Evaluating Concepts for Metroplex Operations

Abstract

Metropolitan areas with high traffic demand are often served by a system of two or more airports whose arrival and departure operations are highly interdependent. Such an airport system is referred to as a metroplex. A temporal-spatial framework for evaluating concepts for improving metroplex operations was developed. In this framework, concepts for metroplex operations were defined by their spatial and temporal impacts on operations. These impacts were evaluated parametrically with a Generic Metroplex model. The experiment revealed that temporal scheduling and route segregation are the two most important integrated concepts for reducing delays in the terminal area airspace. These two concepts were then incorporated to form an experiment matrix, and their effects were tested in a metroplex model based on the New York terminal area airspace. Simulation analyses showed a nearly 80% reduction in queueing delay for arrival flights when the scheduling and route structural design were combined and more than 60% reduction with scheduling alone.