SESAR members recently completed a series of trials at Riga Airport contributing to the validation of a number of solutions addressing airport safety nets and integrated surface management. The solutions were validated in shadow mode and live traffic conditions at the airport, which allowed the controllers to measure the performance of the solutions in a real system environment. This is one of the only trials of this nature in SESAR addressing these solutions.  With these latest validations, the solutions should be made available for industrialisation by the end of 2016.

Building on 18 months of preparations, Riga played host to a 10-day validation exercise which brought together a wide range of actors, including engineers, human performance and data link experts, air traffic controllers, vehicle drivers and human performance experts[1]. Together they addressed the following solutions:

• Automated assistance to controller for surface movement planning and routing[2]: a functionality that relies on the route planning function of the Advanced Surface Movement Control and Guidance System (A-SMGCS) to generate taxi routes and realistic taxi time estimates. The automatically generated routes are based on the airport layout, flight plan information (e.g. aircraft type, destination stand), known operational constraints (e.g. closed taxiways) and collaborative decision making data (e.g. Target Start-Up Approval Time - TSAT). These routes can be displayed on the controller working position. The air traffic controllers can graphically edit them to match taxi clearances given to mobiles.
• D-TAXI service for Controller-Pilot Data-Link Communications (CPDLC) application: allows the use of data link communications between the tower controllers and the flight crew during surface movement. This functionality is based on the D-TAXI service from the controller-pilot data link Communications (CPDLC) application, already standardised by RTCA and EUROCAE. The service is accessed by end users, through the controller working positions and through the aircraft’s data link control & display unit (DCDU).
• Airport safety nets for controllers: conformance monitoring alerts and detection of conflicting ATC clearances[3]: system that detects conflicting Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearances and non-conformance to procedures for traffic on runways, taxiways and in the apron, stand and gate areas. The system, based on the surveillance function of the A-SMGCS, provides the appropriate indications and alerts to air traffic controllers, enhancing safety on the airport surface.
• Guidance assistance through airfield ground lighting: couples taxi route management with the airfield ground lighting in order to provide flight crew and vehicle drivers with supplementary means of guidance. Taxiway centre line lights are automatically and progressively switched on in segments as the mobile progresses along its assigned route. Stop bars are automatically activated to mark clearance limit. The air traffic controllers can issue simpler and shorter taxi clearances through a "Follow- the-Greens" type instruction.

Although the analysis of the exercises is still underway, initial feedback from the controllers has been positive in terms of the usability of the solutions and the added value that they bring to operational efficiency and safety.

[1] Participating organisations: Eurocontrol , NATMIG (Indra Navia), Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme and Airtel Atn

[2] Planned for synchronised deployment from 1 January 2024, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 716/2014 of 27 June 2014 on the establishment of the Pilot Common Project (PCP) supporting the implementation of the European Air Traffic Management Master Plan Text with EEA relevance

[3] Planned for synchronised deployment as from 1 January 2021, PCP