Event Details

Steve Hammond, NATS - The role of Air Traffic Control and the Application of OR techniques to Airport Optimisation

Abstract: Airports are complex multi-billion-dollar operations that require many stakeholders to work together to deliver a safe, efficient, and punctual experience for the travelling public. From strategic investment plans, to seasonal scheduling, and on-the-day tactical traffic sequencing, the role of Air Traffic Control is fundamental to managing the fine balance between demand, capacity,and cost. This presentation will explore the challenges facing the aviation community in delivering capacity growth within constrained infrastructure, the application of OR techniques to airport optimisation, and real-life case studies from the UK and beyond. The presentation will also discuss new methods that have been implemented at Heathrow to optimise the runway sequence using stochastic and heuristic methods to overcome the inherent instability of demand in a mathematically chaotic system.