Taoyuan International Airport Flight Operation System Won Utility Model & Invention Patent

2022-06-23

The Flight Operation System (FOS) of Taoyuan International Airport Corporation (TIAC) won both the Utility model patent in 2020 and Invention patent in 2021, both issued by Taiwan Intellectual Property Office. TIAC designed and developed FOS for airside operation: it provides real time information to stakeholders such as Air traffic Control, airlines, and ground handling companies to improve operation predictability, situational awareness, and resource optimization. FOS also gives TIAC a great opportunity to promote technology transfer in the international aviation industry.

Jerry Dann, President and CEO of TIAC, indicated that FOS was conceived in 2007 and put online in 2010, and continued to modify and improve functions according to requirements until now. The objective of FOS is to maintain flight service quality in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TTIA), where aircraft movements increased rapidly in a period of infrastructure and work force shortage. FOS is novel in integrating flight information, airside operation, and airport facilities. Via long-term analysis of data in these parameters, TIAC can allocate resources precisely and efficiently in advance. During adverse weather conditions such as typhoons, FOS provides an inventive solution to manage airside operations in a stable and efficient manner. In this way, FOS fully meets criterion of novelty, inventiveness, and industrial applicability, the three essential requirements to obtain a patent.

By collecting data from CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration), airlines, and airport stakeholders, FOS uses its own algorithm designed by airside operator and IT specialist to transfer raw data into useful information. Three major benefits include:

Improve the Efficiency of Airside Operations
In 2019, on average730 aircraft arrivals and departures occurred at TTIA daily. The number exceeded 850 during typhoon season. FOS plays an important role in keeping airside operation efficiency, and thus maintaining the proper functioning of the airport. By configuring time-slot, aircraft type and apron size, FOS calculates the best bay arrangement of the next day and announces the arrangement to stakeholders before 10 o'clock at night. On FOS interface, airside operator can easily adjust parking bay according to the real-time conditions. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft will be arranged to the suitable parking bay for specific testing scheme.
Independent Core Technology Development
FOS is designed and developed independently by TIAC. It has its own algorithm for parking bay pre-allocation, aeronautical fee calculation, and flexibility in adverse conditions. By FOS automatically allocating the parking bay for next day, FOS gives all stakeholders operation predictability and help them optimize resources. FOS’s calculation engine evaluates aeronautical charges based on characteristics of aircraft registration, type, noise classification, MTOW (Maximum Take-Off Weight), ATA (Actual Time Arrival)/ATD (Actual Time Departure). In adverse conditions such as typhoons, TIAC can use FOS to authorize each flight according to slot situation and capacities of runway, apron, and ground handling staff.
Real Time Information Sharing
FOS and A-CDM (Airport Collaborative Decision Making) complements each other. A-CDM defines each flight cycle into 16 detailed stages in the inbound, turn-around, and outbound. FOS here plays a role of resource management and real-time information sharing on the A-CDM Platform.

In the age of Smart Airport 4.0, FOS and A-CDM will play a crucial role in collecting and analyzing information on personnel, cargo, equipment, and airport environment.

TIAC kept upgrading its software and hardware in the past two years of COVID pandemic. Alongside T3 and runway three construction, TIAC will continue its digital transformation to improve service quality and operational efficiency, preparing for the coming of passengers after border quarantine adjustment.