Algorithm of Collision-Free Planning of Air Traffic Based on Departure Delay Control

Modern civil aviation is developing rapidly, which is stimulated by continuous growing demand for services of air transportation services. Wide integration of unmanned aerial vehicles in controlled airspace requires developing strategies for increasing the load within the same volume of airspace. Mid-air collision is a common problem that rises simultaneously with an increasing number of airspace users. There are only two possible solutions for collision avoidance: maneuver in vertical or horizontal planes. Both these actions require modification of airplane trajectory based on collaborative decision-making. In this paper, collision avoidance problem is studied and proposed an algorithm for mid-air collision risk minimization, at the stage of flight planning (before actual flight), with active control of airplane departure time. Collision-free air traffic planning made airspace users satisfied with the requested trajectory, but shifted in time of takeoff a little. Proposed approach is based on statistical analysis delays in departure airport, modeling upcoming flight by requested flight plan, and estimating the risk of mid-air collision with already scheduled air traffic. Risk is estimated based on probabilities of airplanes being involved in a violation of separation minimums. Proposed approach could be useful for implementation in automatic air traffic management system of integrated air traffic support of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. Also proposed algorithm could be integrated into already available flight plan data processing domain of intelligent transportation system for efficient planning of air traffic and airspace management.