What is Airport Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM)?
Airport Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM) aims to improve the efficiency and resilience of airport operations by optimizing the use of resources and improving the predictability of air traffic. It achieves this by encouraging the airport partners (airport operators, aircraft operators, ground handlers and ATC) and the Network Manager to work more transparently and collaboratively, exchanging relevant accurate and timely information. It focuses especially on aircraft turn-round and pre-departure processes.
A-CDM also allows the exchange of more accurate departure information, particularly target take-off times, with the European ATFCM network, leading to improved en-route and sectoral planning.
Who Benefits from Airport Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM)?
All Airport Partners benefit from A-CDM:
- Aircraft Operators (AO): Better adherence to schedule, possibility to express preferences
- Ground Handlers (GH): Improved predictability of turn-round operations, better use of resources
- Airport Operator: Increased departure and arrival punctuality, more efficient use of stands, gates and terminals
- Air Traffic Control (ATC): Optimised use of airport airside infrastructure, reduced ground congestion
- Central Flow Management Unit (CMFU): Better adherence to slot, optimised use of airspace capacity
Which Airports have A-CDM?
A-CDM Terminology
A-CDM defines a wide range of terms, including the following which are illustrated in the image below:
- SOBT (Scheduled Off Block Time): The time that an aircraft is scheduled to depart from the parking position.
- EOBT (Estimated Off Block Time): The estimated time that an aircraft will start movement associated with departure.
- TOBT (Target Off Block Time): The time that an aircraft Operator or Ground handler estimates that an aircraft will be ready to startup/pushback immediately upon reception of clearance from the tower.
- TSAT (Target Start Up Approval Time): The time provided by ATC taking into account TOBT, CTOT and/or the traffic situation that an aircraft can expect start up/push back approval.
- AOBT (Actual Off Block Time): The time the aircraft pushes back / vacates parking position.
- Scheduled In-Block Time (SIBT): The time that an aircraft is scheduled to arrive at its first parking position.
- Estimated In-Block Time (EIBT): The estimated time that an aircraft will arrive in-blocks.
- Actual In-Block Time (AIBT): The time that an aircraft arrives in-blocks.
- Calculated Take Off Time (CTOT): The time calculated and issued by the appropriate Central Management unit, as a result of tactical slot allocation, at which a flight is expected to become airborne.
- Estimated Take Off Time (ETOT): The estimated take off time taking into account the EOBT plus EXOT.
- Target Take Off Time (TTOT): The target take off time taking into account the TOBT/TSAT plus the EXOT.
- Actual Take Off Time (ATOT): The time that an aircraft takes off from the runway.
- Estimated Landing Time (ELDT): Tthe estimated time that an aircraft will touchdown on the runway.
- Target Landing Time (TLDT): The Targeted Time from the Arrival management process at the threshold, taking runway sequence and constraints into account.
- Actual Landing Time (ALDT): The time that an aircraft lands on a runway.
- Estimated Taxi-In Time (EXIT): The estimated taxi time between landing and in-block.
- Actual Taxi-In Time (AXIT): The time period between the Actual Landing Time (ALDT) and the Actual In-Block Time (AIBT).
- Estimated Taxi-Out Time (EXOT): The estimated taxi time between off-block and take off.
- Actual Taxi-Out Time (AXOT): The time period between the Actual Off-Block Time (AOBT) and the Actual Take Off Time (ATOT).
- Minimum Turn-round Time (MTTT): The minimum turn-round time agreed with an AO/GH for a specified flight or aircraft type.
- Scheduled Turn-round Time (STTT): The time period between scheduled in block time and scheduled off block time (SOBT - SIBT).
- Estimated Turn-round Time (ETTT): The time estimated by the AO/GH on the day of operation to turn-round a flight taking into account the operational constraints.
- Actual Turn-round Time (ATTT): The time period between actual in block time and actual off block time (AOBT – AIBT).
Further Reference: