Key Performance Indicators for Performance‐Based Airport Management from the perspective of airport operations

Abstract

Since the total number of flight movements increases annually, existing capacity restraints at airports are expected to worsen and new restraints will arise considering the air traffic demand and current airport infrastructure. In this context, the current airport operations have to be significantly optimized using the given infrastructure and new airport operational strategies have to be developed regarding to the ambitious targets of Europe’s Flightpath 2050 and the associated Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the ACARE organization. To evaluate the performance of the airport operations reliable, quantifiable and resilient Key Performance Indicators are required. In the context of air traffic, performance is primarily characterized by the amount of flight movements, handled aircrafts on ground, delays in operations and passengers operated. The objective of our research is to derive a consolidated set of Key Performance Indicators, primary focuses the airport air‐side operations, which will allow both a comprehensive view of the airport system and an efficient, holistic and performance based management of the day of operations enabled by real‐time measurements and model‐based predictions for the future system states. To meet this challenge, factors with relevant impact on the airport air‐side performance are identified, clustered and evaluated to derive reasonable Key Performance Indicators. Ten Key Performance Indicators are identified, which are evaluated by twelve associated Performance Indicators. The derived Key Performance Indicators enable an early recognition of occurring deviations/disturbances in the airport operations (situational awareness, monitoring) and are the fundamental basis to develop new controlling strategies aiming at an efficient, performance based airport management. The knowledge about upcoming airport system states (e.g. negative events during the operation) allows the various stakeholders to cooperatively intervene on a medium‐term basis looking for reliable, cost effective strategies reducing the expected negative impacts.