The new medium-term conflict detection (MTCD) air traffic management (ATM) tool looks good after two years of field testing, says Eurocontrol. Live trials in area control centres at Maastricht, Malmö and Rome have proven that MCTD aids controllers' planning by alerting them to potential conflicts up to 20min ahead, enabling them to manipulate traffic to reduce short-term decision making, according to the agency.
The MTCD receives processed flightplan and track data, including the latest aircraft clearances entered by controllers into their electronic flight progress strip system, and can predict aircrafts' planned four-dimensional trajectories. Eurocontrol says it "has the potential to increase sector productivity and safety by improving task distribution between the planning and executive controller".
MTCD is a planning tool rather than a reactive safety net like the in-use short-term conflict alert system that gives about 2min warning of conflict.
Source: Flight International
