Tutorial
Surface Management Advisor (SMA)
The
Surface Movement Advisor (SMA) is a joint FAA and NASA project to help current airport facilities operate more
efficiently in their ground-based operations.
SMA is a prototype testing the use of cutting-edge software (advanced information systems technologies) to improve the planning and coordination of ground airport traffic operations.
The SMA system
is based on a client-server architecture that acts as a virtual fiber backbone connecting the communications of
the airlines, the airport management, the ramp gates and the FAA control tower. The SMA server collects in real-time
the various ground traffic data. The SMA system then integrates the real-time data with the airline schedules,
gate information, flight plans, radar feeds and the airport's runway configuration (departure split and landing
direction). This integrated information is then re-transmitted over the network system and shared among all the
key players at the airport: Ramp Operators, Airport Managers, and the Airline Operators. This ensures that all
members of the ground traffic team know where all ground vehicles are at all times. This ensures safety for all
vehicles no matter how large or small. The ground-based operations can also be reviewed and analyzed to improve
their efficiency.