I. Introduction
In the next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), traffic flow management (TFM) operations will require better congestion prediction and management at longer look-ahead times (LATs) to more effectively use the limited capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS). Specifically, a decision support capability is envisioned for NextGen, which can account for the uncertainties inherent at these longer LATs while still providing decision makers with effective coordinated strategies for managing congestion. In response to this need, an operational concept for flow contingency management (FCM), which is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “the process which identifies and resolves congestion or complexity resulting from blocked or constrained airspace or other off-nominal conditions” [1], has been proposed [2], [3]. The FCM operational concept requires an aggregate flow model that will allow incorporation of dynamic weather impact, design of management strategies for likely weather impact outcomes, and evaluation of these strategies using metrics of interest to multiple decision makers. A critical need in this approach is the ability to capture the types of congestion management controls available now and envisioned in the NextGen environment, for the simulation and evaluation of aggregated traffic flow for diverse management options.