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\n <\/picture>NATS, the UK\u2019s main ATC provider, has implemented an advanced aircraft separation system at London\u2019s Gatwick Airport, which reduces carbon emissions and supports on-time performance.<\/p>\n
Claimed to be the world\u2019s \u201cfirst\u201d for a single-runway airport, the system utilises time-based intervals to separate incoming flights, rather than the conventional fixed distances.<\/p>\n
The shift to dynamic time-based spacing is designed to maintain consistent landing rates and optimise runway efficiency, particularly in strong winds.<\/p>\n
According to NATS, this advancement will bolster the resilience of Gatwick\u2019s operations, leading to fewer delays and shorter holding times for aircraft.<\/p>\n
The anticipated decrease in airline fuel consumption is expected to result in savings of between 11,000t and 19,000 tonnes of CO2 <\/sub>annually.<\/p>\n London Gatwick chief operating officer Mark Johnston said: \u201cThis leading technology will provide more reliable landing times for our aircraft and will minimise delays, which is good news for our passengers.<\/p>\n \u201cWith aircraft also spending less time holding in the air, fuel burn and emissions are also predicted to reduce significantly, which remains an important, ongoing focus for the airport.\u201d<\/p>\n During strong headwinds, aircraft typically experience slower ground speeds, which can extend the time between arrivals.<\/p>\n The traditional method of maintaining set distance intervals can decrease landing rates, potentially causing operational disruptions.<\/p>\n By adopting dynamically calculated time-based spacing, air traffic controllers can now safely reduce the gaps between arriving aircraft to sustain landing rates, even in adverse wind conditions.<\/p>\n The deployment of the Intelligent Approach tool, co-developed by NATS and Leidos, has been crucial in the development of the separation system, according to NATS.<\/p>\n Modified for Gatwick\u2019s single runway \u2018mixed mode\u2019 operations, the tool factors in live wind conditions and the necessary time for departing aircraft to vacate the runway.<\/p>\n It provides air traffic controllers with precise radar markers to sequence incoming flights efficiently, thus improving overall resilience and reducing delays.<\/p>\n The Intelligent Approach system has already demonstrated success at other major airports, including Heathrow, where it has reduced headwind delays by 62%, Toronto Pearson and Amsterdam Schiphol airports.<\/p>\n The research underpinning the time-based separation system was conducted by NATS as part of the EU\u2019s Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Programme.<\/p>\n NATS Airspace and Future Operations director Chris Norsworthy said: \u201cIntroducing Intelligent Approach at London Gatwick is another world first from the project team and evidence of the value of our partnership with the airport.<\/p>\n \u201cDelivering greater operational resilience for London Gatwick will make a real positive difference to airline punctuality, helping to improve the passenger experience, reduce the risk of late running or cancelled flights and cut carbon emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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