SMARTS project

Paper presentation at TRISTAN 2025
2025-06-22 08:00 - 2025-06-27 17:00 UTC
We are pleased to announce that our research paper “A Mixed Integer Programming Approach for Airspace Sector Design Problem”, authored by Guglielmo Lulli and Go Nam Lui, has been accepted for presentation at the prestigious 12th Triennial Symposium on Transportation Analysis (TRISTAN XII) in Okinawa, Japan. The conference will take place from June 22-27, 2025, at the Bankoku Shinryokan.
Our paper introduces a novel Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) formulation for three-dimensional airspace sector design, addressing the complex challenges of modern air traffic management. This innovative research contributes to the advancement of optimization techniques in ATM and provides practical solutions for efficient airspace utilization.
TRISTAN is a renowned international conference that provides a platform to exchange and discuss ideas and foster international cooperation in transportation science. The symposium brings together researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss innovative models, methodologies, and applications in transportation science.
We look forward to sharing our findings with the international transportation research community in Okinawa!

Paper acceptance at the first US-Europe Air Transportation Research & Development Symposium 2025
2025-06-24 08:00 - 2025-06-27 17:00
We are pleased to announce that our research paper “A Robust Optimization Approach for Dynamic Airspace Configuration” by Go Nam Lui, Guglielmo Lulli, Luigi De Giovanni, Martina Galeazzo, Iciar Garcia-Ovies Carro, and Rebeca Llorente Martinez has been accepted for presentation at the inaugural US-Europe Air Transportation Research & Development Symposium in Prague, Czech Republic. The event will take place on June 24-27, 2025.
Our paper introduces two innovative solution approaches for dynamic airspace configuration: an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) model and a more computationally efficient graph-based formulation using a permenance constrained shortest path algorithm. Both methods are extended to account for demand uncertainty, providing optimal configuration plans that are robust against possible traffic demand increases with different levels of protection.
The research evaluates the proposed approaches using real-world data from Madrid ACC, considering available configurations and traffic data from August 2024. Our computational study explores the critical trade-offs between minimizing traffic overflow and ensuring robustness, demonstrating that even moderate levels of conservatism can significantly impact traffic excess and resulting delays.
The US-Europe Air Transportation R&D Symposium is the premier event for ATM researchers, combining the former ATM R&D Seminar and the International Conference on Research in Air Transportation into an annual event starting in 2025. The symposium serves as the primary platform for sharing progress and disseminating cutting-edge ATM research findings within the global aviation community.
We look forward to sharing our findings with the international ATM research community in Prague!

SMARTS Research Wins Best Paper Award at International Air Transportation Symposium
2025-06-27 08:00 - 17:00
Lancaster University team recognized for groundbreaking work in dynamic airspace configuration

June 27, 2025 – A collaborative research team including Lancaster University has been awarded the Best Paper Award in the Air Traffic Flow Management and Optimization track at the prestigious First US-Europe Air Transportation Research and Development Symposium (ATRDS2025). ATRDS, formerly ATM seminar, is one of the most recognized air transportation conference that gathers academias and industries.
The award-winning paper, “A Robust Optimization Approach for Dynamic Airspace Configuration,” addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern aviation: managing increasingly complex airspace as traffic grows and weather patterns become more unpredictable.
Innovative Solution for Real-World Challenges
The research team developed a novel framework that enables air traffic controllers to dynamically reconfigure airspace while maintaining robustness against demand uncertainty. The approach combines advanced optimization techniques with practical operational requirements.
Key innovations include:

A robust optimization model that effectively minimizes excess traffic demands
A graph-based algorithm optimized for tactical operations requiring real-time decision making
Validation using real operational data from Madrid Area Control Centre (ACC)

Testing with Madrid ACC data demonstrated that even moderate conservatism in the approach leads to significant performance improvements in airspace management.
International Collaboration
The research represents a successful international collaboration between leading institutions:

Luigi De Giovanni and Martina Galeazzo from Università di Padova
Icíar García-Ovies Carro and Rebeca Llorente Martínez from CRIDA
Guglielmo Lulli from Lancaster University

Supporting the Future of Aviation
This work is part of the SMARTS project, funded by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The project benefits from ongoing collaboration with industry partners including NATS, ENAC (École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile), ENAIRE, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
The recognition at ATRDS2025 highlights the potential of advanced optimization methods to enhance operational efficiency in air traffic management, contributing to safer and more efficient skies as the aviation industry continues to grow.
