Reduced wake turbulence separation minima between departures from Closely Spaced Runway Entry Taxiways

This paper showcases how to define safe reduction of wake turbulence separation minima applicable in case of intersection departure, when involving closely spaced runway entries. Current separation provision indeed imposes an additional minute of time separation when follower uses an intermediate runway entry, irrespective of the distance between the two entries. The local definition of the reduced minima depends on the local runway entries’ layout. The associated safety risk assessment relies on local traffic and meteorological data analysis. The paper describes the concept, the principles of the safety assessment methodology and provides an example of application to Palma de Mallorca airport, for departures from runway 06R. The proposed solution provides significant operational benefits (up to 30% separation reduction) on all concerned pairs, providing environmental and capacity benefits and increasing flexibility in departure traffic management during peak periods. It shows potential for many other European airports having closely spaced runway entries.