Departure Spacing Program (DSP) Replacement

Departure Spacing Program (DSP) is currently deployed to manage departure fix constraints at NY area Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs) and the associated Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility (TRACONs) and Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCCs). The NY area include Philadelphia, Newark, LaGuardia, JFK, Teterboro, Islip, and Westchester airports. DSP currently does the following functions:

• Evaluates aircraft departure flight plans at participating airports, models projected aircraft demand at departure resources such as first and second departure fixes, and provides windows of departure times to controllers.
• Displays current and predicted departure fix demand as well as allows traffic managers to make departure fix flow rate adjustments. The Flow Forecast Display indicates the number of aircraft projected to cross each DSP departure flow fix for the next one-hour period in 15-minute increments. It also provides information on any fix flow rate restrictions in effect.
• Interfaces with Flight Strip Printer in New York ARTCC Pit in order to obtain full flight strip information for display in DSP to air traffic controllers.

TFDM, TFMS, and TBFM will work together to replace DSP functions in early 2026.

• TBFM provides Integrated Departure Arrival Capability (IDAC).
  • IDAC automates the process of monitoring departure demand and identifying departure slots. IDAC coordinates the departure times between airports and provides situational awareness to Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCT) so that they can select from available departure times and plan their operation to meet these times. The results of these enhancements are more efficient departure flows and less delay.
• TFMS provides Integrated Departure Route Planner (IDRP).
  • IDRP simplifies relieving departure queue and reduces surface delays. It provides strategic/tactical forecast of departure route and fix status due to convective weather and traffic volume for specific terminals and provides traffic managers with a semi-automated resolution algorithm to "solve" departure constraints.
• TFDM provides electronic flight strips, surface metering, and line up lists to sequence departures so they comply with IDAC and IDRP recommendations.