Monitoring Aviation Data: The Monitor System

The main intention in connection with the Monitor project was to design, plan and realise a monitoring system that is capable of continuously describing and evaluating long-term trends and challenges within the air transport sector. The following objectives were addressed by the project:
- Gaining a better understanding of the dynamic nature of developments in air transport and the behaviour of the different actors within the aviation system
- Balancing economic interests, ecological constraints and social needs (sustainability approach)
- Generating input for scenario modelling and quantification exercises linked to ACARE Vision 2020+, EUROCONTROL's "Long Term Forecast", JTI Clean Sky Technology Evaluator
- Identifying necessary conditions for aviation growth in the field of technology development and within the macro and socio-economic framework
As a strong orientation on the requirements and needs of aviation stakeholders was regarded as an important prerequisite for this task, an advisory committee of aviation experts was established at a very early stage of the project in order to secure that an external view is included. Together with the outcome of an experts' survey, the project objectives and the expected results could then be defined in more detail. Given this work process, the final components of the monitoring system were designed and oriented on three pillars which were seen as essential to address the monitoring function linked to the project.
The monitoring system produced a flexible and upgradeable system that is capable of a permanent scanning and assessing of trends with relevance for the aviation sector. The broad focus of the monitoring system covers many important aspects from different perspectives. The results of the project are a meta-database on the major aviation issues, an indicator set providing a structure for monitoring the aviation industry and future air transport trends and scenarios.
Three pillars (Database on Data sources, Indicator System, Future Trends and Scenarios) of the monitoring system were combined and implemented on a webpage (www.airtransport-monitor.eu). On the basis of different indicators it is possible to compare different data from different sources.