Flight trajectory data analytics for characterization of air traffic flows: A comparative analysis of terminal area operations between New York, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo

• Published in: Transportation research. Part C, Emerging technologies Emerging technologies, 2018-12, Vol.97, p.324-347
• Main Authors: Murça, Mayara Condé Rocha, Hansman, R. John, Li, Lishuai, Ren, Pan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air traffic flows; Machine learning; Multi-airport systems; Terminal area; Trajectory data analytics
• ISSN: 0968-090X; 1879-2359
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trc.2018.10.021

•A data analytics framework is developed to characterize air traffic flows.•Trajectory patterns and traffic flow patterns are learned from flight tracks.•Terminal area operations in three multi-airport systems are compared.•Structural, operational and performance differences are identified.•The most dynamic system shows the highest average traffic flow efficiency. Future Air Traffic Management systems can benefit from innovative approaches that leverage the increasing availability of operational data to facilitate the development of new performance assessment and decision-support capabilities. This paper presents a data analytics framework for high-fidelity characterization of air traffic flows from large-scale flight tracking data. Machine learning methods are used to exploit spatiotemporal patterns in aircraft movement towards the identification of trajectory patterns and traffic flow patterns. The outcomes and potential impacts of this framework are demonstrated with a comparative analysis of terminal area operations in three representative multi-airport (metroplex) systems of the global air transportation system: New York, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo. As a descriptive tool for systematic analysis of the flow behavior, the framework allows for cross-metroplex comparisons of terminal airspace design, utilization and traffic performance. Novel quantitative metrics are created to summarize metroplex efficiency, capacity and predictability. The results reveal several structural, operational and performance differences between the multi-airport systems analyzed. Our findings show that New York presents the most complex airspace design, with considerably higher number of routes and interactions between them, as well as more dynamic changes in the terminal area flow structure during the day, in part driven by the presence of flow dependencies. Interestingly, it exhibits the best levels of traffic flow efficiency on average, both spatially and temporally, yet the highest variability in metroplex configuration performance, with more pronounced performance degradation during inclement weather.