MODEL, VISUALIZE, AND ANALYZE RUNWAY THROUGHPUT AND CAPACITY

Estimating runway capacity is fundamental to all airport planning. For capacity constrained airports, optimizing the usage of runway resources is a primary objective. AirTOP Runway Capacity Analyzer is the perfect tool to assess current and future throughput an airport’s runway system. It achieves this objective by decoupling the runway system from both the airspace and the remaining airfield.

AirTOP Runway Capacity Analyzer overcomes the limitations of existing analytical capacity assessments by applying the Monte Carlo simulation method to propagate uncertainty from input parameters to throughput estimates. The decoupling of the runway system allows for many traffic sequences to be analyzed in order to obtain a robust throughput estimate while respecting constraints on fleet mix, Level of Service, arrival/departure ratio, and schedule times. With AirTOP Runway Capacity Analyzer it is possible to:

• Obtain optimized traffic sequence
• Evaluate throughput of the runway system for various conditions
• Evaluate delay with respect to runway target times for various conditions
• Test future traffic demand in terms of runway capacity shortfall or excess
• Study the impact of:
  • Fleet mix
  • Required aircraft separation
  • Runway layout and mode of operation
  • Location and use of runway entries and exits
  • Level of Service (accepted delay)
  • Preferential treatment of certain flights
• Incorporate the effect of uncertainty

The AirTOP Runway Capacity Analyzer module can be used as a standalone application but for the most accurate results it is best operated together with the Airside Aircraft and TMA/TRACON modules.