584311 - Applied Game Theory to Enhance Air Traffic Control in 3D Airspace

Sunday, May 19, 2019

2:20 PM – 2:40 PM

Location: St Johns 24

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As the demand for air transportation is growing year by year, conflict detection and resolution are becoming major concerns in air traffic management. To increase safety, efficiency, and flexibility in airspace traffic flow, computer-aided technologies and models are fundamental for the future of air traffic control (ATC) operations. In this study, we propose a non-centralized, three-stage algorithm based on game theory, to resolve possible conflicts among multiple aircraft moving in shared airspace and provide a set of maneuvers that deviate minimally from the original routes. In this model, ATC provides safe separation distances between aircraft while facilitating their coordination. Computational experiments show the importance of solving possible conflicts during the primary stages of the flight plans, to avoid the reduced maneuverability and high congestion observed close to the landing merging points. We show how the proposed model provides useful information to ATC and pilots, enhancing their coordination and decision-making process in scenarios with multiple conflict zones and several parties involved, during both nominal and deviated-from-nominal situations.