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Question

The capacity of parallel runway system depends primarily on

The correct answer is

lateral spacing between two runways

Parallel Runway Capacity Explained

The capacity of a parallel runway system refers to the maximum number of aircraft movements (takeoffs and landings) an airport can handle per hour. This efficiency is heavily dependent on how the runways are arranged and operated relative to each other.

Lateral Spacing: Key to Capacity

The most crucial factor influencing the capacity of parallel runways is the lateral spacing between the two runways. This distance determines if aircraft can operate on both runways simultaneously without compromising safety or efficiency.

  • Simultaneous Operations: Adequate lateral spacing allows aircraft to land on one runway while others take off from the parallel runway, or conduct landings on both concurrently.
  • Wake Turbulence Management: Sufficient spacing helps minimize the impact of wake turbulence from departing or arriving aircraft on one runway onto aircraft using the adjacent runway. This reduction in potential interference allows air traffic controllers to apply smaller separation intervals, boosting aircraft throughput.
  • Operational Independence: Greater lateral separation provides more operational independence, enabling more simultaneous takeoffs and landings, which directly increases the overall system capacity.

Other Factors' Impact on Capacity

While important for overall airport function, the following factors are less critical specifically for the capacity gain offered by parallel runways:

  • Distance from terminal: Affects taxi time, not the runway system's processing capacity.
  • Slopes of adjacent areas: May relate to safety or specific procedures, but doesn't fundamentally influence the throughput achievable with parallel runways.
  • Length of runways: Primarily determines the types of aircraft that can use the runway and ensures safe takeoff/landing distances. It does not directly dictate the efficiency of simultaneous operations between parallel runways.

In summary, the lateral spacing between two runways is the primary determinant of a parallel runway system's capacity.

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