This journey of a thousand miles involved flight concept demos in four countries

On 13 June 2023, ICAO participated in the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Limited (AEROTHAI) multi-regional trajectory-based operation (MR TBO) Demonstration Event that was held at the Eastin Grand Hotel Sathon in Bangkok, Thailand. This AEROTHAI-hosted event showcased the MR TBO concept, which was a collaborative project involving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA, AEROTHAI, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), and industry partners.

The primary aim was to demonstrate the operational benefits of the TBO concept using a Boeing 787-10 eco-Demonstrator Explorer. AEROTHAI participated in the trajectory-based operation project and the world’s first-ever demonstration flight based on multi-regional TBO to improve the safety and efficiency of air traffic management in accordance with ICAO’s operational concept.

The MR TBO Live Flight Demonstration encompassed four scenarios featuring flights between different regions over six days. These demonstration events occurred in the Florida NextGen Testbed in Daytona Beach, Florida; Tokyo, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand; and Singapore. The live flight was conducted collaboratively by the FAA and JCAB for the first segment, while segments two and three involved cooperation between JCAB, AEROTHAI, and CAAS, and the fourth segment was a joint effort between the FAA, JCAB, and AEROTHAI. The overall initiative was part of a three-year collaboration program with the goal of enhancing flight efficiencies and reducing carbon emissions, potentially achieving up to a 10% reduction in aircraft fuel burn.

Presently, international flights are managed through multiple Flight Information Regions (FIRs) by respective Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), with each ANSP operating independently. The TBO capabilities enable the exchange of flight information between air and ground, facilitating negotiations of flight trajectories across multiple ANSPs. The global TBO concept envisions an Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment where flight paths closely align with user-preferred routes, thereby reducing potential conflicts and addressing demand/capacity imbalances more effectively. In such an environment, a collaboratively developed, managed, and shared four-dimensional (4D) flight trajectory would serve as a common reference for decision-making among all stakeholders. Implementing MR TBO has the potential to revolutionize air traffic management, leading to significant benefits such as improved safety and efficiency, reduced delays and disruptions, lowered travel costs and time, and a reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions.

The advancement towards full TBO implementation is an integral part of the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP), and the necessary capabilities and technologies for deployment are outlined in the Aviation Systems Block Upgrade (ASBU) framework.

The MR TBO demonstration project provided valuable insights to APAC Member States about the impacts of the Global TBO Concept and showcased essential TBO capabilities. ICAO commends Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and the USA for achieving this groundbreaking milestone and encourages Member States to collaborate further to accomplish such achievements in the future.

The demonstration event was held at the Eastin Grand Hotel Sathon in Bangkok, Thailand. This event, hosted by AEROTHAI, showcased the MR TBO concept, which was a collaborative project involving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA, AEROTHAI, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), and industry partners. The primary aim was to demonstrate the operational benefits of the TBO concept using a Boeing 787-10 eco-Demonstrator Explorer.

Spanning over six days, the MR TBO Live Flight Demonstration encompassed four scenarios featuring flights between different regions. These demonstration events took place in the Florida NextGen Testbed in Daytona Beach, Florida; Tokyo, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand; and Singapore. The live flight was conducted collaboratively by the FAA and JCAB for the first segment, while segments two and three involved cooperation between JCAB, AEROTHAI, and CAAS, and the fourth segment was a joint effort between the FAA, JCAB, and AEROTHAI. The overall initiative was part of a three-year collaboration program with the goal of enhancing flight efficiencies and reducing carbon emissions, potentially achieving up to a 10% reduction in aircraft fuel burn.

Presently, international flights are managed through multiple Flight Information Regions (FIRs) by respective Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), with each ANSP operating independently. The TBO capabilities enable the exchange of flight information between air and ground, facilitating negotiations of flight trajectories across multiple ANSPs. The global TBO concept envisions an Air Traffic Management (ATM) environment where flight paths closely align with user-preferred routes, thereby reducing potential conflicts and addressing demand/capacity imbalances more effectively. In such an environment, a collaboratively developed, managed, and shared four-dimensional (4D) flight trajectory would serve as a common reference for decision-making among all stakeholders. Implementing MR TBO has the potential to revolutionize air traffic management, leading to significant benefits such as improved safety and efficiency, reduced delays and disruptions, lowered travel costs and time, and a reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions.

The advancement towards full TBO implementation is an integral part of the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP), and the necessary capabilities and technologies for deployment are outlined in the Aviation Systems Block Upgrade (ASBU) framework.

The MR TBO demonstration project provided valuable insights to APAC Member States about the impacts of the Global TBO Concept and showcased essential TBO capabilities. ICAO commends Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and the USA for achieving this groundbreaking milestone and encourages Member States to collaborate further to accomplish such achievements in the future.