As Brisbane grows as an international city, the traffic demand for Brisbane Airport has grown beyond expections. This growth requires the aviation industry to work together to maximise the use of existing facilities. This brochure aims to highlight the importance of runway occupancy and identify and discuss how improvements can be made.

During the 2011-12 financial year Brisbane Airport experienced a growth of 4.6 per cent, or more than 910,000 additional passengers, and a corresponding increase in the number of aircraft movements. This growth is being fuelled by an increasing population and development of the resources industry.

On a typical weekday, aircraft movements number between 650 and 700 per day and by 2020, prior to the opening of the new parallel runway, it is expected that there will be more than 150 additional movements each

weekday. This increase in movements is most evident during the morning and evening peak periods with some delays of between 20 and 40 minutes being experienced.

Ahead of the completion of the new runway, air traffic control, airline operators and Brisbane Airport must work collaboratively to maximise the capacity of the existing main 01/19 runway. The engagement of all airport users, including flight crew, is essential to reducing delays and improving ‘on-time’ performance.

Brisbane Airport RUNWAY OCCUPANCY TIMEAirport Capacity Enhancement

Airport Capacity EnhancementAirservices, in partnership with Brisbane Airport, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tiger Airways, Alliance, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Air New Zealand, Australian Business Aviation Association (ABAA) and other industry partners has embarked on a program called Airport Capacity Enhancement (ACE). This program aims to identify and address capacity constraints at Brisbane Airport and make changes that will see the early release of latent capacity.

Opportunities to improve capacity have been identified, with an important initiative aimed at reducing runway occupancy time (ROT). Occupancy time has an impact on the capacity of the runway, but even small reductions in the average time an aircraft spends on the runway can have a significant impact on the overall runway capacity.

The experience of the European ACE program has shown that just five seconds lost per aircraft

can result in two missed runway slots per hour. Improvements in runway capacity of between five and 15 per cent can be achieved by reducing ROT and implementing associated ACE initiatives.

At busy international airports achieving minimum time on the runway is entrenched in pilot performance. These airports operate at close to one movement a minute (per runway) which is achieved due to the cooperation and expertise of flight crew and air traffic controllers.

The Brisbane ACE program will progressively implement other capacity enhancing initiatives at the airport.

Departing aircraftFor departing aircraft, the emphasis is getting onto the runway and being ready to depart without undue delay. An appreciation of the traffic situation can help the pilot improve response times.

Minimising departure runway occupancy times can be helped by:

� completing checklists in due time to minimise checks on the runway

� lining up without delay and avoiding backtracking unless required for performance reasons

� reacting promptly to take-off clearance

� most importantly – don’t rush and be prepared.

Note 1: Companies with pilot training requirements that will increase pilot response and runway occupancy times must notify ATC when taxiing

Note 2: Some companies have included line-up allowance in the aircraft performance chart. This enables the pilot to make a curved entry to the runway that is not perpendicular to the entry point. Pilots should consult their company performance department for clarification.

Arriving aircraftRunway occupancy time during landing will vary depending on the location of exits, wind and runway surface conditions. However, by making sound, informed decisions, pilots can contribute to reducing wasted runway capacity. Consistent and predictable runway occupancy times also assist controllers deliver optimum separation.

During peak periods, Australian capital city airports are subject to traffic levels and congestion similar to that experienced at busy US and European airports. Operating procedures must be modified to improve airport performance and reduce delay.

Creating an environment where pilots and controllers work together to safely increase capacity is the key to reducing delay, cost and increasing the performance of the airport.

For example, as part of the pre-landing briefing, it is important that pilots establish a runway exit strategy that will minimise occupancy time. New information about preferred exit taxiways has been included to assist pilots determine the most suitable exit based on the landing weight of the aircraft and prevailing conditions.

Planning the runway exit does not mean that excessive braking is required. In some cases, it will be necessary to use less braking and maintain a safe speed to expedite your exit from the runway. However, it is the awareness, planning and briefing that is important.

RWY 01 arrival runway occupancy distributed by exit

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

85807570656055504540353025Arrival runway occupancy time (sec)

Prop

ortio

n (%

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

85807570656055504540353025Arrival runway occupancy time (sec)

Prop

ortio

n (%

)

Combined A1 A3 H3 A4 H4 A4S A5S

Combined A9 A7 A6 A5 H4 A4 H3 A3

Average arrival runway occupancy time and exit distance from threshold (Runway 01).

Runway exit

Distance from threshold (m)

Average aROT (sec)

Utilisation %

A5S 1375 35.5 13%

A4S 1845 46.8 80%

A4 2236 63.6 6%

A3 2706 70.0 1%

OVERALL 46.4

Average departure runway occupancy by entry taxiway (Runway 01).

Holding point

Average line up time (sec)

Average dROT (sec)

Utilisation %

A9 40.2 37.6 19%

A7 39.9 32.8 80%

A4 19.9 15.5 1%

OVERALL 40.0 33.6

Note: Select runway exit independent of allocated gate or stand – unless otherwise approved by ATC.

ConclusionReducing runway occupancy time is a key component of the Brisbane Airport ACE strategy. Together with the other ACE initiatives, it will help address current challenges and prepare for future growth.

Cooperation and understanding between pilots and air traffic controllers is vital to achieving this goal. By anticipating the actions that pilots will take and the time they will spend on the runway, controllers can eliminate the need for margins and improve the movement rate. This will support consistent delivery of optimum separation between arriving and departing aircraft.

Enhancing runway capacity will help Airservices and operators achieve consistent performance, and build the confidence of pilots and controllers.

The flight crew objective should be to consistently apply efficient runway operating practices, and therefore minimise runway occupancy times – within the normally accepted landing and breaking performance of the aircraft.

Contact details Guy Habermann Program Manager Airport Capacity Enhancement guy.habermann@airservicesaustralia.comTel 07 3866 3878

Stuart Krause ATC Line Manager, Brisbane Tower stuart.krause@airservicesaustralia.comTel 07 3866 3586

Preferred taxiway exits - The following information is provided by Brisbane Tower to assist pilots determine the most suitable exit to minimise occupancy time.

Note: When RWY 19 is nominated, TWYA4 is not AVBL for arriving ACFT unless directed by ATC.

Preferred taxiway exits

Runway Turboprop Jet

19 A5 A5/A6

01 A5S A5S/A4S