EMMA - European airport Movement Management by A-SMGCS
Overview
Background & policy context:
Mobility of goods and people is a basic need of the European Society in the age of sustainable growth and globalisation of the World economy. The Vision 2020 describes Air Transport and Aeronautics as 'Key Assets for the Future of Europe'. It calls for an air transport system able to cope with a threefold air traffic demand with fivefold safety, halved cost, a 99% punctuality and limited environmental impact in 2020.
In a two-phase approach, EMMA consolidated the surveillance and conflict alert functions, and the successor project, EMMA2, focussed on advanced onboard guidance support to pilots and planning support to controllers. Due to the growth in air transport, airport capacity is expected to become the major bottleneck in the near future.
The EMMA project, together with the subsequent EMMA2, aimed to provide the most significant R&D contribution to the Vision 2020 goals in the field of A-SMGCS (Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System). This was done in a four-year timeframe (from 2004 to 2008), by maturing and validating the A-SMGCS concept as an integrated air-ground system, seamlessly embedded in the overall ATM system.
Objectives:
The main objective of EMMA was to enable the harmonised A-SMGCS implementation at European airports. For this reason, it was important to bring together users, service providers, research organisations and manufacturers.
The EMMA consortium was built from Air Navigation Service Providers, Airport Operators, Airline Operators, an Airframe Manufacturer, Avionics manufacturers, European ATM manufacturers and research establishments.
A main extension of the A-SMGCS concept by EMMA was the holistic, integrated air-ground approach that considers aircraft equipped with advanced systems for pilot assistance in a context where tower and apron controllers are supported by A-SMGCS ground systems. A mature technical and operational concept, as developed through EMMA, ensured consistency of traffic information given to controllers and pilots.
This formed the basis for a common situation awareness and safe ground operations. The associated operational concept defined the roles and tasks of the onboard and ground operators, and procedures from an overall, holistic point of view. The development of conflict detection and resolution not only increased safety but also efficiency.
Finally, the Integrated Project EMMA led to comprehensive results, which will support the regulation and standardisation bodies as well as the industry in early and efficient implementation of A-SMGCS in Europe and beyond.
Methodology:
Based on an advanced operational concept, a level 1 and 2 A-SMGCS was implemented at three European airports (Prague Ruzyne, Milan Malpensa and Toulouse-Blagnac) and will be in fully operational use for a relatively long time period.
The project followed an iterative development process with system maturing phases followed by functional and operational testing phases. Two test campaigns are planned. Licensed controllers, as well as aircraft pilots and ground vehicle drivers, were involved in testing in order to gain realistic, operation-focused results. Controllers and pilots were trained in a simulated environment and on-site to prepare them to cope with a level 1 or 2 A-SMGCS under real operational conditions.
The systems implemented were verified and validated against the predefined operational and technical requirements. On-site long-term trials at these test sites and at the busiest European hub in Paris are underway. The harmonised concepts of operations were applied and validated due to functional and operational testing under real operational conditions. In order to meet the mentioned objectives, EMMA built upon the previous work performed by EC projects, Eurocontrol and others.
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