A comparison of two methods for reducing take-off delay at London Heathrow airport

Abstract

This paper describes recent research into the departure process at London Heathrow, with the primary motivation of reducing the amount of fuel used, improving both the economic and environmental costs. Two proposals are considered here. The first proposal considers the practicality and potential benefits of aiding the controller in improving the take-off sequencing. The second proposal aims to absorb some of the inevitable delay for aircraft at the stands, before the engines are started, but also involves a take-off sequencing aspect. Models for the two take-off sequencing problems are presented in this paper, the second of which includes an additional pushback time (or TSAT) allocation sub-problem which has to be solved subsequently. These models have distinctive differences from the models for the take-off and arrival sequencing problems which are usually considered in the literature, since they take into account necessary constraints imposed due to the control problem (whether a sequence can actually be achieved, and how) in each case. As discussed in this paper, the control problem cannot be ignored by the controllers at Heathrow, and so it cannot be ignored by any realistic system to aid them in their tasks. Comparative take-off sequencing results are presented for the two systems, and the potential benefits from providing decision support to the runway controllers or improved TSAT allocation at the stands are considered. The paper ends with some overall conclusions from the research, showing the large potential benefits of these systems. The TSAT allocation system which is discussed in this paper has been developed for implementation at London Heathrow as one element of a major project which focuses upon collaborative decision making.