Who is this article for?

Users looking to understand OPAS and its core concepts.

No specific access is required.

The Operational Segments Analyser (OPAS) incorporates ground radar feed to analyse taxiing aircraft activity and airborne behaviour near airports, allowing you to track time spent in defined zones and assess operational efficiency.

1. Understanding operational segments

You can define zones of interest on and near runways to track time spent within each zone. OPAS captures data for every operation that enters and exits these zones, typically arrivals and departures.

Each part of the taxi in or out of the airport has operational segments defined, with arrivals and departures having different segment types. The functionality identifies and analyses flight segments, such as arrivals in holding zones and level segments during descent. OPAS also analyses paths in and out of airspace to assess performance against ideal paths.

Time spent in each operational segment is retained in the database, and the OPAS browser allows in-client analysis with search filters. You can view taxiing tracks on the Map Browser and export data from the Operation Segments table to Excel for further analysis using provided queries and templates.

2. Analysing block usage

Using a detailed polygon map of the airport, OPAS analyses block usage for traffic moving over discrete sections of runway, apron, and stands. This data helps you analyse ground traffic frequency and retrieve metrics to understand space usage.

This information informs airport planners when concrete or tarmac requires refurbishment or replacement. Overall, the functionality allows you to analyse ground and air movement efficiency, identify trends or bottlenecks, and use data to improve traffic flow, tower control methods, and ATC vectoring.

3. Identifying OPAS

OPAS is a version of the ANOMS client that functions as a separate installation package. You can install it by itself or side-by-side with a standard ANOMS installation.

You can identify it via the icon description on the desktop and in menus.

4. Recognising removed features

Some standard ANOMS features have been removed as they are not necessary for OPAS functionality:

• Complaints/Enquiry management - all complaints functionality including the browser, complaints entry, and search filters
• Noise - all functionality associated with noise data, including RMT management and noise analysis
• Notices to Air Mission functionality - the NOTAM browser
• Modelling Routes - the Routes tab on the Feature Manager

5. Using OPAS-exclusive features

Features available only to OPAS include:

• Operational Segments Browser in the browser lineup
• Segments tab from the LFDD window
• GIS Layer browser activated from the Map Browser
• Operational Segments database additions available via the Query Generator