Improve the sustainability of the runway system at Schiphol
Schiphol fulfils an important role as international transport hub in Europe to passengers and freight. To maintain this important role, Schiphol should offer unfailing connections for both passengers and freight.
One important condition of unfailing connections is the sustainability of the runway system. The sustainability is the percentage of time the declared capacity is available. The declared capacity (arriving and departing aircraft per hour) will not exceed the nominal capacity (expressed in movements per hour). The nominal capacity is dependent on the utilized runway combinations.
In normal circumstances the nominal capacity is sufficient enough. However, when circumstances change, for instance when bad weather occurs, the nominal capacity decreases substantially. With this decreasing nominal capacity, not sufficient anymore for the declared capacity, the sustainability percentage at Schiphol decreases.
This research concerns to improve the sustainability of the runway system at Schiphol.
Approach
With the use of historical data of declined weather conditions, like rainfall, snowfall, wind or fog, changing runway combinations and accompanying capacity figures will be investigated. In this research the runway system and taxiway system will be distinguished. Furthermore, changes in taxi behaviour of the pilot due to bad weather conditions will be studied.
These results will be reflected into solutions to improve the sustainability of the runway system at Schiphol.
Results
This research was finished by the end of 2009.
The proposed solutions and recommendations are taken into account in a follow-up study within the Knowledge & Development Centre (www.kdc-mainport.nl).
