January 2014 —http://www.faa.gov
Throughput
is the average number of flights that pass through an airport on a
daily basis. When you increase the throughput during busy periods, more
passengers and cargo get off the ground and to their destinations on
time. At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the FAA has put in
place a NextGen procedure that triples the number of departures the
airport can accommodate, a significant increase in the airport's
throughput.
American Airlines, which accounts for 80 percent of Dallas/Fort Worth
traffic, has seen a 10-20 percent increase in its departure throughput
on an average day using the NextGen procedures.
"If you can increase throughput by 1 percent, you uncork the
champagne," said Captain Brian Will, American Airlines' director of
Airspace Modernization and Advanced Technologies. "Ten to 20 percent,
this was an off-the-charts benefit."
The NextGen procedure makes it possible for flights to take off with
less distance between each aircraft — 1 nautical mile compared to the
standard 3 nautical miles. This enables an increase of 15-20 percent of
departures per hour when the airport is congested compared to
conventional methodology, said Blane Doege, FAA's traffic management
supervisor at Dallas/Fort Worth Terminal Radar Approach Control
(TRACON).
The majority of aircraft operating at Dallas/Fort Worth are equipped
to fly this Area Navigation (RNAV) procedure, which uses satellites and
on-board equipment to ensure that the aircraft navigate and remain on a
precise path. RNAV procedures for both departures and arrivals are
available at many airports around the country. The difference at
Dallas/Fort Worth is that the RNAV procedure starts on the runway and
continues as the aircraft ascend into high-altitude airspace, whereas
conventional RNAV procedures begin once the aircraft is airborne.
RNAV off the ground is especially helpful during peak traffic hours
or when traffic picks up following periods of bad weather, such as
thunderstorms. Once the weather clears, "we can get airplanes out faster
than before RNAV off the ground," said Will.
Because flights don't have to wait as long on the taxiways with their
engines running to take off, RNAV off the ground means aircraft burn
less fuel. American Airlines is saving $10-$12 million in annual fuel
costs at Dallas/Fort Worth, said Will.
Less fuel use also means reduced exhaust emissions. "We are
significantly reducing the impact that flights have on our air quality,"
said Jim Crites, Dallas/Fort Worth's executive vice president of
operations.
Another RNAV off the ground benefit is that there is less
communication necessary between controllers and departing pilots. With
conventional departures, controllers tell the pilots what their heading
will be and the pilots acknowledge the heading instruction by repeating
it back to the controller. The RNAV procedure has a pre-determined
flight track programmed in the aircraft's flight management system,
which reduces the number of verbal communications required and the risk
of miscommunication. With the NextGen procedure, Dallas/Fort Worth has
had a 40 percent decrease in pilot-controller verbal communications.
This means controllers can give additional time to other traffic that
requires more complicated verbal instructions, said Greg Juro, FAA
traffic management officer at Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON. Whereas in the
past, other pilots waited for instructions while controllers worked with
departing aircraft, those pilots now receive instructions at an
opportune time, Juro said.
Highlights:
- At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the NextGen RNAV off the ground procedure enables a 15-20 percent increase in departures per hour.
- American Airlines is saving $10-$12 million in annual fuel costs at Dallas/Fort Worth using RNAV off the ground.
- Dallas/Fort Worth has had a 40 percent decrease in pilot-controller verbal communications, reducing the risk for miscommunication.
0 comments:
Post a Comment