National Airspace System demand and capacity modeling

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has undertaken an effort to model and analyze the performance of the National Airspace System (NAS), a system that encompasses the nationwide airport and airspace network in the United States. This effort and the resulting capability, called the National Airspace System Performance Analysis Capability (NASPAC), are based on operations research and computer-modeling techniques. The authors provide a detailed description of a discrete-event simulation model of the NAS developed as part of the NASPAC project. Special emphasis is placed on the model´s representation of the airport and airspace entities that constitute the NAS and the airspace user demand. The authors present the results of an initial analysis of the possible impact of a proposed new airport at Denver, CO, and conclude with a discussion of the potential future direction of NASPAC