Automated conflict resolution procedures for air traffic management

The current air traffic control system (ATC) requires aircraft to travel along set route segments along prescribed flight corridors on the highway system in the sky. Under this paradigm, airline operational centers (AOC) do not have direct control once the aircraft is on a cleared flight plan. Continuing to fly on a prespecified route, however, can substantially increase costs due to emerging situations like changing weather patterns, missed connections, and traffic congestion along the route. The paper discusses a conflict resolution methodology for air traffic management. The applicability of this methodology to advance the free flight paradigm is considered.