Airspace Concept Evaluation System

The Airspace Concept Evaluation System (ACES) is a computer tool that allows researchers to try out novel Air Traffic Management (ATM) the­ories, weed out those that are not viable, and identify the most promis­ing concepts. ACES looks at how a proposed air transportation concept can work within the National Airspace System (NAS), with the aim of reducing delays, increasing capacity, and handling projected growth in air traffic. ACES does this by simulating the major components of the NAS, modeling a flight from gate to gate, and taking into account in its models the individual behaviors of those that affect the NAS, from depar­ture clearance to the traffic control tower, the weather office, navigation systems, pilot experience, type of aircraft, and other major components. ACES also is able to predict how one individual behavior can set up a ripple effect that touches, or has the potential to touch, the entire NAS. This modeling approach isolates the individual models so that they can continue to be enhanced, improved, and modified to represent new con­cepts without impacting development of the overall simulation system.[251]

Among the variables ACES has been tasked to run through its sim­ulations are environmental impacts when a change is introduced,[252] use

of various communication and navigation models,[253] validation of cer­tain concepts under different weather scenarios,[254] adjustments to spac­ing and merging of traffic around dense airports,[255] and reduction of air traffic controller workload by automating certain tasks.[256]