The impact of strong headwinds on an aircraft’s speed during approach results in decreasing landing rates, generating delays and cancellations at airports with a significant cost to airspace users and the travelling public.
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In early 2000, EUROCONTROL started researching Time Based Separation (TBS), a new operating procedure for separating aircraft by time during strong headwind conditions, instead of distance. TBS addresses headwind disruptions by reducing the spacing between pairs of aircraft.
As wake decay is more rapid in strong headwinds conditions, wake vortex is quickly dispersed permitting a safe reduction in the spacing between aircraft through TBS preserving runway throughput.
NATS joined the TBS research in SESAR and is now preparing its first deployment for spring 2015 at London Heathrow airport. Furthermore, TBS is now a part of the SESAR Deployment Programme.
Weather dependent
Future steps in research linked to TBS will involve Weather Dependent Separations (WDS) on arrival taking into account different parameters such as weather and wind forecasts. WDS will support an increase in runway throughput whilst TBS preserves current runway throughput.
Related systems
The application of reduced separations in strong headwinds conditions requires the development of a new Air Traffic Controller support tool to optimise delivery of accurate and safe separation at the runway threshold.