UAB to create Aeronautical Management Cluster

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, as part of the actions included in the UAB Campus of International Excellence, will consolidate a Cluster of Technological Innovation in Aeronautical Management at the School of Engineering, Campus of Sabadell. AEROCLUSTER, unique in Europe, will include a training centre for airport operations and a centre of innovation for research and the creation of new decision-making methods in the aeronautical field.

02/02/2011

Airports, although known to be key infrastructures for the economic and social development of a country, find many difficulties in real time management and efficiency of resources, mainly caused by constant disturbances. However, tasks specifically related to the management of aircrafts during their stays at airports are not difficult to handle. The complexity in management appears when in a short period of time a high number of operations musts be seen to simultaneously, where a maximum number of resources must be well distributed to reduce costs without compromising on the quality of the service.

Management at take-off and landing runways, as well as in aircraft movement and parking areas, must be carried out not only taking into account the operations solicited by airline companies, but also any changes in schedules due to delayed landings. Problems also arise depending on the state of the terminal, which could hold up passengers or luggage and make them not arrive to the boarding gate on time. An elevated number of aircraft arrivals and departures at rush hours represents a greater number of passengers and luggage at terminals, which create tense operating conditions given current infrastructures. A small disturbance in programmed schedules could quickly grow out of control and affect all other planned operations. Long queues at security areas, as well as unforeseen waiting time during check-ins, are also cases which can lead to delays in take-offs.

Given the importance of achieving a greater degree of efficiency in air transport the European Union, through EUROCONTROL (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation), set as its mission for the following years the development of a common European airspace, also known as the Single European Sky.

This project requires a large amount of efforts in technology research and development for the new management of air traffic, channeled through the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) programme, which aims to create a more efficient system for air navigation in which airports and a common European airspace are also included. One of the objectives of the SESAR programme is to divert aircrafts when their route is ±1 minute regarding their arrival at the following airport and a maximum of ±3 minutes in the programmed take-off schedule. It must be highlighted that currently 20% of delays in scheduled flight departures usually exceed 15 minutes, affecting not only quality factors perceived by tourists, but also by those travelling for business reasons. This as a result negatively affects the industry sector.

The SESAR initiative aims to improve all air transport management aspects in Europe by reformulating all current aviation methodologies and eliminating current sky fragmentations of different aviation sectors, so as to develop and implement new technologies and efficient methodologies for real time aeronautical management. The final objective is to create a more competitive, safe, efficient and sustainable air transport.

UAB Aeronautical Management Technology Innovation Cluster

The Aeronautical Management Technology Innovation Cluster forms part of the actions included in the UAB Campus of International Excellence and was born due to training and research needs associated with the development of the new European system in air space management. In the past years, UAB has become leader in the academic training of Aeronautical Management and has been chosen to form part of AENA training programmes for directors and middle management posts, as well as participated in research and technology transfer programmes with leading companies of the aeronautical sector such as AENA, Aeroports de Catalunya, ISDEFE, Boeing Research Technology Europe, INDRA-ALG, ATOS-ORIGIN, DLM-Aeronautics and others. The aim of the new cluster is to design new methodologies and procedures for the improvement of tactic and real time management of the operations needed to coordinate aircrafts, tickets, luggage and cargo at airports, which are the main sources of disturbances affecting trajectories and causing delays in flights.

The critical situation of instantly accessing the exact amount of resources needed to attend to aircrafts located in different areas, without compromising on quality and offering competitive costs, makes it essential to take on a multidisciplinary approach in aeronautical management, where new information and communication technologies, economic, business and social aspects, as well as cutting-edge methodologies in logistics are of utmost importance for the efficient management of airports. The UAB campus is known for its multidisciplinary approach in its academic, research and knowledge transfer programmes. This in turn enables it to dispose of all necessary scientific and technological resources to consolidate itself as a centre of reference in Europe in the training of collaborative processes in airport operations and decision-making, and in a centre for research innovation and efficient management of air transport. Both centres will be located at the UAB School of Engineering in Sabadell.

Centre for the implementation of collaborative processes in airport operations and decision-making

The Centre for the implementation of collaborative processes in airport operations and decision-making will be the first of its kind in Europe. Its mission will be the development of simulation models to assess the benefits and limitations in real time management and decision-making policies at different types of airports. Continuing education courses in English will be offered through postgraduate programmes focused on the design and implementation of collaborative processes needed for tactic and operational decision-making for airport personnel in Europe as well as airline and ground handling companies around the world.

The centre will offer the Undergraduate Degree and Official Master's Degree in Aeronautical Management which in the past years has been offered by UAB in collaboration with professionals from several airline companies (AirEuropa, Vueling, Iberia Cargo, Lufthansa, CargoLux), airports (AENA, CLASA, Aeroports de Catalunya), ground handling companies (FlightCare) and engineers (DLM-Aeronautics). In terms of training, the centre will include simulators where those studying the planning, follow-up and control of airport processes can become familiar with the design and activation of procedures to mitigate different types of complex incidences. The centre is studying the possibility soon to include non-university studies such as vocational training courses.

Centre for research and innovation in efficient air transport management

The centre for research and innovation in efficient air transport management will focus on the development of new support tools for decision-making processes to improve flight operations and integrate them into ground operations. Knowledge transfer activities will also be carried out through agreements and collaboration projects with the main companies and research centres of the aeronautical centre and with EUROCONTROL. With this objective part of the centre will be made up of laboratories in which new technologies and procedures developed in research centres around Europe will be assessed, verified and validated.

The initiative aims to consolidate itself with the collaboration of institutions such as the Sabadell and Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the Sabadell City Council, the Department of Economy and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia, as well as collaborations with EUROCONTROL and the leading companies of the aeronautical sector.

The AEROCLUSTER was presented on 2 February at a press conference held by Manel Bustos, Mayor of Sabadell; Ana Ripoll, Principal of UAB; Miquel Àngel Piera, Commissioner of the Aeronautical Management Technology Innovation Cluster; and Carles Martí, President of the Commission for BAIE Aeronautic Transport and Infrastructures.

The following institutions, businesses and university departments are interested in participating with the AEROCLUSTER.

Institutions:

UAB Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
BAIE Barcelona Aeronautics & Space Association
Sabadell City Council

Businesses:

ATOS-ORIGIN
GTD
DLM-Aeronautics
APPLUS
INDRA

UAB Departments:

Department of Mathematics
Department of Telecommunications and Systems Engineering
Department of Physics
Department of Social Psychology
Department of Business Economics
Department of Computer Science
Department of Economics and Economic History
Department of Private Law
Department of Applied Economics
Department of Computer Architecture and Operating Systems
Department of Information and Communications Engineering
Department of Electronic Engineering
Department of Geology
Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems

Photo: Miquel Àngel Piera, Commissioner of the AEROCLUSTER; Manuel Bustos, Mayor of Sabadell; Ana Ripoll, Principal of UAB; and Carles Martí, President of the Commission for BAIE Aeronautic Transport and Infrastructures (author: Jordi Pareto)