The user-driven prioritisation process allows airlines to change the priority order of unregulated flights among themselves and in collaboration with the airport authorities. Airlines are given this flexibility in the pre-departure sequence (PDS) for last‑minute disruptions, which usually lead to departure delays or cancelled flights.
A full-scale demonstration at a major European hub introduced the SESAR tool as part of the airport’s existing pre-departure sequencing process. The Departure Flexibility (DFlex) project allowed airlines to re-order departures based on their operational requirements while still early in the planning stages. It also included a ‘ready-to-depart’ functionality to support an immediate swap for a flight that is ready for start-up. Participating airlines were given the opportunity to agree to a new target start-up approval time (TSAT) with air traffic control to optimise their schedules.
Among benefits, the tool helped to manage a runway closure which otherwise would have prevented passengers making flight connections, and delays were selectively kept to a minimum for long‑haul flights. The solution creates more opportunities for departure flexibility within a group of airlines, with benefits increasing as more airlines join. It requires a pre-departure planning process to function, for example using information already shared between operators about planned push-back, start-up and target take-off times. It is especially beneficial in case of disruption with significant financial benefits for the airlines.
This solution is available for industrialisation and is now implemented in France (Paris Charles de Gaulle) and Germany (Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Nurnberg, Stuttgart and Berlin-Brandenburg airports).
SJU references: #57/Release 4
Benefits
- Reduced airline delay costs in case of disrupted situations, without jeopardising airport and network performance
- Increased flexibility for airlines Improved environmental performance
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