Guidebook for Virtual Airport Ramp Control Operations Facilities

The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook, to include a roadmap, that provides U.S. airport operators and their stakeholders* at a variety of types* and sizes of airports, the ability to implement virtual ramp control operations. The guidebook should include, but not be limited to, these considerations: (1) Safety of aircraft and ground operations;   (2) Maintain and improve operational efficiencies; (3) Contingencies for potential network or system outages; (4) Integration of surface management processes and practices (e.g., Collaborative Decision Making (CDM)); (5) Weather events (i.e., deicing, snow removal and low visibility operations, etc.); (6) Effective coordination techniques with all airport operational stakeholders (i.e., other ramp towers, air traffic control (ATC), airport operations center (AOC) , and Letters of Agreement or Memoranda of Understanding); (7) Staffing levels and training competencies (i.e., human factors); (8) Management of gate and remain overnight (RON) positions; (9) Coordination of airline services (e.g., baggage, cargo, maintenance, and customer service); (10) Budgetary implications with a calculation of return on investment (ROI)  for overall feasibility; and (11) Advantages and disadvantages for the development of virtual ramp control operations.   The roadmap, which is a series of steps, decision points, and actions that need to be taken to implement a virtual facility, should include, but is not limited to, these components: (1) Video systems capability; (2) Data connectivity; (3) Usage for gate management data systems; (4) Surface and area aircraft surveillance capabilities; (5) Requirements for communication systems (i.e., air-to-ground / ground-to-ground); and (6) Consideration of resilience and IROPS for continuity of service.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4928
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $350000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 10-31

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Schatz, Theresia

• Start Date: 20201230
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Air traffic control facilities; Airport operations; Airports; Aprons (Airports); Guidelines; Remote control
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01731871
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 10-31
• Files: TRB, RiP
• Created Date: Feb 24 2020 3:41PM