Trajectory clustering of air traffic flows around airports

We present a new approach to separate air traffic trajectories in an area constrained by operational procedures. This technique is applied on a set of real trajectories in Toulouse terminal manoeuvring area (TMA). The resulting clusters foster good understanding of the structure of traffic and of how controllers schedule landings at Toulouse-Blagnac airport; on the other hand, a group of peculiar trajectories emerge with useful information calling for further analysis and paving the way for a probabilistic approach to risk assessment in air traffic safety. (C) 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.