Flight plan optimization in flexible air traffic environments

The introduction of new air traffic environments where more flexibility is offered to the user will lead to increased use of optimal flight strategies. In this paper, the functional requirements for the successful operational implementation of such strategies are described. The relationships that should exist between the Airline Operating Center, the pilots, the Air Traffic Management system and the surrounding environment are analyzed in detail. The resulting optimization problem is formulated. Specific areas are pointed out where significant further modeling effort is needed. These include a better description of specific aircraft dynamics. Numerical implementation and human factor issues are discussed.