Flexible selection of an approach path in combined Late Merging Point and Point Merge Approach operations

Abstract

In order to reduce aviation's harmful impact on the environment, improvements on different levels are necessary. There are several possibilities that can be used to make aviation more environmentally friendly, such as improved airframe technology, alternative fuels, or advanced flight procedures. The mentioned innovative techniques are for instance the Late Merging Point (LMP) and Point Merge (PM) operations that enable to perform the Continuous Descent Operations (CDOs) and thus reduce noise pollution and total fuel consumption. Other benefits of those new operations are reduced workload of Air Traffic Controller (ATCO) and pilot due to less air-to-ground communication. In the scope of this Master thesis, the airspace from the project Greener Air Traffic Operations (GreAT) at the Munich Airport (EDDM) will be analyzed and improvements will be proposed. Based on the GreAT project, the new airspace structure will be designed for approaches to runway 26R/L in EDDM. The presented airspace combines the interlinked use of LMP and PM operations that replace the standard trombone approaches, which were used in the GreAT airspace.