Urban Performance-Based Navigation (uPBN): Addressing the CNS Variation Problem in the Urban Airspace in the Context of UAS Traffic Management

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are expected to be integrated into the airspace system playing a complimentary role to the air transport ecosystem. UAS traffic management (UTM) providing new functions of navigation services will be an important enabler of UAS operations by enhancing the efficiency and safety performance of UAS flights. The ununiform distribution of communication, navigation and surveillance performances (CNS) in urban airspace challenges the design of operational procedures. In this study, we propose an urban performance-based navigation (uPBN) concept that incorporates the estimation of CNS performances in the urban airspace. As critical enablers to the uPBN concept, approaches for CNS performance estimation regarding influencing factors in the urban airspace are developed. A Sky Openness Ratio based method for navigation performance estimation is established. The method is suitable for the prediction of the time-varying navigational performance for a pre-planned flight trajectory. In terms of communication and surveillance systems, we develop a probabilistic reasoning method for evaluating communication and surveillance performances and their impact on the effectiveness of abnormal detection, which influences the safety of the entire urban airspace. To summarize, the uPBN concept allows stakeholders to implement highly advanced management strategies that address dynamic CNS performances in the urban airspace, to achieve superior efficiency and safety in flight operations.