Allocating New Slots in a Multi-Airport System Based on Capacity Expansion

Over time, the rapid expansion of civil aviation infrastructure has led to the establishment of multi-airport systems (MASs) or Metroplex, where airports situated in close proximity form interconnected networks. Given that individual airport capacities often fall short of meeting flight scheduling demands, devising effective multi-airport flight scheduling methods becomes imperative. This article introduces a novel MAS slot expansion configuration framework centered on coupling terminal areas. In contrast to conventional airport capacity slot expansion approaches, this framework demonstrates superior configurational efficacy within respective airport terminal environments. The model outlined in this research identifies the terminal control sector as the pivotal resource node within the interconnected terminal area, aiming to maximize the total expanded slots while minimizing the overall unfairness among airports within the terminal airspace. Employing the epsilon-constraint method facilitates the transformation of the minimization objective into solvable constraint conditions. Subsequently, leveraging Beijing Metroplex as a case study, the research devises benchmark, single-airport, multi-airport minimum, and multi-airport maximum scenarios to compare and analyze configuration outcomes in terms of key resource allocation impacts and coupled resource utilization efficiencies. Ultimately, employing the AirTOp fast-time simulation model validates each scenario, demonstrating that the proposed configuration method yields reduced delay levels and fewer conflicts in simulation environments.