Conducting research for safe and efficient air traffic

In its research, the chair currently focusses on the fields of flight profile optimization, process control at airports, as well as assessment procedures and system support possibilities for safe operations during flight and on the ground. Fundamental and applied research are done in close cooperation with many national and European partners from the air traffic sector.

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Our Key Topics

Advanced Air Mobility

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) will become a key element for connected cities, enabling fast, safe, and cost-effective transportation in urban and suburban areas. AAM aims to provide sustainable, quiet, and low-emission mobility by efficiently transporting people and goods with compact aircraft while seamlessly integrating into the existing Air Traffic Management.

Airport Operations

In the field of Airport Operations, the Chair analyses various processes in ground handling and terminal operations. Currently, the research focuses on the development of tactical decision support systems.

Darstellung der resultierenden Kollisionsrisiken (heat map) im Anflugbereich eines (generischen) Flughafens

Safety

The high safety level in Air Transportation is a result of decades of analysis and research, which has been based on expert knowledge most of the time. The Chair, however, is developing various quantitative methods for risk assessment, e.g. through simulation environments or post-flight analysis.

Darstellung global unterschiedlich wirkender Emissionen

Trajectory Management

This field of research deals with optimization of flight routes and profiles in form of so-called 4D trajectories, which will be the foundation of future ATM concepts. Therewith, the economic and ecological needs of each single flight shall be harmonised with the high safety and capacity requirements of the ANSPs.

Conducting research for safe and efficient air traffic

The aviation sector faces the immense challenge of a steady and strong increase in traffic in the air and on the ground while maintaining safe, efficient and ecological operations. Although current projects in research & development, such as SESAR, address the main aspects of the optimization of procedures and processes in aviation, many problems remain unsolved.

Therefore, next to conducting fundamental research for the future development of procedural and technological innovation, we focus on finding quick solutions for specific real-world problems and applications.