Towards a concept of free routing in the northeast asia/pacific region

Abstract

Air transportation has played an important role in the economic development of the Asia/Pacific region. To accommodate increasing air traffic demand and reduce its environmental footprint, trajectory based and seamless air traffic management should be introduced. As a step towards this, we propose to develop a free route airspace concept for the Asia/Pacific region and assess its feasibility, benefits and problems, and propose solutions. The paper introduces the current airspace situation in northeast Asia, and overviews the European Free Route Airspace initiative that gives greater route efficiency and includes areas with seamless cross-border air traffic management. We then suggest initial ideas about airspace and route design that take into account differences between the European and the Asia/Pacific environments, and the research efforts that will be required to develop a free route airspace concept, and outline our planned study approach and assumptions.