Technical Specification
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
forRiga FIR
PBN based Airspace Concept
Development and Implementation
February2015
Prepared by
SJSC Latvijasgaisasatiksme
International Airport
”Riga”, LV-1053, Latvia
1.Introduction
1.1LGS PBN Priorities
1.2PBN implementation in Latvia
2.WORK DESCRIPTION
2.1Activity 1: Operational requirements
2.2Activity 2: Airspace design team
2.3Activity 3: Objectives, scope and timelines
2.4Activity 4: Reference scenario
2.5Activity 5: Safety criteria, safety policy and performance criteria
2.6CNS/ATM assumptions, enablers and constraints
2.7Design of airspace, routes and holds
2.8Initial procedure design
2.9Design of airspace volumes and sectors
2.10ICAO navigation specification
2.11Airspace concept validation
2.12Procedure design finalization
2.13Procedure validation
2.14Project results
2.15Aeronautical information exchange
2.16AIM safety requirements
2.17Abbreviations
2.18Explanation of terms
1.Introduction
1.1LGS PBN Priorities
Prior to the development ofrequirements and specification, LGS focused its efforts onstudying the needs of development and implementation of Performance-based Navigation (PBN), Continuous Descent Operations (CDO), Continuous Climb Operations (CCO) and runway sequencing capabilities (AMAN/DMAN).
The introduction of PBN in the Latvianairspace will allow meet the expectations of airspace users and help deliver benefits in performance improvement areas of airport operations, global interoperability systems and data, capacity optimization and flight efficiency.
ICAO Assembly Resolution A37-11 urges all States to implement air traffic services (ATS) routes and approach procedures in accordance with the ICAO PBN concept and consideration of particular Block Modules whenevernecessary for the future safety and regularity of international air navigation within Riga FIR.
ICAO A37-11 called for implementation of PBN required navigation performance (RNP) approaches with vertical guidance (APV) with satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) or barometric vertical navigation (Baro-VNAV).
Deployment of PBN procedures will result in significant reductions of environmental impacts and this is particularly the case where the airspace design has supported continuous descent operations (CDO) and continuous climb operations (CCO).
PBN implementation in the Latvian terminal airspace is seen as a key enabler for the advanced terminal operations. In addition to the general benefits the PBN functionality ensures that the lateral path can also be routed to avoid more noise-sensitive areas.
Operating at optimum flight levels is a key driver to improve fuel efficiency and minimize carbon emissions as a large proportion of fuel burn occurs during the climb phase. Enabling an aircraft to reach and maintain its optimum flight level without interruption will therefore help to optimize flight fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
In order for this to be fully implemented, ATM tools and techniques, especially arrival and departure management tools, have to be implemented and/or updated to ensure that arrival and departure flows are smooth and appropriately sequenced.
PBN is a complex and fundamental change affecting the Latvian airspace and requires the fine-tuning of existing ICAO provisions and appropriate ATM modernization programme.
This document provides conceptual, operational, functional, technical and other specifications for procurement of Riga FIR PBN based airspace concept development and implementation.
1.2PBN implementation in Latvia
1.2.1. The Latvian airspace PBN concept
The development and implementation of the Latvian airspace concept will be broken down into four main phases that are presented in ICAO Doc 9992 “Manual of the Use of Performance-based Navigation (PBN) in Airspace Design: Plan, Design, Validate and Implement, as shown in Figure 1:
1.2.2. The scope of Contract
The scope of the Contractor’s work shall cover the activities of the Plan, Design and Validation phases, namely, Activity 1 to Activity 13 in Figure 1 (Activities 14 – 17 are out of the scope of the Contract). In addition to the deliverables stemming out of each activity, Implementation Plan shall be worked out as a result of the Project.
Additionally the Contractor shall support LGS in obtaining the PBN operational approval with the NSA.
The detailed description of the Contractor’s work is presented in Chapter 2. Part 2.2 “Work description”.
2.WORK DESCRIPTION
2.1Activity 1: Operational requirements
Latvian airspace changes are triggered by the following operational requirements presented in the form of expected benefits.
Safety
- More consistent flight paths and stabilized approach paths;
- Reduction in the incidence of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT);
- Separation with the surrounding traffic (especially free-routing);
- Reduction in the number of conflicts;
- Reduction in the number of required radio transmissions;
- Lower pilot and air traffic control workload;
- Reduced number of possible aeronautical information and data inconsistencies;
- Consistency among data through automatic data checking based on commonly agreed business rules;
- Critical prerequisite assurance needed for the implementation of any current or future ATM or air navigation concept that relies on the accuracy, integrity and timeliness of data.
Access and Equity
- Better access to airspace by a reduction of permanently segregated volumes;
- Increased aerodrome accessibility.
Capacity
- Increased runway capacity where applicable using the GNSS-based approaches (PBN and GLS) which require the definition and management of sensitive and critical areas;
- The availability of a greater set of routing possibilities allows reducing potential congestion on trunk routes and at busy crossing points;
- The flexible use of airspace;
- Greater possibilities to separate flights horizontally;
- Reducing the route spacing and aircraft separations.
Efficiency
- Increased runway throughput and arrival rates via a harmonized arriving traffic flow from en route to terminal and aerodrome based on available terminal and runway resources;
- Streamlined departure traffic flow and smooth transition into en-route airspace;
- Decreased lead time for departure request and time between call for release and departure time;
- Reducing a flight length and related fuel burn and emissions;
- Reducing the number of flight diversions and cancellations;
- Better avoiding of noise sensitive areas;
- Optimal management of the top-of-descent in the en-route airspace.
- Efficient aircraft operating profiles.
Environment
- Reduced fuel burn
- More effective airspace utilization
- Improvements in trajectory management.
- Reduced emissions.
Scope of interest / Expected benefits / Assessment mechanism / Result achieved
ENV01 / Fuel burn / Reduced
ENV02 / Airspace utilization / More effective
ENV03 / Trajectory management / Improved
ENV04 / Emissions / Reduced
Flexibility
- By enabling dynamic scheduling
- Rapid reaction to changing ATM conditions
Scope of interest / Expected benefits / Assessment mechanism / Result achieved
FLX01 / Dynamic scheduling / Enable
FLX02 / Changing ATM conditions / Rapid reaction
Interoperability
- Essential contribution to the interoperability through Digital Aeronautical Information Management needed for PBN operations development and appropriate aeronautical data provision and Exchange among interested parties
- Reducing the time necessary to promulgate information concerning airspace status
Scope of interest / Expected benefits / Assessment mechanism / Result achieved
IOP01 / Iterative Airspace and Flight procedure design / Established / Based on Integrated AIM DB and GIS/AIXM 5.1 environment
IOP02 / Airspace/Flight procedures development results / Transparent and available for maintenance / In model form using AIXM 5.1
IOP03 / Airspace/Flight procedure design completeness / All data needed for Aeronautical charts and FMS is provided / Automated Independent check using AIXM 5.1
IOP04 / Aeronautical data production for Airspace/Flight procedures developed / Aeronautical Data integrity / Automated Data production and storing in Integrated AIM DBusing AIXM 5.1
IOP05 / Airspace status promulgation time / Reduced / Based on AIXM 5.1
Predictability
- Decreased uncertainties in aerodrome/terminal demand prediction
- Improved planning which allows stakeholders to anticipate expected situations and be better prepared
- More consistent flight paths and stabilized approach paths.
- Less need for vectors.
Cost
- In delay reduction
- Compliance to assigned departure time
- More accurate estimated time of arrivals (ETAs)
- Reduced costs in terms of data inputs and checks, paper and post, especially when considering the overall data chain, from originators, through AIS to the end users using the aeronautical information conceptual model (AIXM)
- The initial investment necessary for the provision of digital AIS data may be reduced through regional cooperation and it remains low compared with the cost of other ATM systems.
- Opening up military airspace
- Flexible routing can cut flight time and reduce fuel burn
- Benefits on reduction in operational errors
- Productivity increase
- High capacity benefit
- CDO benefits in fuel savings averaging
- ANSP PBN advantage in avoiding the need to purchase and deploy navigation aids for each new route or instrument procedure.
Free Route Operations
FRA implementation in Riga FIR is planned for November 2015 in NEFABin cooperation with NEFRA, it leads to different important ATC issues (Example,lower/ upperlevel of FRA depending on the state, Entry/Exit pointsand etc.).
Both, FRA and ATS Route network will be developed, validatedand implemented in Riga FIR to satisfyexplicit strategic objectiveswith the ICAO and Eurocontrolconcepts and considerations for the future safety and regularity of air traffic.
Flights over High Seas (civil/military)and military flights, UAVshall be agreed either enblers or constraints for the future scenario.
ATC Sectorization depending on new FRA flight trajectories(main flows)already under consideration of NEFAB states due to change of prefferd trajectoriesby the opeartors in FRA (widespread conflict area, sometimes very close to the boundaries).
Latvian airspace redesign shall be clearly stated by Contractor based in a written document detailing strategic objectives so that subsequent work has a clear direction.
2.2Activity 2: Airspace design team
The airspace design team shall be led by an ATM specialist with strong project management skills and an in-depth operational knowledge of the specific airspace under review. This ATM specialist shall work in collaboration with:
- air traffic controllers who are also familiar with operations in the airspace;
- ATM and CNS system specialists who are familiar with the existing, and planned, CNS/ATM systems;
- technical pilots from operators who use the airspace;
- airspace designers and instrument flight procedure designers;
- other airspace users (such as military, GA);
- airport and environmental managers; and
- experts from additional disciplines as deemed necessary, e.g. economists or data house specialists.
2.3Activity 3: Objectives,scope and timelines
The Contractor shall define and agree with the LGS PBN project representatives on the project objectives based on the operational requirements presented in form of the expected benefits that triggerthe project.
The Contractor and LGS have to decide what needs to be done to achieve the project objectives, and to agree and adhere to a specific body of work to accomplish these objectives.
Two possibilities are to be considered: either the team determines the implementation date based on all the work that needs to be completed, or the implementation date is fixed beforehand, and the team adjusts the scope or resources to match the time available.
Note 1. Contractor shall ensure that the size of the major change to airspace structures, routes and proceduresthat the project generates is manageable on a regional basis.
Note 2. Contractor shall take into account changes to the en-route structure require changes to the adjacent terminal structure in the sameaeronautical information regulation and control (AIRAC) cycle if connectivity is to be maintained.
Note 3. Contractor shall ensure coordination and planning with data houses to avoid overloading those responsible for updating the navigation databases on board aircraft.
2.4Activity 4: Reference scenario
Before starting the design of the new airspace concept the Contractor shall to have an appreciation of thecurrent airspace situation.
The description of the current operations in the Latvian airspace where PBN is to be introduced has to be a baseline for development of a new airspace concept.
The reference scenario shall includeall the ATS routes, standard instrument departures/standard instrument arrivals (SIDs/STARs), airspace volumes (e.g. terminal control area (TMA)), ATC sectorization, air traffic data together with inter-centre and inter-unit coordination agreements.
The reference scenario shall be prepared to meet requirements for PBN related digital aeronautical information data exchange
The description and analysis of the reference scenario is a critical step in the design process. By analyzingthe reference scenario in terms of the project’s performance indicators, it is possible to gauge how the airspace iscurrently performing. It is also possible to determine with some certainty what works very well in an airspace and hence shell be kept, and what does not work well or shell be improved.
The Contractor shall fixtheperformance of the reference scenario and create benchmarks against which the new airspace concept can becompared using appropriate forms as follow
The benchmarks created have to be used to establish whether the proposed airspaceconcept performs better or worse than the reference scenario and whether the safety and performance criteria have been achieved.
Note 1. A one-to-one comparison of the different elements of the reference and new scenarios is notintended. It is the difference in the performance of the two scenarios that is compared.
Note 2. The analysis of the reference scenario may result in a need to update the project objectives or scope.
2.5Activity 5: Safety criteria, safety policy and performance criteria
The contractor shall to determine how to measure the project’s success.
Designed airspace concept must meet the safety criteria laid down in the safety policy which has to be known atthe outset of the project.
Safety criteria may be qualitative or quantitative, and often a mix of both is used.
The safetypolicy has to be promulgated based on a national or regional level.
The contractor shall to establish a safety policy at the project level, it is vital that it be approved at the highest possible national level early in the project’s lifetime.
Note. Safety policy concerns itself with questions like:
a) Which safety management system should be used?
b) Which safety assessment methodology should be used? and
c) What evidence is needed to show that the airspace concept is safe?
2.6CNS/ATM assumptions, enablers and constraints
The Contractor shall to develop Latvian airspace concept based upon certain CNS/ATM assumptions.
These assumptionsmust take account of the environment that is expected to exist at the time when the new airspace operation is intended to be implemented.
CNS/ATM assumptions have to include the following:
a) the navigation capability of the aircraft expected to operate in the airspace;
b) the main runway in use within a Riga TMA;
c) the percentage of operations that will take place during LVP;
d) the main traffic flows;
e) the ATS CNS systems that will be available at the time when the new airspace operation is intended to be implemented ; and
f) ATC system-specific assumptions such as the maximum number of sectors that will be available for use.
Note 1. The traffic assumptions will depend upon the anticipated fleet capabilities, and there shall be a soundunderstanding of the likely traffic mix and distribution. This includes the mix of aircraft types (e.g. heavy and medium jets turboprops/helicopters/single-engine trainers); the mix of aircraft performance (minimum speeds, climb gradients, etc.) and the mix of operational roles (passenger, freight, training, etc.).
Note 2. The anticipated navigation capability of the fleet must be analysed:
a) How many of the aircraft have an RNP/RNAV system?
b) What primary positioning systems are used (global navigation satellite system (GNSS), VHF omni-directional radio range (VOR), distance measuring equipment (DME/DME)) by the RNAV systems?
c) Is an on-board augmentation inertial navigation system/inertial reference system (INS/IRU) fitted?
d) Against what standards have the RNP/RNAV systems been certified?
e) What operations are the aircraft and carriers approved for? And
f) What percentage of the fleet is not capable of the proposed PBN application?
Note 3. The project objectives together with the traffic assumptions and anticipated fleet capabilities are used toidentify which existing ICAO navigation specifications can be applied to subsequent design phases.
Note 4. This specification is used as the basis for the subsequent airspace and procedure design.
Note 5. The navigation specification, airspace design, and procedure design steps shall be iterative in nature and should undergo several modifications before the navigation specification identified is finally confirmed in Activity 10.
Note 6. Specify the requirements for back-up mode in case of outage of satelite or groung navigation elements. For example, to chose specification, which could be supported by two or more navigation systems (RNAV1 could be supported by GNSS or DME/DME or DME/DME/IRU)
2.7Design of airspace, routes and holds
The contractor shall to place routes in the most optimum locations as long as the necessary coverage isprovided by the ground- or space-based navigation aids. This means that routes shall be placed so as to:
a) optimize capacity by avoiding conflicts between traffic flows in both the lateral and vertical plane;
b) improve operational efficiency with shorter route lengths;
c) support continuous descent operations (CDO) or continuous climb operations (CCO) with vertical windows and thereby enable more fuel-efficient profiles with reduced environmental impact (noise,greenhouse gas emissions, etc.);
d) avoid noise-sensitive areas;
e) avoid bidirectional traffic on the same route with parallel routes;
f) provide different route options between two airports;
g) enhance airport accessibility; and
h) improve operational safety.
Note 1. CDO is addressed in detail in the Continuous Descent Operations (CDO) Manual (Doc 9931) and CCO is covered in the Continuous Climb Operations (CCO) Manual (Doc 9993).
The contractor shall ensure efficient connectivity between en-route and terminal procedures possible, therebyensuring a seamless continuum of routes. All of these advantages do not negate best practices in route design developed over decades. Some of these considerations are provided below