Baltic FAB/B4 Consortium representative in the project: PANSA + ORO NAVIGACIJA
Project snapshot:
The project consists of 2 solutions: Optimized traffic management to enable Free Routing in high and very high complexity environments and Management of Performance Based Free Routing in Lower Airspace.
The first solution (Optimized traffic management to enable Free Routing in high and very high complexity environments) aims to complete research supporting delivery of PCP AF#3 (Free routing available above FL310 in ICAO EUR region). However B4 consortium does not take part in development of this solution.
PANSA and Oro Navigacija are the key contributors to the second solution (Management of Performance Based Free Routing in Lower Airspace) which aims to research the benefit and impact of expanding the Free Routing concept to the lowest limit possible (below FL310) while accommodating all Airspace Users concerned including evaluating state of the art in flight planning to support free route (e.g. FOC, NM, ATC), reviewing traffic management solutions below FL310 in the European area; analysing several critical cases of route planning with and without use of airways, focused on fuel efficiency and time; analysing main traffic flows, software and algorithms available as well as impact and introduction of direct routing in various environment (FIRs), development and optimization of planning algorithms, testing and assessment of developed software in various environments (FIRs), validating in an integrated way the concept elements.
Making available Free Routing Airspace below FL310, will allow Airspace Users:
• To improve time and fuel efficiency including short haul flights of propeller driven aircrafts;
• Raise the automation level of flight planning and lessen workload of GA flight crew
Contrasting groups of airspace users will be taken into account:
• scheduled and unscheduled airline and cargo traffic passing by in level flight, climb or descent;
• irregular but dense number of small piston or turbine aircrafts belonging to General and Business Aviation, including a moderate number of feeder airlines operating turboprop commuters
