London Airport now has planes separated by time rather than distance

A new way of separating aircraft arriving at Gatwick Airport promises to reduce carbon emissions by between 11,000 and 19,000 tonnes per year, as well as minimizing delays, according to NATS, the UK’s air traffic management service. Now, aircraft approaching the airport are separated with dynamically calculated, time-based intervals rather than traditional fixed distances. This change, a first for a single-runway airport, was designed to increase the consistency of landing operations and improve runway efficiency, especially in high wind conditions. NATS highlights that this innovation will add more resilience to Gatwick operations, reducing delays and the time aircraft spend waiting in the air, which will consequently reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. In intense headwind conditions, aircraft lose speed over the ground, increasing the time between each landing. The need to maintain fixed distances in these situations reduces the rate of landings and can cause delays and even cancellations. By adopting dynamic time slots, air traffic controllers can safely adjust the spacing between aircraft during high winds while maintaining the landing rate. This strengthens the resilience of runway operations, helping to reduce delays and improve punctuality. This innovation was possible thanks to the implementation of Intelligent Approach, a tool developed by NATS in partnership with the technology company Leidos. For the first time, this solution was implemented at a single-runway airport with mixed mode, where landings and takeoffs take place on the same runway. The system has been specially adapted to take into account the intensity of the winds and the time needed for departing aircraft to clear the runway before their next arrival. Intelligent Approach assists air traffic controllers by providing markers on the radar screen, allowing them to precisely position each aircraft to optimize the traffic sequence. This consistency improves operational resilience and reduces delays. The technology has already been successfully implemented at airports such as Heathrow, where it reduced delays caused by high winds by 62%, as well as Toronto Pearson and Amsterdam Schiphol. The development of time-based separation was led by NATS as part of the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Program. – https://aeroin.net/aeroporto-de-londres-agora-conta-com-separacao-de-avioes-por-tempo-e-nao-por-distancia/