Modern commercial aviation is, by necessity and nature, a complex and challenging business. At Osprey, we believe such complexity can be both managed – and, more importantly, exploited.
Exploiting complexity allows new and innovative solutions to be devised for both traditional and emerging challenges whether that be to increase capacity through operational analysis or improve efficiency and resilience in the procurement, management or assurance of assets.
By way of example, we recently supported a large-scale transition programme at a major UK airport. Our analysis identified a number of potential challenges that are relevant to many airports, particularly those that are growing or seeking to expand.
Traditionally, the assurance of ATC assets has been largely ‘stove-piped’; i.e. one asset is viewed independently of another and may not even be overseen in the same way by the same people. However, we identified that such systems are components of the wider capability of the Airport. For example, a complex ‘Approach Capability’ represents a ‘System of Systems’ which has a direct impact on airport capability, resilience and therefore revenue.
Why is that important? Let’s look at the scenario where an airport’s DME goes out of service; ILS approaches may be impacted, increasing either pilot or controller workload and reducing capacity. Why is this important? To many airports it won’t be; a reduction in capacity can be absorbed, but airports that are growing or seeking to grow are frequently operating at or near to capacity. Add to that the loss of a further system, say Automated Met Data, and the impact on controller and pilot workload is compounded. So the loss of two unrelated systems has significantly degraded capacity.
Importantly, this is not about more resources; but our work has shown that taking a ‘System of Systems’ approach to such assets ensures that their significance can be better understood and assured, thereby increasing efficiency and resilience.
Osprey also manages operational complexity. Oxfordshire represents some of the most contested airspace in the UK, with airspace classification from Class A to G and diverse, often competing, aviation stakeholders. By establishing an Oxfordshire Airspace Programme, we are delivering two separate but complementary airspace change projects, one for London Oxford Airport the other for Royal Air Force Brize Norton.
This approach will allow the risks to each project to be minimised and efficiencies to be maximised. More importantly, it will allow us to develop a more comprehensive solution for Oxfordshires aviation challenges; one that seeks to address the requirements and concerns of all airspace users in a more equitable and inclusive manner than at present. The ultimate decision is for the CAA to take, but we will be seeking to increase safety by deconflicting and co-ordinating arrival and departure procedures between the two major operations while seeking to meet the requirements and aspirations of all airspace users – wish us luck!
Complexity is a fact of life in modern aviation – but how we manage it, and how we exploit it, is very much up to us.
For further information, please contact:
Rich Connelly
Director – Operations
