Brisbane Airport

RUNWAY OCCUPANCY TIME

Airport Capacity Enhancement

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.

Airport Capacity Enhancement

Departing aircraft

Airservices, 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
latentcapacity.

For 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.

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.

lining up without delay and avoiding backtracking

unless required for performance reasons

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.

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
trafficcontrollers.
The Brisbane ACE program will progressively
implement other capacity enhancing initiatives at
theairport.

Minimising departure runway occupancy times can

be helped by:
completing checklists in due time to minimise
checks on the runway

reacting promptly to take-off clearance

most importantly dont 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 aircraft
Runway 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.

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
prevailingconditions.

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

Proportion (%)

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

Arrival runway occupancy time (sec)

Combined

A1

A3

H3

A4

Proportion (%)

Average arrival runway occupancy time and exit distance

from threshold (Runway 01).

H4

A4S

A5S

Average departure runway occupancy by entry

taxiway(Runway 01).

Runway
30exit

Distance from
threshold (m)

Average
aROT (sec)

Utilisation %

Holding
point

Average line
up time (sec)

Average
dROT (sec)

Utilisation %

A5S

1375

35.5

13%

A9

40.2

37.6

19%

A4S

1845

46.8

80%

A7

39.9

32.8

80%

A4

2236

63.6

6%

A4

19.9

15.5

1%

2706

70.0

1%

OVERALL

40.0

33.6

25
20
15

A3

10
OVERALL

46.4

Note: Select runway exit independent of allocated gate or stand unless

otherwise approved by ATC.

5
0

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

Arrival runway occupancy time (sec)

Combined

A9

A7

A6

A5

H4

A4

H3

A3

85

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.

Conclusion
Reducing 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
futuregrowth.
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.

Preferred taxiway exits

Runway

Turboprop

Jet

19

A5

A5/A6

01

A5S

A5S/A4S

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.com
Tel 07 3866 3878
Stuart Krause
ATC Line Manager, Brisbane Tower
stuart.krause@airservicesaustralia.com
Tel 07 3866 3586