One of human beings´ most typical trend is the attempt to interpret reality as per their own wishes, in the search for cognitive comfort ? Yes, the brain hurts, when exposed to uncomfortable truths.
Selective reading is most likely one of our most common tools, for adapting the complexity of reality to simple interpretations which satisfies our expectations.
There´s no other explanation to the way Air Transport Service stakeholders have interpreted ICAO´s proposed "Collaborative Air Traffic Flow Management" (Doc. 9971), which addresses Air Traffic Management constraints, dictated by the laws of physics.
Neither airways nor airports´ surface are unlimited ! As a result of that, Air Transport Service shall not be thought and managed, as per regular market rules for "Demand x Capacity balancing". Air Traffic Management impose limitations which, if not respected, turn the provision of Air Transport Service costly, environmentally damaging and unpredictable, with the proliferation of massive congestions - on the ground and in airspace and increasingly variable flight times.
Selective reading seems to have led Air Transport Service community - planners, providers, regulators and users to simply skip the following statements of ICAO Doc. 9971.
- "The goal therefore was an evolution to a holistic, cooperative and collaborative decision-making environment, where the expectations of the members of the Air Traffic Management community would be balanced to achieve the best outcome, based on equity of access"
- "Although information-sharing is an important enabler of CDM, the sharing of information is not sufficient to realize CDM and the objectives of CDM"
- "Whenever measures to control the flows of air traffic have to be applied in the form of delays, airspace users should be notified by ATC while the aircraft are on the ground rather than in flight"
Unbiased reading of ICAO proposed Air Traffic Management philosophy, which has become known as CDM Operation, would have certainly led people to understand that CDM Operation is about "sharing unavoidable sacrifices, in a collaborative way", assuming efforts for capacity increase have been made but still, demand exceeds capacity, at critical sectors/times.
Believing that CDM Operation increases capacity, by simply "collaborating and sharing information", was certainly way more comfortable for people´s brains. The problem with is that now, there is an urgent need to reconcile Air Transport Service with Air Traffic Management.
Realistically speaking, below follows what Air Transport Service planners, providers, regulators and users, should have understood about CDM Operation
- "Information sharing" is about airlines being challenged to dramatically increase the accuracy of their Estimates (ooops, Targets), although none of the circumstances affecting their operations have changed and a wide number of airport processes, are not under their control
- "Collaborating" is about airlines accepting sacrifices (such as CTOT and TSAT -5/+5 min), given that under CDM environment, fuel efficiency and environmental protection are given higher priority than airlines´ individual expectations, to close door on time.
I am so sorry if realistic interpretation of ICAO proposed CDM Operation (which is an ATM philosophy, hard to be understood by IT Specialists) causes some level of cognitive discomfort but insisting in managing Air Transport Service, ignoring Air Traffic Management constraints, will just further increase service cost, environmental damage and unpredictability.
Reality has been confirming the above for years - continuously increasing demand for Air Transport Service, with its main providers - Airlines and Airport Operators, systematically undergoing financial struggles.