Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. We manage air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights every year.

CDM Stage 1 – ATFM

Ground Delay Programs

CDM Stage 1 entails the replacement of the Central Traffic Management System (CTMS) tool (which only services Sydney and Perth) with an advanced ATFM application capable of simultaneously managing traffic flows at multiple airports. This new application is called Metron Traffic Flow and it will initiåally manage traffic flows at Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Melbourne via a staged implementation plan.

From a traffic management aspect, where demand exceeds capacity, Metron Traffic Flow will regulate traffic into a designated airport in a similar manner to CTMS through the allocation of ground delay. Metron Traffic Flow will issue ground delays through the allocation of Calculated Off Block Times, previously known as Programmed Gate Departure Times.

Stakeholder interaction with Ground Delay Programs (GDP)

Metron Traffic Flow accepts real-time updates to schedule data, either via flight plan submission, airline day of operations changes to scheduled departure times, or ATC live data. As a consequence of accepting real-time updates, Metron Traffic Flow is able to display the most up-to-date demand/capacity information for any monitored airport, which in turn provides both airlines and ATC with an enhanced capability to predict traffic management issues. Therefore to maximise the capabilities of Metron Traffic Flow it will be important that all airspace users update their schedules on “day of operations” as soon as schedule changes become known.

All airlines intending to operate through Brisbane and Melbourne will be required to provide schedule information in advance or call to obtain a landing time in the same manner as is currently required to support CTMS operations through Sydney and Perth (details are available in ERSA FAC S-6). Those users that currently access CTMS or Skyflow for information will need to use Metron Traffic Flow when CTMS is decommissioned.

Aircraft operators (and other affected stakeholders) will be able to view the GDP information for affected flights via web based access to the Metron Traffic Flow tool. User login to this service is managed by Airservices Australia.

Compliance management

The established ATFM concept and business rules acknowledge the importance of compliance with an established GDP to ensure optimum efficiency and balanced distribution of delays for all stakeholders. They also acknowledge that, at times, there may be a need for flights to intentionally not comply with an assigned delay on the ground and absorb any remaining delay airborne (due to gate restrictions, etc.).

To ensure the balanced distribution of delays, GDP information will be made available to both Tower Air Traffic Control (ATC) positions and destination airport Flow Management positions.

This information will be used by ATC to advise flights when they are not complying with the GDP and, if necessary, take action once aircraft are airborne to ensure compliant flights are not unfairly delayed by non-compliant flights. This will normally take the form of delaying non-compliant flights during the enroute or arrival phase of the flight.

Implementation schedule

  • 18th March 2012 – Metron Traffic Flow operational for Sydney (replacement of existing CTMS)
  • 19th March 2012 – Metron Traffic Flow operational for Perth (replacement of existing CTMS)
  • 3rd quarter 2012 – Ground Delay Program established for Brisbane
  • 3rd quarter 2012 – Ground Delay Program established for Melbourne

Documentation

Documentation will be available as the program progresses.

Metron Traffic Flow (MTF) Access

Participants

Metron Traffic Flow (MTF) web client access is provided to the following groups of users.

  • Aircraft Operators of regular services into Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth airports
  • Airport Operators whose airport has regular services into Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth airports
  • Other aviation groups who demonstrate a legitimate requirement for access.

Requirements

Aircraft Operators who operate a combined total of more than 5 regular flights per day into Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth are required to have interactive access to MTF.

Each Operator will, on a daily basis, be required to upload their schedules, as well as tactically manage their fleet to ensure the optimum usage of available landing slots at all airports subject to a traffic management initiative (TMI).

Pilots of unscheduled flights planning to operate into Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth during the hours of a ground delay program are required to call the National Operations Centre (NOC) on 1800 020 626, and Sydney ACA as appropriate prior to their flight to obtain a Calculated Off Blocks Time (COBT) for their departure.

Airport Operators will be assigned a passive read only access. This access will provide them with arrival and departure information for aircraft operating out of their airport.

Application

Application for access to Metron Traffic Flow shall commence by providing limited details toatfmu@airservicesaustralia.com, and shall include the following details:

  • Company name
  • Applicants full name and title
  • Phone number
  • Justification of requirement for Access.

Further information may be requested by the ATFM Operational Authority.

Following initial review the following two documents will be forwarded for completion:

  • ATFM System Access User Guide
  • CDM Data Sharing Agreement

The registration form at the rear of the User Guide and the CDM Data Sharing Agreement must be completed and signed before system access is granted.

Training shall be provided to aircraft operators by ASA consisting of a 1 day train the trainer course. Once this is completed and the aircraft operator has confirmed their company has completed in house training, access to the operational system shall be granted.

Once system access is granted, logins, passwords and the URL for access to Metron Traffic Flow shall be forwarded by the ATFM operational authority.

Further information is available from:

Airservices Australia National Operations Centre
Phone: 1800 628 043
Email:  atfmu@airservicesaustralia.com