[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-81747-en":3,"doc-seo-81747-105":29,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":27,"read_time":28},81747,4398048949847,"Eliana","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/400002536579ef2da7f?_k=1778318612642679267",8,"Research & Report","Solution Space Path Planning for Supporting En-Route Air Traffic Control","Operational adoption of air-traffic path-planning algorithms remains limited despite many proposed methods, revealing a mismatch between algorithmic design priorities and the real needs of tactical en-route air traffic controllers. The study develops a conflict-free decision-support path-planning approach grounded in solution-space displays for interpretability and flexibility, and in controller constraint logic such as separation standards and maneuverability limits. Three intent-based conflict detection methods are integrated in a computationally efficient framework, yielding SSPPV and SSPPE variants evaluated on MUAC Delta-sector scenarios.","arXiv :2607 .00064v 1 [ cs .AI] 30 Jun 2026  \nSolution space path planning for supporting en-route air traffic control  \nYiyuan Zou∗, Wenying Lyu, Clark Borst  \nControl and Simulation, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands  \nAbstract  \nAs technology advances, many path-planning algorithms have been proposed for Air Traffic Management, yet their operational adoption in tactical control remains limited, revealing a misalignment between algorithmic design priorities and air traffic controllers’ needs. This underscores the need for decision-support solutions that are inherently interpretable, computationally efficient, and explicitly designed for human use. Focusing on this design challenge, this study develops a conflict-free path-planning algorithm for en-route Air Traffic Control (ATC) designed to be compatible with two guiding considerations: (1) the interpretability and flexibility offered by solution-space displays, which motivate constructing an algorithm that exposes all feasible safe actions and accommodates shifting optimization goals; and (2) the decision logic controllers naturally apply when enforcing operational constraints, such as separation standards, maneuverability limits, waypoint minimization, and routing practicality. Centered on these principles, the algorithm integrates three intent-based conflict detection methods—distance-based, time-interval-based, and zonebased—within a solution-space framework to identify conflict-free paths in computationally efficient ways. Additionally, vertex-based and edge-based search nodes are proposed for solution space path planning (SSPP), resulting in two variants—SSPPV and SSPPE, respectively, which are evaluated in terms of computational speed and solution quality. Empirical results show that SSPPV paired with zone-based conflict detection achieves the best performance, computing paths in 3.69 ms on average in operational-relevant scenarios based on the Delta sector of the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) using a 5 nmi grid. SSPPV remains approximately 3.77 times faster than SSPPE while offering competitive effectiveness, making it suitable for time-critical tactical operations and interactive ‘what-if’probing in real time. An extension to SSPPV and SSPPE further examines the trade-off between delay minimization and aircraft separation requirements, demonstrating their flexibility in revising optimization objectives. The primary contribution of this work lies in complementing existing path-planning research by demonstrating how such algorithms can be more effectively aligned with human use and operational requirements, offering a strong foundation for practical integration into future ATC decision-support systems.  \nKeywords: Air traffic control, Conflict-free path planning, Solution space, Conflict detection and resolution  \n∗ Corresponding author  \n[Email addresses:](Email addresses: y.zou@tudelft.nl)[ y.zou@tudelft.nl](Email addresses: y.zou@tudelft.nl) (Yiyuan Zou), [w.lyu-1@tudelft.nl](w.lyu-1@tudelft.nl) (Wenying Lyu), [c.borst@tudelft.nl](c.borst@tudelft.nl) (Clark Borst)  \nPreprint submitted to Elsevier  \n1. Introduction  \nIn response to the increasing demands for efficiency and safety, various technological initiatives have been developed to facilitate automation within the Air Traffic Management (ATM) community. The long-term vision for air traffic modernization, supported by targeted research initiatives, has been strategically formulated [1] . As outlined in the Digital European Sky vision [2], this modernization follows a phased approach: the first three stages primarily focus on enhancing system support while keeping human operators in control, whereas the final stage aims to enable advanced collaboration between human and machine agents, allowing task delegation to effectively manage higher levels of complexity. At higher levels of automation, system performance becomes increasingly dependent on t","cbCaihqu3Et2Ulyi","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihqu3Et2Ulyi","pdf",6734870,1,37,"English","en",105,"# Abstract\n# Introduction","[{\"question\":\"Why are many existing path-planning algorithms not widely adopted in tactical air traffic control?\",\"answer\":\"Operational adoption is limited because many systems lack transparency and interpretability, do not fully capture operational contexts and constraints, and are misaligned with controllers’ cognitive processes and practices.\"},{\"question\":\"What design principles guide the proposed conflict-free path-planning algorithm?\",\"answer\":\"The approach is designed around solution-space displays to support interpretability and flexible optimization, and around the decision logic controllers apply when enforcing operational constraints like separation standards, maneuverability limits, waypoint minimization, and routing practicality.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the algorithm detect conflicts and what variants are evaluated?\",\"answer\":\"It integrates three intent-based conflict detection methods—distance-based, time-interval-based, and zone-based—within a solution-space framework. It evaluates two solution-space path-planning variants using vertex-based and edge-based search nodes: SSPPV and SSPPE.\"}]",1784175805,93,{"code":4,"msg":30,"data":31},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":32,"title":13,"keywords":33,"description":14,"schema_data":34,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":27},"solution-space-path-planning-for-supporting-en-route-air-traffic-control","",{"@graph":35,"@context":85},[36,53,68],{"@type":37,"itemListElement":38},"BreadcrumbList",[39,43,47,50],{"item":40,"name":41,"@type":42,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":44,"name":45,"@type":42,"position":46},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":48,"name":12,"@type":42,"position":49},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":51,"name":13,"@type":42,"position":52},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/solution-space-path-planning-for-supporting-en-route-air-traffic-control/81747/",4,{"url":51,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":40,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-25","2026-07-16",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"Why are many existing path-planning algorithms not widely adopted in tactical air traffic control?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"Operational adoption is limited because many systems lack transparency and interpretability, do not fully capture operational contexts and constraints, and are misaligned with controllers’ cognitive processes and practices.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"What design principles guide the proposed conflict-free path-planning algorithm?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"The approach is designed around solution-space displays to support interpretability and flexible optimization, and around the decision logic controllers apply when enforcing operational constraints like separation standards, maneuverability limits, waypoint minimization, and routing practicality.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"How does the algorithm detect conflicts and what variants are evaluated?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"It integrates three intent-based conflict detection methods—distance-based, time-interval-based, and zone-based—within a solution-space framework. It evaluates two solution-space path-planning variants using vertex-based and edge-based search nodes: SSPPV and SSPPE.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":51,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":58,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":51},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,97,101,105,110,115,120,123,128,131,135],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},30,"research-report",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":130},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":134},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":136,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":45,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":138},19,"General","general"]