Research Focus

 
:: Increased Safety
:: Greater Capacity
:: International Leadership
:: Organizational Excellence
     
 

Project List

 
:: Reusable Launch Vehicles
:: National Database
:: Future Oceanic Air Transport Systems
     
 

Research: International Leadership

 

Project Summaries:

The following are the NEXTOR research projects in alignment with FAA Flight Plan Goal 3: International Leadership.

Integration of Reusable Launch Vehicles into Air Traffic Mgmt. (Phase IV)

NEXTOR Team: J. Kuchar, J. Falker, MIT

Update: Analytical and empirical modeling of the impact of restricted airspace on traffic flow and recommendations for airspace allocation for space operations.


Development of a National Database of Air Passenger Survey Data

Sponsoring Agency: Office of Airport Planning and Programming (APP-400), FAA

NEXTOR Team: M. Hansen, UCB

Industry Partner: Aviation Systems Consulting, Inc.

The development of improved models of air travel demand requires information on the characteristics of the air passenger trips that comprise the existing pattern of air travel.  While detailed information on the number of these trips, together with the airlines used, fares paid and trip itineraries, is available from the data reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation by airlines, very little is known about the purpose of these trips and other characteristics of the air parties involved, such as their income, occupation, travel party size, day and time of travel, trip duration, and so forth.  None of this information is currently reported by the airline and indeed much of it is not even known by them.  The only practical way to get most of this information is to ask the travelers themselves through an air passenger survey.

Surveys are routinely conducted by airport authorities, regional planning agencies and others, but the results are not readily available at the national level.  There is a need to be able to combine the results of surveys at different airports in order to support regional aviation system planning and a proposed research agenda in air passenger survey methodology in order to develop improved guidance on the design and conduct of future surveys.  This project will undertake research into the feasibility and potential benefits of the development of a web-based national database of air passenger travel characteristics from air passenger surveys.


Human Factors Considerations in Future Oceanic Air Transport Systems

NEXTOR Team: J. Hansman, MIT

Improve the safety and efficiency of Future Oceanic Air Traffic Systems by providing better understanding of the key issues in human-systems integration of potential future systems which will aid in modernization efforts.