In a context of growing traffic, an efficient management of demand and capacity is crucial to limit the impact of a widening demand-capacity gap. Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) aims to achieve balance between demand and capacity, i.e. to optimise the network capacity and avoid traffic overload while guarantying safety and minimising the impact on flight efficiency.

The provision of the ATFCM service to Air Navigation Service Providers and Aircraft Operators is ensured by the Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU), and more precisely by the CFMU Network Operations Management and Monitoring Function.

ATFCM is an area of ATM expertise where ADV has gathered significant experience and recognition from the actors involved in it.

ADV knowledge in ATFCM is wide and encompasses the following elements:

• ATFCM phases (strategic, pre-tactical, tactical, post-operational)
• ATFCM activities (DCB, civil military operations, Short-term ATFCM measures, network supervision and monitoring, etc.)
• ATFCM systems (ETFMS, etc..)
• CFMU organisation relative to the ATFCM service
• FMP operational procedures and processes
• ATFCM operational documentation

Our commitment with EUROCONTROL on the subject has grown stronger and stronger over the past five years. We work directly for the operational entity responsible for the management of the traffic over Europe i.e. the CFMU.

We contribute to the evolution of European ATFCM:

• Over the short-term, through our participation to the development programmes of CFMU, that pave the way for the annual software release. We support CFMU experts in the definition of new concepts and requirements up to the point where change requests can be submitted to the engineering and IT teams responsible for implementation of the system updates;
• Over the longer-term, through our participation to the SESAR programme with respect to the ATFCM concept elements, preparing the transition towards Dynamic Demand Capacity Balancing, a paradigmatic change in the way flight trajectories are handled for the purpose of managing the network.

The studies we conduct at a central level for CFMU obviously involve close cooperation with all the actors of ATFCM:

• Operational staff: local flow managers and air traffic controllers, CFMU flow managers, airline flight planning staff;
• Management staff: FMP Manager, ACC Supervisor, airport authorities, CFMU managers,

Our position allows us to broadly embrace the whole spectrum of European ATFCM operations.