AURORA · Project

Smarter Air Traffic Metrics That Show Airlines Where They Waste Fuel and Money

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Imagine you're driving to work and your GPS shows the fastest route, but traffic cops keep rerouting you through slower streets. You'd want to know exactly how much extra time and fuel that costs you — and whether other drivers get better treatment. AURORA built a way to do exactly that for airlines. It measures how far each flight deviates from the route the airline actually wanted, then calculates the real cost in fuel, delays, and money. It even checks whether some airlines get stuck with more detours than others.

By the numbers

consortium partners across 3 countries

total project deliverables

50%

industry partner ratio in consortium

industry partners (ES, IE, SE mix)

The business problem

What needed solving

Airlines lose money every day because current air traffic efficiency metrics don't measure what actually matters to them — fuel burn, schedule reliability, and operational costs. The standard Flight Efficiency indicator tracks geometric route deviation but misses the real financial impact on airline operations. There is also no standard way to check whether routing inefficiencies are distributed fairly among different airlines.

The solution

What was built

AURORA delivered 11 project outputs including a stream-based data processing implementation for calculating new air traffic efficiency indicators in real time. The core product is a set of user-centric metrics covering fuel consumption, schedule adherence, and cost efficiency, plus a generic trajectory-based airline cost model that works without requiring sensitive airline data.

Audience

Who needs this

European airlines with fuel cost optimization programsAir navigation service providers (ANSPs) needing fair performance reportingATM software vendors building next-generation decision-support toolsAviation regulators and performance review bodiesAirport operators analyzing arrival and departure efficiency

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Airlines & Cargo Aviation

enterprise

Target: Airlines and air cargo operators with European route networks

If you are an airline operations team struggling to quantify how air traffic routing decisions affect your fuel costs and schedule reliability — this project developed user-centric efficiency metrics that compare your actual flight paths against your preferred trajectories. The system calculates real operational cost impact without requiring you to share sensitive internal data. It works with both historical records and live streaming data, letting you identify cost-saving opportunities in real time.

Air Navigation Service Providers

enterprise

Target: National or regional air navigation service providers (ANSPs)

If you are an ANSP under pressure to demonstrate fair and efficient airspace management — this project developed metrics that measure how equitably routing inefficiencies are distributed among different airlines. AURORA validated these metrics at both European and local level against the existing Flight Efficiency indicator used by the Performance Review Commission. This gives you a defensible, data-driven way to show that your operations treat all airspace users fairly.

Aviation Analytics & Software

mid-size

Target: ATM software vendors and aviation data analytics companies

If you are a technology company building decision-support tools for air traffic management — this project delivered a stream-based data processing system for real-time performance monitoring. The underlying airline cost model is generic and does not require sensitive airline data, making it commercially viable to deploy across multiple clients. With 11 deliverables including algorithms ready for stream-based processing, there is a concrete technical package to integrate or license.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these metrics in our operations?

The project data does not include pricing or licensing terms. The system was developed under SESAR research funding with 4 consortium partners. Since the cost model is designed to work without sensitive airline data, integration costs would primarily involve connecting to your existing flight data streams and adapting the stream-based processing system to your infrastructure.

Can this work at the scale of a full European air traffic network?

Yes — AURORA specifically validated its metrics at both European-wide and local levels, comparing results against the Performance Review Commission's existing Flight Efficiency indicator. The stream-based data processing architecture was designed to handle real-time data flows, which suggests it can scale to high-volume operational environments.

Who owns the intellectual property and can we license it?

The project was coordinated by CRIDA (Centro de Referencia Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación ATM) in Spain under SESAR-RIA funding. IP rights would be governed by the consortium agreement among the 4 partners across 3 countries. Licensing discussions would need to go through the consortium, likely led by the coordinator.

How does this compare to the metrics air traffic management already uses?

AURORA was explicitly benchmarked against the current Flight Efficiency indicator used by the Performance Review Commission. The key difference is that AURORA's metrics capture what airlines actually care about — fuel consumption, schedule adherence, and cost efficiency — rather than just geometric route deviation. It also adds fairness measurement across different airspace users.

Is this compatible with current ATM systems and SESAR developments?

The project was funded under SESAR and specifically assessed benefits for performance-oriented SESAR operational concepts. The system processes both recorded historical data and live streaming data, making it adaptable to existing and future ATM data environments. The 2 industry partners in the consortium likely ensured operational compatibility.

What is the timeline to get this operational?

The project ran from 2016 to 2018 and delivered a working stream-based data processing implementation. Based on available project data, the algorithms and metrics are validated but would need engineering work to move from research validation to a production-grade deployment. The core methodology and cost model are ready for integration.

Consortium

Who built it

The AURORA consortium is compact but well-balanced for ATM research: 4 partners from 3 countries (Spain, Ireland, Sweden) with a 50/50 split between industry and academia/research. The coordinator, CRIDA, is Spain's dedicated ATM research and innovation center — not an SME but a specialized entity with deep air traffic management expertise. Having 2 industry partners means the metrics were developed with operational realities in mind, not just academic theory. The small consortium size suggests focused, efficient delivery across the 11 deliverables, though it also means a narrower commercialization network than larger SESAR projects typically have.

CENTRO DE REFERENCIA INVESTIGACION DESARROLLO E INNOVACION ATM, A.I.E.Coordinator · ES
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLINparticipant · IE
BOEING AEROSPACE SPAINparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

CRIDA (Centro de Referencia Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación ATM) in Spain — the primary ATM R&D center for ENAIRE, the Spanish ANSP

Order a report on this consortium See CENTRO DE REFERENCIA INVESTIGACION DESARROLLO E INNOVACION ATM, A.I.E. profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how AURORA's user-centric air traffic metrics could improve your flight efficiency analysis or ATM performance monitoring? SciTransfer can connect you with the research team and help assess fit for your operations.

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