A Study of TMA Aircraft Conflict-Free Routing and Operation: With Mixed Integer Linear Programming, Multi-Agent Path Finding, and Metaheuristic-Based Neighborhood Search

In this paper, we proposed a conflict-free routing strategy combined with scheduling for Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) multi-aircraft to guarantee a safe separation. By incorporating Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) as route constraints, a mixed-logic model is designed to maximize the runway throughput while ensuring minimum separation between aircraft and avoiding overtaking on each STARs segment. Control techniques such as speed recommendation and holding operations are employed to the model to address potential conflicts. Three different algorithms are developed to solve the model: branch and bound with mixed-integer linear programming, multi-agent pathfinding with constraint programming, and meta-heuristics with evolutionary neighborhood search. These algorithms are tested on multiple cases of varying scales. Finally, we demonstrate the advantages of the proposed three algorithms by simulating realistic scenarios and comparing the results with Singapore ADS-B (Automatic dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) historical dataset. In one hour testing, results show that our method could reduce the last aircraft landing time nearly 10 minutes and save more than 80 minutes for total flight travel times for all aircraft, as well as non-vectoring flight trajectories, which indicates its potential to be used as an auxiliary decision-making tool for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs).