Modeling and Optimization of Terminal Airspace and Aircraft Arrival Subject To Weather Uncertainties

We develop an accurate model for the arrival traffic dynamics in terminal airspace that takes into account the weather forecast and runway configuration changes. The planning of runway configuration switching subject to weather constraints is formulated as a hybrid optimal control problem and a hierarchical approach is proposed to solve the problem. At the upper level of the hierarchy, a runway configuration sequence is determined based on weather forecast data and air traffic demand. At the lower level, the configuration switching times and the corresponding aircraft speeds are determined by solving a Mixed Integer Linear Program. We illustrate the utility of the approach by a case study inspired by operations in John F. Kennedy airport