About A-CDM
A-CDM stands for Airport Collaborative Decision Making (CDM). Airport CDM is an operational process which aims at improving Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) at European airports by reducing delays, improving the punctuality of events and optimising the utilisation of resources. As a result, this will increase efficiency at every stage of the turnaround process and will ultimately increase European airspace. This project is co-financed by the European Union's TEN-T programme.
A-CDM Partners & Process
A-CDM is designed to make processes more transparent and promote the extensive exchange of data and information between all those involved. Partners include
Dublin Airport (daa)
Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)
Aircraft Operators (AO)
Ground Handling (GH)
Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC)
Estimated Off-Block Time (EOBT), until the Actual Take Off Time (ATOT), using a sixteen milestones approach to track the turn around process. The decision making between partners is dependent upon the sharing of accurate and timely information and upon adapted Airport CDM procedures, mechanisms and tools. Airport CDM allows an airport partner to make the right decisions in collaboration with other airport partners noted above, knowing their preferences and constraints in regard to the actual and predicted situation.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by each stakeholder took place on 11 November 2014. This reflects the convergence of intention of all partners, towards the completion of the A-CDM project at Dublin Airport.
A-CDM Benefits
All participating parties stand to benefit from the implementation of A-CDM. These benefits are as follows:
Improved awareness about the status & location of the aircraft
Improved accuracy of arrival times at destination
Accurate fleet prediction
Reduced ground movements costs
Transparent ground handling operation
Less queuing at Runway holding points
Reduced CO2 emission
Accurate arrival information
Increased predictability
Efficient use of existing resources
Reduced amount of unplanned activities performed
Better use of existing resources
Reduced Apron and Taxiway congestion
Reduction of ground emissions
Stable traffic flows & reduced taxi times
Reduced noise
Improved Runway & capacity planning
Reduced Apron and Taxiway congestion
Better situational awareness during times of disruption and delays
Better ATFM slot compliance & reduced number of missed slots
Accurate take-off times
Accurate planning information for tower controllers
Reduced missed connections
Accurate information during times of disruption
Improved punctuality
Reduction in delays
A-CMD Resources
Leaflet 1: Introduction to A-CDM
Leaflet 2: Target Off-Block Time (TOBT)
Leaflet 3: Target Start Up Approval Time (TSAT) and Target Take Off Time (TTOT)
Leaflet 4: Data exchange with the Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC)
Leaflet 5: Information Sharing (AOS)
Leaflet 6: Variable Taxi Time (VTT)
Leaflet 7: Pre-Departure Sequencer (PDS) & Electronic Flight Strip
A Ground Handlers Guide to A-CDM EIDW
A-CDM abbreviations & acronyms
Contact us
For more information on A-CDM, please contact the A-CDM team: acdm@dublinairport.com
About The Airport Operations Plan (AOP)
What is AOP?
The Airport Operations Plan (AOP) is a single, common and collaboratively agreed rolling plan that brings together the information needed to plan, monitor and manage airport operations. It provides airport stakeholders with a shared view of planned, predicted and actual operations, helping teams understand what is happening across the airport, what is expected to happen next, and where action may be required. For Dublin Airport, AOP forms part of the wider European SESAR programme and supports the airport’s integration with the European Air Traffic Management network. Implementation of AOP is also a requirement under EU Regulation 2021/116 – Common Project One (CP1).
Why AOP Matters
Airport operations involve many interconnected processes and organisations. Airlines, ground handlers, Air Traffic Control, Airside Operations, passenger operations, baggage operations, meteorological services and the Network Manager all contribute information that can affect the airport plan. AOP brings this information together into a shared operational picture. Rather than responding to issues only after they occur, AOP supports a more proactive and predictive approach to airport management. It helps the airport to:
Create greater situational awareness across operational teams.
Identify potential capacity constraints and operational bottlenecks earlier.
Improve coordination between airport stakeholders.
Balance operational demand against available capacity.
Improve predictability during normal and disrupted operations.
Trigger earlier mitigation when performance begins to deviate from plan.
Support more efficient use of scarce resources such as runways, stands and operational teams.
Learn from previous operations through structured post-operations analysis.
The objective is not simply regulatory compliance. AOP is intended to provide practical operational value by enabling better and earlier decisions.
A Rolling Airport Plan
Unlike a static daily plan, the AOP is continuously updated as new information becomes available. Planning begins well before the day of operation and becomes increasingly detailed as operations approach. The rolling plan can incorporate information such as:
Flight schedules and predicted demand.
Runway and stand capacity.
Weather conditions and forecasts.
Airport works and infrastructure restrictions.
Aircraft turnaround performance.
Passenger and baggage demand.
Security and immigration demand.
Operational events and disruptions.
Available operational resources.
Demand-capacity constraints.
Agreed mitigation actions and operational scenarios.
As the airport moves from strategic planning towards the day of operation, forecasts are progressively replaced or refined using more reliable operational information. On the day itself, airport performance is continuously compared against the agreed plan and corrective action can be taken where required. Afterwards, performance can be reviewed to understand what happened and improve future planning.
Steer. Monitor. Manage. Learn.
AOP supports four core airport performance services.
Steer: Define the operational plan, performance objectives, capacity assumptions and expected outcomes. This establishes what good performance should look like before operations begin.
Monitor: Track actual and predicted airport performance against the agreed plan using operational information and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This allows emerging deviations and potential bottlenecks to be identified early.
Manage: Where performance is forecasted to move outside agreed thresholds, airport stakeholders can assess the situation collaboratively and implement mitigation measures. This may involve adjusting capacity, resources, operational priorities or agreed scenarios.
Post-Ops: Following operations, actual performance is compared with the plan. The objective is to understand what happened, why deviations occurred, whether mitigation measures were effective and what should change next time. Lessons learned are then fed back into future planning, creating a continuous improvement cycle.
Demand-Capacity Balancing
A major component of AOP is Demand-Capacity Balancing (DCB). DCB compares forecast operational demand with the airport capacity available during a particular period. This allows teams to identify situations where demand may exceed capacity before they become operational problems. Examples may include forecast pressure on: Runway capacity. Aircraft stands. Taxiways. Baggage systems. Security checkpoints. Passenger processing areas. Operational resources. Where an imbalance is identified, stakeholders can evaluate mitigation measures and agree the most appropriate operational response. DCB therefore supports a shift from reactive disruption management to proactive operational planning.
Airport Performance and KPIs
Performance information is a key part of the AOP. The ACI AOP framework identifies a suite of 92 KPIs, input data elements and contextual information items designed to support airport performance monitoring and management. These cover operational areas such as:
Runway and airfield performance.
Departure and arrival punctuality.
Taxi times.
Aircraft turnaround.
Stand utilisation.
Departure sequencing.
De-icing and winter operations.
Passenger flows.
Security and border control.
Baggage operations.
Passenger accessibility services.
Operational disruption and recovery.
At Dublin Airport, these KPIs are being developed within the Corporate Data Platform and made available through analytical and operational views to support the AOP Rolling Plan and APOC decision-making. The objective is not to display more data, but to provide the right information at the right time so that operational teams can identify exceptions and act.
A-CDM & iAOP to eAOP
Dublin Airport’s AOP development builds on existing operational capabilities and is being delivered progressively. AOP development takes place in two broad stages. Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) & Initial AOP (iAOP)
Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) provides an important foundation for AOP by enabling improved information sharing and predictability around aircraft turnaround and departure processes
The initial AOP establishes the foundations for airport-network integration. It builds on capabilities including Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) and enables the exchange of relevant airport information with the European Network Operations Plan.
Extended AOP – eAOP The extended AOP expands the scope significantly. It introduces:
A comprehensive airport rolling plan.
Airport performance monitoring.
Performance assessment.
Management decision support.
Demand-capacity balancing.
Post-operations analysis.
Wider landside and airside information.
Full integration between the Airport Operations Plan and Network Operations Plan.
For Dublin Airport, the ambition is to move from operational information held across multiple tools and processes towards a more centralised, integrated and accessible operational plan shared across the airport community.
A Collaborative Airport Plan
AOP cannot be delivered by one airport function alone. It depends on information, expertise and decisions from multiple operational stakeholders. These can include:
Dublin Airport Operations.
Airport Operations Centre / APOC.
Airside Operations.
Air Traffic Control and the ANSP.
Airlines.
Ground Handling Agents.
Meteorological services.
Baggage Operations.
Passenger Operations.
Security.
Airport Coordination.
Network Manager / EUROCONTROL.
Engineering and infrastructure teams.
Each stakeholder contributes information that helps create a more accurate and reliable operational plan. Collaboration is therefore at the heart of AOP. The quality of the plan depends on the quality, timeliness and shared understanding of the information behind it.
AOP and the European Network
Airport operations do not take place in isolation.
Events at one major European airport can have consequences throughout the wider aviation network. The AOP therefore connects with the Network Operations Plan (NOP) maintained by the European Network Manager.
Relevant airport information can be exchanged with the Network Manager, while network information can also improve the airport’s local planning and situational awareness. This closer integration helps both airports and the European network anticipate constraints, improve predictability and coordinate responses to disruption more effectively.
The Vision for Dublin Airport
The Dublin Airport AOP programme is working towards a connected operational environment where planning, forecasting, performance monitoring and collaborative decision-making are supported by a common source of trusted information.
The ambition for Dublin Airport is to establish a Rolling Plan that provides a clear view of:
What is planned to happen.
What is currently happening.
What is predicted to happen.
Where demand may exceed available capacity.
Where operational performance is moving away from agreed targets.
What mitigation measures or operational actions may be required.
This will support airport teams in moving from a primarily reactive operating model towards one that is increasingly predictive, collaborative and data driven. A successful AOP will help Dublin Airport:
Establish one shared operational picture.
Improve airport-wide situational awareness.
Detect operational risks and bottlenecks earlier.
Balance demand against available capacity.
Improve operational predictability.
Strengthen collaborative decision-making.
Improve utilisation of airport resources.
Reduce manual information gathering and administration.
Support better disruption management.
Use post-operations insight to continually improve planning.
The goal is a more predictable, resilient and collaborative airport operation, supported by trusted data and a Rolling Plan shared across the airport community.