Optimized Integrated Runway Sequence Management. A solution for sustainable and efficient airport operations

Today the planning of arrivals and departures at airports are commonly performed as separate tasks, each without a complete view of the total use of the runway resources. As a consequence, the integration of the flows is handled too late, with a negative effect on capacity and environment. The planning of arrivals and departures into synchronized, integrated and optimized runway sequences will enable a long-term solution for effective and sustainable airport operations. In this paper, we present integrated runway sequence management, a solution applicable for most airports and demonstrated at Stockholm- Arlanda Airport. The solution includes a modern optimization algorithm able to dynamically provide integrated and optimized runway sequences in real time. It can also provide the users with effective support for tactical decision making based on holistic evaluations of effects. The solution has been validated to enable increased runway capacity by 5.1% and increased predictability of flights by 60.8%. Integrated runway sequence management is identified as an enabler for several ongoing initiatives for Stockholm-Arlanda airport with the goal of reduced environmental impact.