Strategic RVSM - benefits of utilization of additional flight levels for conflict resolution during transition to domestic RVSM

This paper proposes an interim approach for conflict resolution using additional flight levels afforded by domestic reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM). Benefits would be obtained by using additional flight levels for resolving conflicts through altitude maneuvers in preference over lateral maneuvers. Altitude maneuvers could only be used when both aircraft in conflict are RVSM-enabled. This paper computes the NAS-wide benefits of such an approach assuming a phased approval schedule from 2001 to 2006. Turn dynamics were included in the cost of vector maneuvers. The inclusion of turn dynamics was found to be a significant contributor (27%) to the total cost of conflict resolution using vectors. As part of the benefits assessment, we also incorporated the effect of higher cost of time for those flights that are subject to delays. This latter effect increases the total benefits by between 25-30%. A total, non-discounted, benefits pool of $168 million was obtained by using this approach between the years of 2001 to 2006 between flight levels 290 to 410.