departure time 

freeze horizon

FCACAN

TBFM...to meter fix

FCA rate setting; and CTA 

schedule management

RTA operations and 

CTOP management

CTOP-TBFM

transition

TBFM architecture & 

departure management 

Trajectory-Based Operations: CTOP-TBFM transition

Corresponding ANSP Operations:

August Focus

Develop an air-ground TBO concept that integrates near-term to mid-term NextGen 

technologies to manage demand through capacity constrained resources to a capacity 

constrained airport, with an initial focus on New York operations.

Develop CTOP

• Identify constraints 

• Select FCA(s) / FEA(s)

• Establish rates for FCAs

• Initiate program

• Assign EDCTs or RTAs to 

manage FCA arrival times

• Monitor & maintain plan

• Terminate program.

TBFM to destination

• TBFM to series of meter 

points conditions traffic to 

runway threshold.

• Close-in departures are 

scheduled from TBFM.

Transition to TBFM

• CTOP ends at FCA.

• TBFM takes over.

Manage 

weather 

impact

*2016 focus*

Manage “pre-TBFM” ops

• ATC for RTA operations and 

non-RTA flights

• Monitor & maintain plan

• Implement revisions (to 

CTOP; RTA) as needed.

• Conclude RTA operations on 

transition to TBFM.

TBFM to destination

TBFM to series of meter 

points conditions traffic 

to runway threshold.

• Close-in departures are 

scheduled from TBFM.

Transition to TBFM

• CTOP ends at FCA.

• TBFM takes over.

Where should the 

transition occur? 

What are TBFM’s

input 

requirements?

Develop CTOP

• Identify constraints, select 

FCA(s) / FEA(s)

• Assign slots, set FCA rates 

• Initiate program (assign 

routes, EDCTs and/or RTAs

to manage FCA arrival times)

Weather reroute

CTOP RTA to an FCA

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NY TBO HITL Simulation: Objectives

• Assemble and integrate key components of non-weather 

IDM concept in HITL environment: CTOP, TBFM and RTA. 

Conduct initial exploration of IDM operations, including roles 

and responsibilities, procedures, and tools to gather 

information for (1) answering open questions about 

operational concept and (2) support refinement / iteration 

on design.

• Operational focus: CTOP initiation, pre-TBFM, transition, and 

TBFM traffic management activities

• Problem focus: successful integration of TBFM-scheduled 

departures; CTOP use of RTAs and departure times to 

manage “just right” demand delivery into TBFM

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NY TBO HITL Simulation: Assumptions

• Includes 4-6 traffic management positions: 

– A “Command Center team” responsible for CTOP and upstream 

(pre-TBFM) flow management (RTA and EDCT coordination and 

monitoring)

– A “TBFM team” that includes an EWR TBFM planner/manager 

(at ZNY or N90) and others to schedule internal departures 

coming from adjacent Centers

• Scenario begins at approx. noon Eastern

• Clear weather objectives are predictability, equity, 

throughput, efficiency 

• Assume good conformance to scheduled times to begin 

with (i.e., departure times and RTAs are all within 

tolerance), then introduce deliberate non-compliant 

behavior to explore response options

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NY TBO HITL Simulation: Schedule (flexible)

Monday, Aug 24 (participants only):

Initial briefing, followed by full day of training and practice in simulation lab.

Tuesday, Aug 25 (FAA observers arrive):

AM: Introductory briefing and discussion, followed by lab demonstration of 

tools and concept. Final, partial scenario practice session for participants. 

PM: First long simulation run, followed by debrief and plans for Wednesday.

Wednesday, Aug 26:

AM: short briefing, followed by 3-hour simulation run.

PM: Debrief discussion, observations, and suggestions / ideas for next day

Thursday Aug 27 (additional observers / stakeholders arrive):

AM: Introductory briefing, followed by simulation lab session.

PM: Debrief discussion, observations, and suggestions / ideas for next day

Friday, Aug 28: 

AM: 3 hour run, followed by discussion. 

PM: Continued discussion and wrap-up. 

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