The Demand Capacity Balancer (DCB) extends the airport operations planning horizon by accurately forecasting demand capacity and performance metrics. It bridges the gap between strategic, pre-tactical and tactical planning by replacing the conventional scheduled-based planning with a rolling Airport Operations Plan (AOP).

DCB enables information sharing and integration with the Network Operations Plan (NOP), for example through its unique capability to calculate and automatically propose Target Times of Arrival (TTA). By extending the current planning of airport collaborative decision-making (A-CDM) it will improve the efficiency and resilience of airport operations by optimising the use of resources which will improve the predictability. This supports the AOP implementation in accordance with the ACI “Ground Coordinator” concept and in compliance with the Common Project One (CP1) regulation and SESAR deployment in Europe.

Frequentis Orthogon partnered with NATS and successfully deployed the solution for London Heathrow Airport, where it has been in operation since 2017. DCB combines real-time data, analytics results and advanced simulation capabilities to enable scenario-based planning and aids effective collaborative decision making. It supports the airport operational stakeholders how to respond in both real-time and pre-planning scenarios to improve operational decision-making and airport performance.

DCB predicts individual flight arrival times using global data coverage that encompasses the influence of operational and weather conditions. It allows for a more effective resource allocation, associated with time and cost savings for managing the operational resources and hence significantly reducing overall OPEX. Its integrated TTA capability enables airport operators to become a proactive partner of the network to improve punctuality, reduce operating costs, including for airlines, and to improve passenger satisfaction.

“We are pleased to be providing a key solution that supports the implementation of both the Initial and the Extended AOP in compliance with the CP1 regulation in Europe. Results from the DCB deployment in Heathrow showed a considerable reduction of delays by complementing conventional ATFM regulations. As we look towards aviation recovery, this is a fundamental way that airports can increase efficiency, cost effectiveness and sustainability through reduced CO2 emissions,” says Frank Köhne, Managing Director Frequentis Orthogon.