CROPS benefits Clause Samples

CROPS benefits. CROPS benefits arise from a temporary increase in runway throughput and/or reduction of airborne delays. Emphasis is to be put on the fact that CROPS is not expected to add strategic capacity in terms of scheduled slots. The major benefits are to be achieved when a single segregated runway is used for arriving traffic and during peak periods or when queuing creates delays. The actual benefits are dependent mainly on local wind conditions, traffic mix (number of wake turbulence separated pairs), of the usage, orientation and layout of the runway(s) and standard arrival route structure. For example, a detailed benefit study (using HERMES model) with local traffic mix and wind conditions at London Heathrow (LHR) shows a maximum possible reduction of average arrival delay per aircraft from 5.9 min to 3.4 min (assuming a perfect forecast, and sustained wind conditions over periods studied). If 30 minutes stability of the wind was required, the procedure could have been applied in 17% of total operating hours at LHR airport (assuming required wind thresholds are based upon average wind conditions at the runway surface level only.