Introduction 

The virtual centre concept refers to the decoupling of air traffic management (ATM) data services, such as flight data, radar, and weather information, from the air traffic service unit (ATSU). The aim of the concept is, on one hand, to enable greater flexibility when it comes to organising air traffic control operations and, on the other hand, to support a more resilient ATM ecosystem. 

Two key dimensions of the virtual centre concept are the ability to delegate control of an area of airspace between air traffic service units and the establishment of ATM data service providers (ADSPs) to manage real-time data processing for one or more air traffic service units.

Three supporting architectures are available to facilitate that delegation: D, Y and U, each responding to different virtual centre configurations and operational use cases. 

The ‘U’ architecture describes here delegation between two separate air traffic service units, each with its own system, using exchange capabilities between the two systems to transfer the relevant data. 
In this architecture, the respective areas of responsibility are reshaped according to the delegation. It is particularly relevant to civil-military coordination, where different legacy systems are likely to exist.

About the Solution 

In the U architecture, the controller working positions in one air traffic unit can connect to a different ATM data service provider managing the sectors they need to control. In this set-up, the receiving air traffic unit provides both the controller working positions and an extension of its areas of responsibility, while at the same time the areas of responsibility of the delegating air traffic unit are reduced accordingly. This principle is based on the capability of the systems to exchange the required information at the right time and provide the relevant information to the working positions taking the delegation(s).

In terms of use cases, the solution enables the deployment of several operational scenarios based on traffic and organisational needs, such as night-time case, fixed time case, contingency case and demand capacity case. The solution permits also to provide service to combinations of sectors of the two different ATSUs.

In U architecture context, the air data service providers associated to the two different ATSU are operational and interoperable. The architecture allows to configure the ADSP to cover the area corresponding to one ATSU or to both ATSU areas. 

The U architecture is applicable for n-route and terminal areas and it has been validated in the en-route environment. One real time simulation provided satisfactorily results at night and in low and medium traffic density environments. 

Further improvements of the U architecture are required, clear definitions and standards are needed for communication between ATM data service providers. This will enable the delegation process to reflect system design and procedures in a distributed environment. 

Significant effort is needed to develop these standards and protocols and it must involve system suppliers. A cost-benefit analysis will need to illustrate the economic benefits for air navigation service providers either as consumers or service subscribers, once the U architecture meets regulatory constraints and is fully deployable in the wider operational market.

The solution reached TRL4 on-going maturity level at the end of SESAR 2020. 

Benefits  

   • Increased flexibility and operational efficiency
   • Improved cost efficiency
   • Increased resilience in terms of ATM service provision

Datapack

Contextual note