ANALYSIS OF A CAPACITY CONCEPT FOR RUNWAY AND FINAL APPROACH PATH AIRSPACE.

A maximum throughput rate concept, for the capacity of a runway and its associated final-approach path airspace, is developed as a possible alternative for some purposes to the present concept embodied in the Airport Capacity Handbook which is based on a tolerable average delay level. The new concept is shown to be representable by a simple mathematical formula. In the context of a stream of IFR landings, it is shown to have other properties useful in an operational setting, in particular to have potential value in connection with cost-effectiveness analyses of proposed changes in ATC equipment or procedures. Illustrative numerical calculations and parametric sensitivity analyses are included. A comparison with the ideas and numerical values in the handbook is carried out. Suggestions for natural extensions of the present brief study are formulated. Technical appendices include peripheral studies of capacity-increasing techniques for deviating from a first-come first-served treatment of arriving aircraft. Author