APOC Simulation Platform
Irregular operations need collaborative decision making. Applying a real time simulation and ‘what-if’ platform showed how different stakeholders can work together when having a common view on the airport.
Project Overview
This project was carried out as part of the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) initiative, as part of the focus area “Airport Operations Management”. It focused on the development and application of a high-fidelity, human-in-the-loop simulation platform which provides a holistic view of an airport and its various operations.
Services provided
Based on CAST technology ARC set-up and configured an integrated simulation platform and simulation models including airside, terminal and all related processes. By applying realistic models of major European airports and performing “exercises”, operational experts interacted with the airport model in real-time as they would do in an APOC or AOC (Airport Operational Control Center). This setup allowed to run specific scenarios like sudden capacity drops due to weather or accidents, early flights or terminal evacuations.
”The CAST tool has now been used as part of a number of simulations in collaboration with EUROCONTROL, Airbus and participating airports (LHR, CDG, MAD, BOD, TLS). The feedback from the airports during these simulations in relation to the CAST functionality is overwhelmingly positive.”
Alan Marsden, EUROCONTROL
The CAST virtual APOC Simulation Platform among other elements includes:
- CAST Aircraft
- CAST Terminal
- CAST Remote Interface (for realtime interaction)
- CAST Analysis and Dashboard
The high-fidelity airport models, which were created within this project, include:
- Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (see the video)
- London Heathrow (see the video)
- Madrid Barajas
- Alicante
- Toulouse
- Bordeaux
APOC live gaming session at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport (CDG)
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See further videos of CAST within the context of SESAR, Total Airport Management (TAM), A-CDM and real-time simulation
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Apoc Open Day at Eurocontrol – Getting to grips with Airport Operations Management
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CAST Fast Time Simulation – Airport Operations Management in SESAR
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CAST APOC Simulaton Platform
Results and benefit
The project showed that the CAST based real-time simulation of an APOC can be used to develop, test and validate information sharing and collaborative processes among airport stakeholders to improve the airport performance by:
- A common operational view of landside and airside processes to airport stakeholders
- Pro-active management of the airport operations performance
- Visualisation of the current and short-term performance
- Monitoring and detecting performance deviations to warn concerned actors,
- Assessing the impact as a do nothing case
- Making actions proposals (AOP update, launching ad-hoc collaborative procedures)
- Extended A-CDM: allows stakeholders to communicate, coordinate and collaboratively make decisions
- Real time prediction, flow forecast and proactive management
The project has been carried out in behalf of EUROCONTROL in close cooperation with Airbus and Ariane Group.
