Risk Assessment Method to Support Modification of Airfield Separation Standards

摘要

The modernization and complexity of the National Airspace System (NAS) have increased considerably in the last four decades, and its components require continuous improvements to increase capacity and safety. Airports are one of the main components of this complex and dynamic system. To meet higher demands for flights, airlines are operating larger aircraft with greater seating capacity. However, the airfield configurations at many airports were established years ago, and many existing airports were designed and constructed in the 1960s and 1970s to accommodate the smaller aircraft in use at that time. As a consequence, some of these airports have airfield separations that are not compatible with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) design requirements and recommendations. Moreover, existing airports need to increase their capacity to meet demand. Many of these airports are constrained by urban development and physical and environmental restrictions, or they do not have the necessary real estate to accommodate the applicable separation standards. With this potential traffic growth, many airports will need to bring larger aircraft and use instrumented runways to increase their capacity; however, existing separations may not be appropriate for larger aircraft or for upgraded approach categories.