Infrastructure

NextGen, the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Transforming Air Traffic Control from Ground-Based and Human-Centric to Satellite-Based and Airplane-Centric

Dunlay Jr, William J.
Jasenka Rakas
2011

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is a congressionally mandated initiative to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system through satellite-based technologies that can increase the precision of aircraft flight paths, radar displays, and operating times, improving capacity, efficiency, predictability, flexibility, environmental effects, and safety. Several critical milestones have been achieved, but the long time frame for implementation raises challenges.

Modeling the Impact of Equipment Outages on National Airspace System Operations

Jasenka Rakas
Yin, Huifang
2012

This study is part of a larger effort initiated by the FAA’s System Capacity Office, Capacity Initiative Division, toward developing a methodology for assessing airport performance and establishing airport efficiency metrics for runway and airport utilization.

Economic Impact of a Lightning Strike–Induced Outage of Air Traffic Control Tower: Case Study of Baltimore–Washington International Airport

Ding, Wenzhe
Jasenka Rakas
2015

This research investigates how lightning strike–induced outages of airport infrastructure and facilities affect airport performance from an economic perspective, using Baltimore (Maryland)–Washington (D.C.) Thurgood Marshall International (BWI) Airport as a case study. On September 12, 2013, lightning struck within 300 m of the air traffic control (ATC) tower at BWI, causing injury and ATC tower and airport closures. The study findings reveal that the economic losses of the outage-related delays from that single event were almost five times higher than the ATC tower refurbishment that was...

New Aviation Vehicles in the NextGen Environment: Procedures Design in Congested Terminal Airspace

Dupont, Matthieu
Jasenka Rakas
2014

The purpose of this study is to design new departure and arrival procedures for the SF Bay area Terminal Radar Approach Control in a NextGen environment with five anticipated new vehicles (very light jets (VLJ), cruise-efficient short take-off and landing (CESTOL), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), civil tiltrotor (CTR), and supersonic transport (SST)), and to provide a foundation to assess the impact of developed procedures on the Bay Area air transportation system performance.

Characterizing Lightning-Strike Hazard to Airport Facilities: A Case Study of Baltimore Washington International Airport

He, Yiyi
Lindbergh, Sarah
Jasenka Rakas
Graves, C.M.
2019

As projections indicate, the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) vulnerability to lightning strikes is growing due to increased severity and frequency of convective storms. Lightning hazards pose risks to personnel safety and may cause power outages, and therefore they can impact reliability and performance of the airport's facilities if they are not appropriately fortified. Although lightning-flash data with high temporal and spatial accuracy is available for the continental U.S., measuring airport facility lightning-induced outages remains challenging. Studies have shown that lightning-...

Characterizing Lightning-Strike Hazard to Airport Facilities

Jasenka Rakas
2019

This article consists of a collection of slides from the author's conference presentation.

System and Method for Configuring Airport Terminals Using Mobile Terminal Gates

Jasenka Rakas
2019

An airport terminal, having mobile terminal gates which are maneuverable to enable a controlling entity to configure the arrangement of terminal gate by quantity, type and/or spacing.

Dissecting Lightning Strike Hazard Impact Patterns to National Airspace System Facilities in the Contiguous United States

He, Yiyi
Yue, Xiangyu
Lindbergh, Sarah
Gao, Jianxi
Graves, Chuck
Jasenka Rakas
2022

Lightning strikes pose a severe threat to the United States (US) National Airspace System (NAS). Although the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implements lightning protection practices and procedures to protect personnel, electronic equipment, and structures within the NAS, many lightning-induced outages still occur. To date we found that most research on lightning-induced facility outages has focused on understanding the physical processes of lightning strike effects on aircraft and airport ramp operations. Very little research has been done on examining the overall patterns and...

Future Climate Scenarios for Runway Length: Assessment of Wet/Dry Runway Surface Conditions With Observational Precipitation Data

Jasenka Rakas
Lukovic, Jelena
2021

This report presents a geostatistical method for analyzing wet/dry runway surface conditions using observational precipitation data for the United States (U.S.). Using the most recent U.S. Fourth National Climate Assessment as a primary resource, observed precipitation changes related to wet/dry days in the U.S. and their regional trends were identified. Two sources of daily U.S. observed precipitation data were used: (1) the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) and (2) the Global Historical Climate Network (GHCN). Then, the regression kriging method was...

Mitigating Exposure and Climate Change Impacts from Transportation Projects: Environmental Justice-Centered Decision-Support Framework and Tool

Horvath, Arpad
Greer, Fiona
Apte, Joshua
Jasenka Rakas
2023

California must operate and maintain an effective and efficient transportation infrastructure while ensuring that the health of communities and the planet are not compromised. By assessing transportation projects using a life-cycle perspective, all relevant emission sources and activities from the construction, operation, maintenance, and end-of-life phases can be analyzed and mitigated. This report presents a framework to assess the life-cycle human health and climate change impacts from six types of transportation projects: (1) Roadways; (2) Marine ports; (3) Logistical distribution...