Analysis of Terminal Area Airspace Operation Status Based on Trajectory Characteristic Point Clustering

The terminal control area airspace system is one of the most complicated subsystems in the entire air traffic control system. With the continuous increase of air traffic volume, the utilization of its airspace resources has become a bottleneck restricting the sustainable development of the system. Monitor and obtain its operating status information and formulating corresponding mitigation measures are essential to improve the overall performance of the system. In order to achieve that, a new system analysis method based on clustering of trajectory characteristic point is proposed. The flight trajectories from radar position data are reconstructed at first. Followed by the method of extracting flight trajectory characteristic points including turning points, altitude transition points and speed adjustment points, all characteristic points are extracted. Then, K-means is applied for clustering according to their 3D space position, while the results are analyzed by introducing evaluation indexes based on air traffic control operation strategies. Numerical experiments show significant clustering characteristics and revealing the operation status of the terminal area airspace, which can help air traffic manager to identify defects in airspace operation and providing guidance for future airspace planning and flight procedure adjustment.