Annual report 2013

Flight Performance

Page 2 Flight Performance Annual report 2013

ContentsIntroduction 3RoleofFlightPerformance 3

ITSystems 4

FlightAnalysisData 5

NoiseActionPlan 18

AirfieldPerformance 21

AirQualityActionPlan 27

Resilience 28

Airspace 31

FlightPerformanceEngagement 32

Glossary 34

Flight Performance Annual report 2013 Page 3

Wehavefourkeyareasofresponsibilitywherewecarryoutdaily/weekly/monthlymonitoring,reportingandrootcauseanalysisofspecificissuestoensurecompliancewithstatutoryrequirementsandtoenableHeathrowtocontinuallyassesstheoperationalandenvironmentalperformanceofitsairsideoperation.

Whatwedo Manageaircraft-relatedenvironmentalissuese.g.noise,

airqualityandclimatechange. Improveoperationalperformancee.g.slotperformance,

line-uptimes,runwayoccupancytimes,airtrafficperformance.

Safeguardthecapabilityandtakeactionstodriveuptheefficiencyoftheairfield.

Deliverintostrategicplanningworkstreamshistoricdataandreportsdepictingtrends.

Introduction

Howwedoit Weleadontrialstoimproveenvironmentaland

operationalefficiencyandrespondtoconsultationsonmattersrelatingtoairtrafficmanagement(ATM),airspacedevelopmentandenvironmentalissues.Weundertakehorizonscansandidentifythreatstoourairfieldperformance,workingtomitigateandlimitimpact.

WeareambassadorsforHeathrowairsideoperationsonmattersrelatingtogovernmentpoliciesandprocesses,withtheForeign&CommonwealthOffice,theDepartmentforTransport(DfT)andtheMinistryofDefence.

Weseekoperationalgainthroughtheschedulingandcapacitydeclarationprocessandareresponsibleforslotpermissionsandperformance,interfacingwithAircraftCoordinationLimitedonadailybasiswithregardstoslotpermissions.

Weleadonoperationalinputregardingcapacitymanagementandrunwayresilience.

WeensurethataircraftnoiseandtrackkeepingaremonitoredinlinewithDfTandourownrequirements.

WeareaccountableforaspectsofoperationalenvironmentalcomplianceandwedelivertheAirsideOperationsfacetsoftheNoiseandAirQualityActionplans.

WeworkonresearchanddevelopmentwithgroupssuchasSustainableAviationandtheAirportOperatorsAssociation.

Weprovidetechnicalanalysisfortheonwarddisseminationtomembersofthepublicwhoseenquiriesrelatetohowairportoperationsmayaffectthem.

Thisreport,producedbyHeathrowAirsideOperationsFlightPerformance(FP)Team,containsdetaileddataonarangeofkeyissuesrelatedtonoiseandairqualitymanagement,performancemetricsandairspaceprojects.Thereportcoversthecalendaryearof2013,withtheexceptionofthedatarelatingtonightflightsastheyaremanagedandreportedasseparatesummerandwinterseasons.

Furtherdetailedinformationonournoisestrategy,abatementprocedures,targetsandmitigationschemescanbefoundonourdedicatednoisewebsitealongwithallourpublicreporting.Additionalmaterialonairquality,includinghowandwhatwemonitorandourconstantreporting,isavailableonourdedicatedairqualitywebsite.

Websitedetailsare:www.heathrow.com/noiseandwww.heathrowairwatch.org.uk

RoleofFlightPerformance

http://www.heathrow.com/noisehttp://www.heathrowairwatch.org.uk

Page 4 Flight Performance Annual report 2013

ITSystemsToenableustomonitortheperformanceoftheHeathrowoperationwemakeuseofairport-widesystems,togetherwiththefollowingFP-ownedassets:

AirportNoiseandOperationsManagementSystem(ANOMS)ANOMSisthemainNoiseandTrackKeeping(NTK)systematHeathrow.ANOMSreceivesradardatafromNATSradars,whichprovidesinformationabouttheheightofanaircraftaboveairportelevation,thetrackithasflown,itsgroundspeedatanyparticularpointandtheaircraftscall-sign.

Thecall-signisthencrossreferencedwithairtrafficlogswhichprovidedatasuchastheaircraftoperator,aircrafttypeanddestinationororigin.Additionally,thesystemautomaticallyreceivesdataovernightfromaseriesofpermanentnoisemonitorslocatedaroundtheairport.Thelocationsofthepermanentmonitorsandthenoiselimits(whichapplytodepartingaircraftonly)areprescribedbytheDfT.Thenoiseeventsrecordedatthemonitorsarethenmatchedtotheaircrafttrackdetails.

ANOMSprimarypurposeistomonitorairlineperformanceagainstKeyPerformanceIndicators(KPI):

AdherencetotheNPRs(NoisePreferentialRoutes). Adherencetothegovernment-setnoiselimitsfor

departingaircraft. 1000ftcompliance. CompliancewiththedayandnightInstrumentLanding

System(ILS)joiningpointprocedures. MonitoringofContinuousDescentApproaches(CDA). Reportingontheuseofnightjetmovementsand

reportingtointernalandtoexternalstakeholdersonusage.

Additionally,ANOMShastheflexibilitytotrackandreportonanyoperationaltrialsrunbyHeathrow.Itisthesolesystemcapableofreportingontheoutcomesandfacilitatestheidentificationoftrialbenefits,anddis-benefits.Furtherdetailsofthetrialsappearonpage29.

CommencinginQ22014FPwillbeundertakingathoroughrefreshoftheoverallNTKsystem.

WebTrakWebTrakisanonlinesystemthatallowsthoseaffectedbyaircraftoperationsatHeathrowtolocatetheirresidenceandviewhowaircraftoperateintheirarea.IthasbeeninoperationatHeathrowsince2008andtypicallyshowsthepreviousthreemonthsofoperations,witha24-hourdelay.ThisdelaywasimposeduponHeathrowbyTRANSEC,thegovernmentstransportsecuritydepartment.WebTrakhasgonethroughseveralupgradessinceitwasfirstimplemented,themostnotablebeingclearmapping.FPiscurrentlyrunningthelatestversion,4.0.1.

Onceauserhasidentifiedtheoperationthatcausedthemannoyance,theycancomplaindirectlyviaWebTrakwheretheircomplaintgetsloggeddirectlyintothemainNTKANOMS.WebTrakcanbeviewedfromwww.heathrow.com/noise.

AirTrakAirTrakprovidesairportswithatoolthatmeasurescarbonoutputfromeachphaseofaviationactivity.Airportscanusethisinformationtoimplement,monitorandmeasurethesuccessofcarbon-reducingactivitiesovertime.Heathrowacquiredthesysteminmid-2012toevaluatetheproductandcheckitfordataaccuracyandsuitability.Wearelookingtoenhancethisproductoverthenext12monthsbeforedeployingit.

DemandandCapacityManagementsupporttoolDuring2013,FPdevelopedaconceptforperformanceforecastingwithaprototypetoolwhichshouldenablemorerobustplanningofoperationalperformance.FPbegantotesttheconcepttowardstheendof2013andwillcontinuethisworkintoearly2014.Asdemandandcapacitybalancing(DCB)activitiesbecomeincreasinglyimportantinrelationtoairfieldperformanceandtheneedtodeliveragainstplan,itisenvisagedthatthiswillrequireparticularfocusfromtheFPteamin2014.

http://www.heathrow.com/noise

Flight Performance Annual report 2013 Page 5

FlightAnalysisDataThisdataisproducedbyFPthroughouttheyear.Inordertosetitincontext,itisnecessarytoexplainHeathrowaircraftoperations.

Heathrowhasparallelrunwayscommonlyreferredtoasthenorthernandsouthernrunways,lyingwesttoeast.Thesefacilitatearrivalsanddepartures,resultinginmovementsfromfourdistinctrunwayends;27R,27L,09Rand09L.ThepicturebelowisfromANOMSandshowstherunwaysinthecentre.Thisisasnapshotfrom10.30to11.30on12January2013duringeasterlyoperations.

AnnualMovementsbyRunwayIn2013HeathrowcontinuedtooperatebeneaththeAirTransportMovement(ATM)capof480,000.Allmovementsareshownbelow,includingaverysmallnumberofaircraftmovementsthatarenotclassifiedasATMandarethereforenotcapped.Theseincludehelicopters,aircraftinemergencyandtheirsubsequentdepartures,andbusinessaviationaircraftwithapassengerseatingcapacityoftenorless.Thetotalnumberofallcappedandun-cappedmovementsin2013was471,880.

WindDirectionForsafetyreasons,aircraftmusttakeoffandlandintothewind.MostofthetimeatHeathrowthereisawesterlywind(thewindcomesfromthewest).Therefore,aircraftwillusuallyarrivefromtheeast(thatisoverLondon)anddeparttothewest.Thisisknownaswesterlyoperationsandtherunwaysusedare27R(northern)and27L(southern).However,whenthewindiscomingfromtheeast,aircraftwillarrivefromthewest(thatisoverWindsor)anddeparttotheeast.Thisisknownaseasterlyoperationsandtherunwaysusedare09L(northern)and09R(southern).

AtHeathrow,governmentpolicydictatesthat,duringtheday,unlessthewindistoostrong,planesshouldalwaystakeofftothewest(towardsWindsor);consequentlyaircraftwillarrivefromthewest(overLondon).Thisisknownasthewesterlypreference.However,ifthesurfacewindisfromtheeastandisover5knots,aircraftwilltakeofftotheeast(towardsLondon)andarrivefromthewest(overWindsor).

Westerlypreferencewasintroducedtoreducethenumberofpeopleexposedtohighlevelsofnoiseemittedbydepartingaircraft,byminimisingthenumberofdeparturesoneasterlyoperations.Atthetimeofitsintroductionwesterlypreferenceoperated24hoursadaybecausethenoiseemittedbyaircraftondeparturewasconsideredbythegovernmenttobethepredominantissue,sinceitwasmuchgreaterthanthatemittedbyarrivingaircraft.

In2001,followingconsultationonthepreferenceforthedirectionofoperationoftheairportatnight,theDfTdecidedthatthewesterlypreferenceshouldbereplaced,atnight,byaweeklyrotationbetweenwesterlyandeasterlyoperations,wheneverweatherconditionspermit.

Theoperationofapreferenceisdependentonatailwindspeedoflessthan5knots,dryrunwaysandtheabsenceofstrongcrosswinds,sotheeventualsplitisalwaysdependentonweather.

74,81709L

159,38527R

82,95509R

154,72327L

Northern Runway

Southern Runway

AnnualMovementsbyRunway2013Source:NATS

Page 6 Flight Performance Annual report 2013

MovementsbyAircraftTypeThemixofaircrafttypeshasremainedrelativelyconsistent,althoughthefrequencyofAirbusA380usagecontinuestoincreaseyearonyearfromitsentryintoservicein2008.

Day westerly operations Onerunwayisusedforlandingsfrom06.00to15.00(seeparagraphbelowonthe06.00to07.00period)andtheotherfrom15.00untilafterthelastdeparture.ThisarrangementrunsforaweekfromMondaytoSunday.

Day easterly operations ThereisnorunwayalternationduringthedayoneasterlyoperationsduetothehistoricCranfordAgreement.

Night westerly and easterly operations Afterthelastdeparturethereisaseparatenightperioduntil06.00.Duringthisperiod,ifweatherconditionspermit,thereisaweeklyrotationbetweenwesterlyandeasterlyoperations.