A simulation framework for investigating long-term equity between airlines in flight prioritization for air traffic flow management regulations

Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) is essential for balancing airspace demand and capacity while minimizing delays. The current first-planned first-served slot allocation method does not allow airlines to prioritize flights based on operational needs, potentially leading to inefficiencies. To address this, flight prioritization mechanisms have been proposed, enabling airlines to optimize slot selection while considering equity in the allocation process. This thesis focuses on the design and implementation of a simulation framework to investigate long-term equity between airlines in flight prioritization within ATFM regulations.

The framework is developed using agent-based modeling (ABM) to represent key ATFM stake-holders, including the network manager, airlines, and an optimization platform. Its modular and extensible structure allows for the evaluation of various slot allocation methods, airline prioritization strategies, optimization algorithms, equity monitoring, and equity intervention mechanisms. The Strategy design pattern is used to enable flexible experimentation with different decision-making processes.

The demonstration of the framework showcases how the defined requirements for simulating ATFM regulations and long-term equity between airlines are met. The simulation framework supports controlled experimentation, reproducibility, and adaptability, making it a valuable tool for assessing different strategies. Future work could enhance the framework by incorporating more complex agent behaviors, real-world data validation, and adaptive intervention mechanisms.