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About CDM

Increased traffic volumes within the European air space and increasing complexity is making it harder and harder to handle air traffic at airports efficiently. Many parties are involved in the handling of aircraft including the airport, air traffic control, air lines and handling agents. Each of these parties takes measures where possible to structure their own process in a way that maximises efficiency. It is only possible to further improve the flight and ground handling process if there is an even further step up in cooperation between all the partners in the chain. Just like in a relay race, the final result is a sum total of the combined efforts. The sharing of operational information plays an essential role in this. For instance, if an aircraft takes off from Cape Town two hours too late, it will arrive at Schiphol Airport approximately two hours later than scheduled. This has repercussions for all the partners in the chain as it means, amongst other things, that the reserved gate does not need to be available until two hours later, and aircraft handling must also be delayed for two hours. Sharing operational information such as landing times, taxi times and ‘on block’ (at the gate) times with all other parties as soon as possible increases the predictability of the ground handling process. This information is useful to all parties, as it can be used to deploy resources and the available infrastructure more effectively. It also makes it possible to respond quickly to changes in the operational situation, such as delays or special weather conditions. This method of working is known as Airport Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) and has been developed and trialled in phases at a number of European airports, including Schiphol Airport. Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, has harmonised this working method.

The implementation of Airport CDM is being actively encouraged by the sector organisations for airports ACI Europe,
air traffic control (CANSO), and the airline association (IATA).

CDM leads to improved operational information and flight status updates, procedural arrangements and working methods within airlines, handling agents, the airport and air traffic control. Within the Eurocontrol framework for Airport CDM, this includes:

  • Timely and reliable flight arrival and departure times
  • Flight and airport status information: an insight into current and anticipated operations
  • Arrangements and resources for the essential sharing and processing of information
  • Procedures for new (CDM) working methods
  • An insight into and understanding of the CDM approach amongst operational managers
  • Joint decision-making and integrated control.

Airport CDM is to be introduced as a standard working method within Europe as of 2013 in order to improve airport efficiency, increase the predictability of air traffic operations and minimise the loss of slots within the European Community. Eurocontrol has standardised the critical elements of Airport CDM based on various trials and applied these at a European level. In addition, it is encouraging European airports to also implement Airport CDM locally. The first airport that fully implemented CDM was Munich Airport, followed by Brussels, Paris and Frankfurt. Eurocontrol has collaborated with IATA and ACI Europe to develop a special website dedicated to Airport CDM: www.euro-cdm.org (information only available in English).