What's New - Air Traffic Control System Command Center

Airspace Flow Programs (AFP) will be introduced in the spring of 2006 and mark a significant new step in enroute traffic management.  The principal goal for the initial deployment will be to provide enhanced enroute traffic management during severe weather events.  More information about AFPs is available in this white paper.

In light of this fact, we will be adding AFP information to the XML Airport Status information.  As AFPs are entered into the system, they will be detected and the following pieces of information will be recorded about them:

• Control Element - The name of the FEA/FCA as created by the traffic management specialist.
• Reason - The reason that the AFP had to be implemented.
• FCA Start Date and Time - The date and time for starting the FEA/FCA¹.
• FCA End Date and Time - The date and time for ending the FEA/FCA¹.
• AFP Start Time - The time for starting the AFP (not earlier than the FCA Start Time).
• AFP End Time - The time for ending the AFP (not later than the FCA End Time).
• Geographic Configuration - Whether the FEA/FCA is a Circle, Line, or Polygon.
  • Circle - Radius and Lat/Long of the center
  • Line - Series of Points with Lat/Long
  • Polygon - Series of Points with Lat/Long
• Average Delay Time - The average delay, in minutes, that has been issued to affected flights.
• Floor - The lower altitude of the FEA/FCA, in 100s of feet; 000 to 600.
• Ceiling - The upper altitude of the FEA/FCA, in 100s of feet; 000 to 600.

In order to define the format of the new XML Airport Status page, we have updated the DTD document.  Airspace Flow Programs will be included in the XML Airport Status information as a new <Delay_type>.  Here is an example of how an AFP might be rendered in a portion of the new XML Airport Status page. 

<Delay_type>
  <Name>Airspace Flow Programs</Name>
    <Airspace_Flow_List>
    <Airspace_Flow>
      <CTL_Element>FCA001</CTL_Element>
      <Reason>VOLUME</Reason>
      <FCA_Start_DateTime>20060602121500</FCA_Start_DateTime>
      <FCA_End_DateTime>20060603111500</FCA_End_DateTime>
      <AFP_StartTime>1230</AFP_StartTime>
      <AFP_EndTime>1059</AFP_EndTime>
      <Line>
        <Point Lat="4392" Long="8218" />
        <Point Lat="4348" Long="8500" />
        <Point Lat="4090" Long="8470" />
      </Line>
      <Avg>45 minutes</Avg>
      <Floor>120</Floor>
      <Ceiling>600</Ceiling>
    </Airspace_Flow>
...
    </Airspace_Flow_List>
</Delay_type>


¹Dates and times are in 14-digit date and time format:  year (4 digits), month (2), day (2), hour (2), minute (2) and second (2). YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.