Safety net for a sectorless ATM concept

Abstract

Today air traffic management divides the airspace into sectors. Controllers are responsible for one of these sectors and all the air traffic within. In a sectorless air traffic management concept the airspace is no longer divided into sectors but regarded as one piece. Controllers are assigned individual aircraft which they are responsible for from their entry into the airspace to their exit. This implies that the controllers have to manage flights which are not in the same geographic region but can be anywhere in the airspace and hence also in different traffic situations. Such a change of concept influences the way controllers work and calls for different support tools. Naturally, the question of safety arises with regard to standard operations as well as special situations. This discussion paper investigates the different safety aspects relevant in a sectorless concept. It highlights the differences between a conventional sectored and the proposed sectorless approach. We argue that most elements of the current safety net in air traffic management can also be applied to a sectorless air traffic management concept. Additional safety net elements are proposed together with examples of their application.