Innovation and technology

Airways’ Collaborative Flow Manager (CFM) creates significant fuel and cost savings, minimising delays and maximising efficiencies across the aviation supply chain.

Using smart flow management and sequencing, our arrivals management systems provides sophisticated airborne queue management that maximises airport capacity and reduces the workload of controllers.

Collaborative Flow Manager (CFM) enables airlines to work collaboratively together – and with us – to schedule departures and arrivals to avoid airport congestion. This tool also gives airports greater certainty around their traffic timings, so they can most effectively allocate resources.

CFM allows airlines to move aircraft around to best suit the needs of their fleet and their customers, resulting in better on-time performance. Fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are also lowered thanks to reduced holding patterns in the air and minimised engine idling on the ground.

CFM has changed the entire domestic passenger operating environment in New Zealand. An earlier version of CFM, called Collaborative Arrivals Manager, received two IT Industry Awards and an international achievement award, recognising it as an innovative, leading-edge use of technology.

CFM was first introduced in Wellington in 2008 and subsequently rolled out to Auckland in 2009, then Queenstown and Christchurch in 2013.

CFM works seamlessly with Performance Based Navigation to achieve efficiencies across Airways’ air traffic services. We will continue to pursue opportunities to reduce the aviation industry’s greenhouse gas footprint through technological advancements and smart ATM.

PBN procedures in New Zealand airspace are estimated to provide benefits of around $3.6 million per year, including more than $1 million in fuel savings for our airline customers.

Airways’ PBN procedures effectively redesign the airspace. They improve air traffic flow and efficiency, double airspace capacity, and vastly simplify controllers’ workloads. We were the first ANSP in the world to receive ICAO’s endorsement as an instrument procedure design organisation for Performance Based Navigation and conventional designs. By applying Required Navigation Performance Authorisation Required (RNP AR) procedures, Airways can equip aircraft to fly very precise paths with a high level of accuracy – improving both efficiency and safety. This system enables jet operations to continue in a range of weather conditions, and in some of the most challenging terrain in the world. Airline operators’ on-time performance has improved, and there have been significant reductions in holding delays, fuel burn, and CO2 emissions.

National implementation

Our $9 million programme of work to develop and deploy PBN procedures and technology into our airspace across 17 controlled aerodromes is nearing completion.

Airways is now introducing PBN procedures at other international airports throughout New Zealand. In addition to Queenstown, the system is now in place at Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland airports.

In November 2018 we partnered with Christchurch Airport, the Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand (BARNZ) and New Southern Sky (NSS) to complete a PBN flight path trial. Another trial commenced in Wellington in September 2018, in conjunction with our partners Wellington Airport, BARNZ and NSS. Trials of PBN flight paths help us to gather information about their environmental and efficiency benefits, and also to fully understand impacts on local residents.

The operating benefits to our airline customers have been significant, through shortened tracks between departure point and destination. As a result, both passengers and airlines have saved valuable time and money.

A challenging airspace environment

In 2012 we introduced PBN procedures into one of the most difficult environments in the world.

Queenstown, New Zealand has a confronting combination of mountainous terrain, extreme weather, and a rapidly growing local tourism market. Our challenge was to deliver a much safer and more efficient Air Traffic Management system in this airspace, with no full surveillance available.

The results were outstanding. Queenstown Airport can now handle up to 12 aircraft per hour, compared to the previous five per hour in poor weather, in extremely mountainous terrain.

All airlines operating in Queenstown are benefiting from dramatically reduced delays – down from around 40 hours per month to just over 5 hours per month.

The reworked RNP AR departures have provided a large increase in take–off payload.Airways can safely manage more than double the traffic with no requirement to tactically separate arrivals from departures.

The Divergent Missed Approach Protection System (DMAPS) is a set of air traffic management procedures designed to make flights safer and more efficient for air travellers.

The DMAPS procedures safely manage an approaching aircraft that is unable to land for any reason, by reducing complexity and uncertainty, in line with the global move towards safety-by-design instrument flight procedures. They also reduce delays, as well as fuel burn and the associated CO2 emissions.

DMAPS was introduced at Wellington Airport on 1 December 2022 and has been in place at Christchurch Airport since 2020.

1. Wellington Airport

How have flight paths changed at Wellington Airport?

The new DMAPS procedures safely manage an approaching aircraft that is unable to land for any reason, including low cloud, fog or wind shear, and so flies what is known as a missed approach procedure. The new system has, in turn, required adjustments to the flight paths for jet aircraft departing to the north over the northern suburbs and to the south over Cook Strait.

Previously, the pilot of an aircraft that had missed its approach would have either followed the same instrument flight path as that used by jet aircraft departing to the north, or flown a circuit manually over Wellington Harbour using visual cues, before landing at Wellington Airport or diverting to another.

Under the new DMAPS system, jet aircraft departing to the north and aircraft that have missed their approach no longer fly the same path – they are now on separate flight paths that diverge 30 degrees from one another. Departing jet aircraft now climb on a flight path that turns slightly to the west of the former path, while aircraft that have missed their approach now turn slightly to the east of the former path.

What are the benefits of the new flight path system at Wellington Airport?

The DMAPS procedures are what is known as a safety-by-design system. They increase safety and efficiency by reducing complexity and uncertainty.

Pilots can now fly a more consistent and predictable missed approach flight path that is clear of departing jet aircraft. They can use instrument flight procedures, rather than relying on flying manually using visual cues to avoid terrain and uncontrolled airspace.

This reduces potential risks and is in line with the global aviation industry’s move towards instrument flight procedures that build greater safety into the design of aviation systems.

Initial data for January to March 2023 shows DMAPS procedures are reducing delays for flights to and from Wellington Airport by an estimated 41% compared to the same period in 2021 and 2022, and are projected to reduce aircraft CO2 emissions by 847 tonnes per annum, or the equivalent of 439 fewer cars on the road. [1]The delay reduction was achieved despite higher traffic levels and more than twice the number of poor weather days as in the same period in 2021 and 2022.

In February 2023, delays were the lowest ever recorded since measurements in this format began in 2008, excluding the February 2021 COVID-19 pandemic period.

The DMAPS procedures reduce delays because they allow air traffic controllers to safely reduce the size of the gaps they require between approaching aircraft, particularly in poor weather. In the past, they would have held aircraft on the ground or in the air, or slowed them down enroute, especially during peak traffic periods.

The new procedures reduce fuel burn and the associated CO2 emissions, because they reduce both delays for all aircraft, and the overall number of kilometres flown by departing jet aircraft.

What does DMAPS mean for residents?

The new DMAPS procedures mean that residents in some areas may notice more departing flights, while those in other areas may notice fewer departing flights.

They do not mean departing or approaching aircraft are flying at lower altitudes over the northern suburbs. There have been no changes to any approach flight paths to Wellington Airport due to the introduction of DMAPS procedures – these have not changed since 2018.

Some residents in some parts of the northern suburbs have reported concerns about aircraft noise following the changes, while less noise has been observed elsewhere.

Airways is New Zealand’s air navigation services provider. We provide air traffic control services and design safe and efficient flight procedures. Wellington Airport is monitoring the noise impact. It commissioned a noise study before and after the introduction of DMAPS procedures which found that while the change would be noticeable to some residents in parts of the northern suburbs, it would be only a slight increase and within reasonable limits.

Airways and Wellington Airport have met with community representatives, and we’ve heard from local people at a community meeting. In response, extra noise monitors are being installed in the northern suburbs, at locations nominated by community representatives in Khandallah, Johnsonville, Broadmeadows and Ngaio. Wellington Airport will share the results with the community.

[1]Calculation based on current New Zealand car and SUV emissions average of 161 grams of CO2/km. Refer Beehive.govt.nz – The Clean Car Import Standard.