Virtual stop bars: From Block Control towards low visibility automation support

In recent years, the Virtual Block Control (VBC) concept was investigated within the European SESAR Programme as an operational concept for improving weather resilience at airports. The VBC concept uses Virtual Stop Bar (VSB) positions on both controller and flight crew displays with the aim to reduce the size of control blocks used under low visibility conditions and, at the same time, ensure sufficient spacing between taxiing aircraft. In the past, the concept was evaluated for Rotterdam Airport (EHRD) as part of a EUROCONTROL research initiative [1]. Since then it has evolved based on the results of validation activities within the framework of the SESAR Programme. Concept feasibility and operational performance were validated in 2012 on the NLR ATC Research Simulator simulation platform for Tower operations (NARSIM-Tower) at the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) in Amsterdam (Figure 1). This platform realistically simulated the Milan-Malpensa Airport (LIMC) working environment. The validation experiments presented a positive picture of the proposed operations. The system was seen as an efficient safety net allowing controllers to control traffic flows on an airport in a very structured way during low visibility conditions [2].