ATLAS — Air Traffic Logistics, Analysis & Simulation

Contents

Disclaimer

ATLAS is a decision-support tool only. All outputs are analytical aids. Nothing here constitutes official FAA guidance or operational clearances.

What is ATLAS?

Air Traffic Logistics, Analysis & Simulation

ATLAS is a live NAS decision-support workbench that helps traffic management professionals analyze, model, and communicate the impact of airspace constraints. It connects directly to FAA SWIM feeds (FDPS, TFMS, AIM, ITWS) and fuses real-time flight data with historical demand models, weather forecasts, and scenario engines to provide actionable intelligence.

ATLAS currently tracks 680,000+ active flights via SWIM FDPS, monitors live TMI programs via SWIM TFMS, ingests NOTAMs via SWIM AIM, and receives terminal weather hazards via SWIM ITWS. All of this feeds into scenario engines that model GDP, Ground Stop, MIT, MINIT, AFP, and Reroute impacts with calibrated demand profiles for 50+ airports.

Getting Started

Your first 5 minutes with ATLAS.

Check the NAS Overview

Start at the NAS Overview page to see what's happening right now — active TMI programs, weather conditions across 16 key airports, and SWIM feed status. Every active program has a 'What-If' button to model alternatives.

Look at Predictions

The Predict page shows weather forecast models (NOAA + ECMWF) for the next 2-12 hours. Airports with IFR/LIFR forecast are flagged. Click 'What Should I Do?' on any alert to get a TMI recommendation.

Get a Recommendation

The Recommend page takes your airport + cause and returns ranked TMI options with historical precedents. The engine cites past events that matched your situation — what worked, what failed, and why.

Model It

Click 'Model as Scenario' from any recommendation to pre-fill the Scenario Workbench. Adjust parameters, run the model, and see queue buildup, delay estimates, and confidence scores.

Share and Record

After running a scenario, share the URL with your team, generate an AI briefing, or record the outcome after the real TMI runs — ATLAS learns from outcomes to improve future recommendations.

Map Workbench

Interactive NAS map with real FAA data layers.

Scenarios & Modeling

Model TMI programs and compare alternatives.

Predictive Forecasts

See weather-driven AAR impacts before they happen.

TMI Types Explained

Traffic Management Initiatives and when each is appropriate.

GDP — Ground Delay Program

Assigns ground delays at origin airports via EDCTs rather than holding aircraft airborne. Appropriate when demand exceeds AAR by 20-40% and the constraint will last 1+ hours. Key parameter: the program arrival rate (AAR). ATLAS models queue buildup, total delay, recovery time, and per-airline impact when SWIM data is available.

GS — Ground Stop

Complete halt of departures to an airport. Used when conditions are too severe or unpredictable for a GDP (>40% capacity reduction, zero visibility, equipment emergency). After a GS lifts, recovery requires staged ramp-up at 50-70% of normal AAR to avoid arrival surge.

AFP — Airspace Flow Program

Rate-controls flow through an FCA (Flow Constrained Area) polygon rather than a single airport. Used for en-route congestion from weather or military activity. ATLAS resolves actual filed flight routes against the FCA polygon to determine which flights are affected, replacing guesswork with SWIM FDPS data.

MIT — Miles In Trail

Minimum distance spacing at a fix or on a route (e.g., '30 MIT at BIGGY'). Throughput = speed / spacing. At 450 kts and 15nm: 30 ac/hr. Light-touch TMI appropriate when demand exceeds capacity by <20%. ATLAS supports multi-fix MIT in parallel (independent streams) or serial (bottleneck controls) modes.

MINIT — Minutes In Trail

Time-based spacing instead of distance. Throughput = 60 / spacing_minutes. At 5 MINIT: 12 ac/hr. Preferred when wind variations make distance-based spacing imprecise.

Live SWIM Data

Real-time FAA data feeds powering ATLAS.

ATLAS connects to 4 live FAA SWIM feeds via authorized Solace PubSub+ subscription:

SWIM FDPS

Flight Data Processing System — live IFR flight plans with callsign, route, altitude, departure/arrival airports, aircraft type. 680K+ flights tracked. Used for demand intelligence, flight-level route intersection, and live aircraft map layer.

SWIM TFMS

Traffic Flow Management System — active TMI programs (GDP, GS, MIT, MINIT, AFP) with arrival rates, spacing values, scope, duration, and reason codes. Auto-alerts when new high-severity programs are detected.

SWIM AIM

Aeronautical Information Management — live NOTAMs with classification, coordinates, and effective periods. Plotted as geo-circles on the map. Used for constraint analysis and AI briefing grounding.

SWIM ITWS

Integrated Terminal Weather System — microburst, wind shear, lightning, and precipitation alerts at airports. Shown as amber severity circles on the map.

Data Fusion Levels

Every data point in ATLAS is labeled so you know what to trust.

OBSERVED

Live data from FAA SWIM, aviationweather.gov, or FAA OIS. Directly citable. Examples: METAR, active TFMS programs, SWIM flight counts, FAA OIS AAR tables.

MODELED

Calculated by the ATLAS scenario engine. Assumptions are fully transparent. Examples: GDP queue/delay estimates, flight-level route intersection, demand intelligence tiers.

AI NARRATIVE

Generated by the AI Copilot. Grounded strictly in provided data — never invents numbers. Always review before using operationally.

USER OVERRIDE

Values you set manually. Always honored and clearly flagged in outputs so reviewers know what was changed.

Decision Workflow

How ATLAS connects assessment to action.

ATLAS is designed as a connected pipeline, not a collection of separate tools:

Detect

NAS Overview and Predict pages surface problems — active TMI programs, weather degradation, demand surges. Every alert has action buttons.

Analyze

Recommendation engine evaluates which TMI type fits the situation, citing historical precedents. Map constraint analysis shows which airports and flights are affected.

Model

Scenario Workbench runs the math — queue buildup, delay, confidence. Compare alternatives side by side. Assess proportionality.

Communicate

AI Briefing generates a plain-language summary. Share the scenario URL. Export as PDF. Brief your team with data, not guesswork.

Learn

After the real TMI runs, record the outcome. What worked, what failed, what you'd do differently. ATLAS uses this to improve future recommendations.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Power-user shortcuts for the Map Workbench.

Start Rectangle draw

Start Polygon draw

Start Line (FCA corridor) draw

Escape

Cancel draw / close popup

Ctrl+Z

Undo last draw point

Glossary

Key terms used in ATLAS.

AAR

Airport Arrival Rate — aircraft per hour an airport can accept given current runway config, weather, and equipment. Set by ATC facility based on FAA OIS data.

ADR

Airport Departure Rate — takeoffs per hour.

AFP

Airspace Flow Program — rate-control TMI applied to a Flow Constrained Area (FCA).

AIRAC

Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control — global 28-day cycle for chart/procedure updates.

ARTCC

Air Route Traffic Control Center — manages en route IFR traffic (21 in US: ZNY, ZLA, ZAU, etc.).

ATCSCC

Air Traffic Control System Command Center — FAA national flow management facility in Warrenton, VA.

CDR

Coded Departure Route — pre-planned alternate route activated by ATCSCC/TMU when primary routes are blocked.

EDCT

Expected Departure Clearance Time — specific departure slot assigned under a GDP.

FCA

Flow Constrained Area — defined airspace volume where traffic is restricted by an AFP.

FDPS

Flight Data Processing System — FAA SWIM feed providing live flight plans.

GDP

Ground Delay Program — TMI that assigns departure delays to flights bound for a capacity-limited airport.

Ground Stop — complete halt of departures to an airport.

METAR

Meteorological Aerodrome Report — hourly surface weather observation at an airport.

MIT

Miles In Trail — minimum distance spacing between aircraft at a fix or on a route.

MINIT

Minutes In Trail — time-based spacing variant of MIT.

NASR

National Airspace System Resources — FAA 28-day aeronautical data cycle.

NOTAM

Notice to Air Missions — FAA-published notice containing information essential to flight operations.

SWIM

System Wide Information Management — FAA real-time data sharing platform.

TAF

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast — weather forecast for an airport (24-30 hours).

TFMS

Traffic Flow Management System — FAA central flow management computer.

TMI

Traffic Management Initiative — any FAA action to balance demand with capacity (GDP, GS, MIT, MINIT, AFP, Reroute).

TMU

Traffic Management Unit — group within an ARTCC managing traffic flow.

TRACON

Terminal Radar Approach Control — controls approach/departure traffic around airports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about ATLAS capabilities and limitations.

ATLAS v1.0.0 — Air Traffic Logistics, Analysis & Simulation

Not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Decision-support only.

Help & User Guide