POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE AIRBUS A380-800 AND OTHER NEW LARGE AIRCRAFT ON DOMESTIC AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

1

• POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF THE AIRBUS A380-800 AND
  OTHER NEW LARGE AIRCRAFT ON DOMESTIC AIR TRAFFIC
  CONTROL
• Bruce W. Kinsler
• Air Traffic Control Specialist
• A380 and New Large Aircraft (NLA) Representative
• Terminal Safety and Operations Support, ATO-T
  (SOS)
• January 25, 2005

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Word of Caution

• Due diligence and extreme caution was used in
  researching and preparing this A380 briefing.
  Data was collected from open sources, some of it
  may still be inaccurate or out-of-date.
• This briefing contains speculative data and
  assumptions based upon technical specifications
  and operational ATC knowledge.
• Actual flight test data must be thoroughly
  analyzed before any conclusions regarding
  performance and impacts can be made.

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Airbus A380-800 in Airbus Colors
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First A380-800 Under Construction
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First A380-800 Under Construction
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A380-800 Rolls Royce Trent 900 Engine
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A380-800 Rolls Royce Trent 900 Engine (cont.)
Other engine option is the Engine Alliance
GP7200 made by GE and Pratt Whitney
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An225 Mriya, Its Still the Worlds Largest
Aircraft
First Flight December 1988 One-of-a Kind Normal
Crew 7 Wingspan 290 Ft. Height 59.4 Ft.
Length 276 Ft. Number of Wheels
24 Max T.O. Wt. 1,322,750 Lbs
Max Payload 551,150 Lbs
Engines Six Lotarev D-18T Turbofans Max
Thrust/Engine 51,590 Lbs Max Speed
530 MPH Cruise Speed 495 Mph
Range 8310 Nm Needs to
included in DG/VI
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Topics

• Potential ATC Integration Issues (Executive
  Summary)
• A380-800 Specifications
• B747-400 Specifications
• A380 Orders and Customers (to-date)
• Planned A380 Models
• Potential Destination Airports in the USA
• FAA Certification Progress
• Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner vs. Airbus A350
• ATC Separation Standards in FAAO 7110.65
• Operational Requirements for New Large Aircraft
• Impact on Capacity and Separation?
• Possible Impacts of A380 Wake Turbulence
• Will Preferential Handling/Routing be Required?
• Wake Mitigation
• Summary

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Potential ATC Integration Issues (Exec Summary)

• Will the A380/NLA require special handling and/or
  preferential routing?
• Entry and exit to runway, taxiway, ramp.
• Limited gate/ramp and taxiway maneuver
  capability.
• Break-away power may not be an issue, may be less
  than current B777/767/747.
• Will be limited to specific runways and taxiways.
  
• Will the A380/NLA impact present and future
  capacity?
• Slow taxi speed (15mph) may cause delay/s to
  following aircraft.
• May impact normal operations due to proximity of
  closely-spaced runway/s and taxiway/s
  centerline/s (closer than 2,500).
• Slow final approach speed inside FAF may cause
  arrival compression and delays.
• Does the A380 fit into existing airport-docking
  plans?
• Special Jetways, need for additional emergency
  services/special vehicles.
• A380 push back may cause delay/s for other
  aircraft that could effect efficiency.
• Will the A380/NLA require new wake turbulence
  separation standards?
• Comprehensive testing is required to ensure safe
  domestic ATC and RVSM operations.
• Testing must be complete and standards published
  prior to start of NAS operations.
• Controllers may be required to learn/apply new
  special A380 procedures.
• New wake turbulence/separation standards must be
  published before the A380 arrives.
• Controller training must be developed and the
  workforce must be trained in advance.

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B747 and A380 Comparison
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Boeing 747-400
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Boeing 747-400/ER/ERF Specifications

• Capacity 747-400 Domestic
• Crew Two
• Two class seating for 568 (24 first and 544
  economy).
• Typical three class seating for 416 (23 first, 78
  business and 315 economy class).
• Weights  
• Standard operating weight empty 400,700 pounds.
• 747-400ER/ERF MTOW 910,000 pounds.
• Dimensions  
• Wing span 211 feet 5 inches
• Length 231 feet 10 inches
• Height 63 feet 8 inches
• Performance  
• Max cruising speed 507 knots.
• Long range cruising speed 490 knots 7259
  nautical miles
• Engines 4 PW-4060s (other engine options are
  available with lower thrust)
• Engine Thrust 62,000 pounds
• 747-400ER - Range at MTOW- 7670 nautical miles
• 747-400ERF - Range at MTOW 4970 nautical miles
• Early 2005 Boeing may decide to stretch the 747
  to accommodate 450 passenger and use 7E7 engines.

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Airbus A380-800 in Emirates Colors
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A380-800 Specifications

• Manufacturer Airbus (Owned by European
  Aeronautic Defense Space Co.)
• Retail Cost 280 Million
• Official Roll-out January 18, 2005
• First Flight Scheduled for January 2005,
  delayed now until April
• Normal Crew Two
• Wingspan 261 feet, 8 inches
• Length 239 feet, 3 inches
• Height 79 feet, 7 inches
• Weight 606,000 pounds empty, 1.2 -1.7 million
  pounds full
• Fuel 81,900 gallons
• Max Landing Wt. 851,000 941,000 pounds
  (A380-800 and 800F)
• Top Speed 652 miles per hour
• Cruising Speed 630 miles per hour
• Service Ceiling 43,000 feet
• Maximum Range 8,000 10,000 miles in passenger
  configuration (22 hour duration)
• Engines 4 engines Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or
  Engine Alliance
• Engine Thrust 70,000 - 75,000 pounds per engine
• Passengers 555 in three cabins up to 840 in
  one cabin

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A380 Orders and Customers (to-date)

• 154 Confirmed Orders and 100 Options (250 To
  Break Even) Includes 27 Freighters.
• 15 Confirmed Customers
• Emirates (45 on-order, service begins Nov. 1,
  2006, building new 4B terminal in Dubai)
• Etihad Airways (first passenger launch customer,
  3 on-order)
• Singapore Airlines (service in 2006, London,
  Sydney, Hong Kong, SFO, Paris, Frankfurt)
• Malaysia Airlines
• Thai Airways
• Deustche Lufthansa AG
• Qantas Airways
• Korean Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Virgin Atlantic (deliveries delayed to 2008,
  JFK-London, LAX, Sydney, LAX, SFO, Tokyo)
• Air France (delaying order)
• Federal Express-FEDEX (cargo launch customer, 10
  A380-800Fs ordered, options for 10)
• International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC)
  (orders for 5 passenger and 5 freighters, 2/yr
  2007/2011)
• United Parcel Service -UPS (10 aircraft on order,
  10 options, first delivery in 2009)
• China Southern (will officially purchase 5
  aircraft on 1/28/05)
• Iberia Airways (?)
• British Airways (?)

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Planned A380 Models

• Trivia 8 was selected out of sequence to
  denote two decks.
• Several A380 models are planned the basic
  aircraft is the 555 seat A380-800 with the longer
  range A380-800R planned.
• One cabin seating may accommodate up to 840
  passengers.
• The A380-800F freighter will capable of carrying
  a 150 ton payload and is due to enter service in
  2008.
• Future models will include the shortened, 480
  seat A380-700, and the stretched, 656 seat,
  A380-900.
• The -700, -800, and -900 designations were chosen
  to reflect that the A380 will enter service as a
  "fully developed aircraft" and that the basic
  models will not be soon replaced by more improved
  variants.
• Airbus forecasts a need for 1235 new airliners
  with seating capacity for 400 passengers through
  2020. Airbus expects to sell 700-750 A380s.

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Potential Destination Airports in the USA

• 2006 2007
• San Francisco (SFO)
• Los Angeles (LAX), (53 Million Upgrade Program
  Planned)
• John F. Kennedy (JFK)
• Miami (MIA)
• Washington Dulles (IAD)
• 2008 2009
• Memphis (MEM)
• Anchorage (ANC)
• 2010
• Chicago (ORD) (may be earlier)
• Honolulu (HNL)
• Newark (EWR)
• Orlando (MCO)
• Other airports interested in A380 service
• Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW)
• Toronto (Pearson), Canada
• More than 60 airports worldwide are upgrading
  airports, gate areas, and reinforcing runways and
  taxiways to accommodate the A380.

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FAA Certification Progress

• Airbus will use four prototype A380 test aircraft
  
• 15 month test program includes 2,200 hours of
  flight time
• FAA has formed several workgroups to study A380
  impacts
• A380 (Flight Standards, Airports, Air Traffic
  Control, Transport)
• Waivers requested to operate on 150 wide runways
  and 75 wide taxiways
• Taxi speed 15mph (EB-65), operational taxi camera
  taxiway lighting rqed.
• Additional data needed to allow A380 to operate
  in smaller Code-E OFZs
• Wake turbulence studies suggest impacts to ATC
  arrival/departure/RVSM
• New Large Aircraft (NLA) also includes B7E7 and
  possible A350
• First flight scheduled for first quarter 2005
  (likely April).
• FAA flight test evaluations conducted in late
  summer 2005.
• 18 aircraft certification technical specialists
  working with the European Safety Agency to
  complete certification by Jan. 2006

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Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner
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Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner vs. Airbus A350

• Boeing spending 10 Billion on Dreamliner
  development
• The 7E7 will be capable of flying non-stop
  between almost any two airports in the world. It
  will be made from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic
  (never tried). It will use 20 less fuel, have
  much larger windows, improved pressurization and
  more humidity for passenger nose and throat
  comfort.
• Cost 120 Million
• Passengers 250
• Range 7,800-8,300 miles
• Orders to-date 56 (slower than expected)
• Continental
• All Nippon (will start flying 7E7s in 2008)
• Airbus
• Plans to launch A350 by 2010 to compete directly
  with 7E7.

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ATC Separation Standards in FAAO 7110.65

• Heavy Jet/B757 Separation
• Airport Operations
• Chapter 3, Sections 7-10
• Terminal Radar Operations
• Chapter 5, Sections 8-9 and Chapter 6
• Enroute Operations
• Chapter 5, Section 5
• Oceanic Operations
• Chapter 8
• Wake Turbulence
• Multiple References throughout 7110.65
• ILS/MLS Protection / Critical Areas
• Chapter 4, Section 6, Paragraph 8
• Obstruction Free Zone (OFZ)
• CAT II and CAT III Critical Areas,
• Chapter 3, Section 7, Paragraph 5
• Primary requirements only, other 7110.65
  chapters, sections and paragraphs may also apply
  depending upon the situation.

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Operational Requirements for New Large Aircraft

• AVR after consulting with the ATO may establish
  new standards.
• Safety and risk assessments required first (the
  process is still evolving).
• A380 classified as approach Category D, Group 6.
• Plan to assign approach speed for A380/NLA of
  145knots.
• Slower approach speed may require additional
  spacing beyond the FAF to achieve the same wake
  spacing at the threshold.
• Parallel runway separation-simultaneous
  operations runway-runway.
• Under VMC
• 1,200
• Less than 2,500 treated as a single runway by
  ATC when wake turbulence is a factor.
• Under IFR
• Whenever practical, parallel runway centerline
  separation of at least 5,000 is recommended for
  simultaneous arrivals and departures. However,
  4,300 is the minimum separation required without
  special equipment (e.g., final monitor aid (FMA)
  or Precision Runway Monitor (PRM)).

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Impact on Capacity and Separation?

• Will the A380 impact ATCs ability to conduct
• Simultaneous operations to closely spaced
  parallel runways separated by less than 2,500
  (dependent)?
• Staggered final
• Side-bys in VMC
• Simultaneous approaches to independent runway
  separated by 4,300 or more?
• Simultaneous Offset Instrument Approaches (SOIA)
  e.g., San Francisco?
• Granting waivers to allow the A380 to operate on
  75wide taxiways and 150 wide runways may cause
  ATC delays and decrease airport efficiency.
• Taxiing
• Limited to specific taxi routes that may be in
  opposition to normal flow.
• May interfere with Cat. II/III obstacle free
  areas (OFAs) not previously impacted.
• Reduced taxi speed may cause delays to other
  following taxiing aircraft.
• Performance in hazardous weather must be studied
  (snow, ice, wind, heavy rain).

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Impact on Capacity and Separation? (cont.)

• Pilot may require additional time to start two
  outboard engines.
• A380 will taxi with inboard engines only.
• May not be possible to have heavy jet and/or
  other aircraft on same or parallel taxiways due
  to distances between taxiway centerlines.
• Opposite direction,
• Same direction,
• Converging/Intersecting, and
• Crossing.
• Departure
• May take longer time on runway than normal jet
  departures.
• May have adverse affect on arrival
  interval/spacing.
• May restrict movement of taxiing aircraft on
  parallel taxiways and runways.
• May require additional time/distance wake
  turbulence separation standards.
• Pilots may be reluctant to accept A380 separation
  standards i.e., delay longer.

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Impact on Capacity and Separation? (cont.)

• Arrival
• Increased distances beyond five (5) miles may be
  required for Heavy, B757, Large and Small
  category aircraft when following an A380.
• May not be as maneuverable in terminal airspace
  as other aircraft.
• May require additional time and/or distance to
  initiate go-around, missed approach, or balked
  landing.
• May create arrival wake turbulence hazard to
  taxiing aircraft or other vehicles.
• May not be able to exit runway at established
  high speed intersections.
• Will require specific taxi routes and special
  handling when exiting runway.
• May block taxiway/s during two engine shutdown
  before taxiing (doubtful).
• Enroute
• Same separation issues as for arrival and
  departure.
• Potential for increased wake turbulence
  encounters by other aircraft during domestic
  Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)
  operations.
• Limited number of possible divert airports may
  not be capable or certified to accept an A380
  (emergency or national security requirements are
  the exceptions).

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A380-800 Wake Turbulence Generator
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Possible Impacts of A380-800 Wake Turbulence

• Very early computer modeling of the wake
  turbulence generated by an A380 suggests
• The wake may be more dense i.e., the wake
  structure is more intact,
• Circular rotation within the wake may be stronger
  than current aircraft,
• Wake transport (movement across a runway) may
  extend further, and
• Wake sink may be higher and take longer to
  dissipate (wake demise).
• Standard ATC heavy jet/B757 departure separation
  standards (2 mins/5 mi, cannot be waived by
  pilot) may require revision.
• New A380 separation standards may be required.
• In-depth computer modeling studies and actual
  A380 flight test data collection must begin ASAP
  to determine the effects of wake turbulence in
  the terminal and enroute environments.

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Wake Mitigation

• International A380 Wake Turbulence
  Steering/Workgroup working the wake issues with
  first report expected in October 2005.
• Sponsored by JAA/EUROCONTROL for guidance to ICAO
  on wake standards.
• The whole world is asking the same questions
  about wake and the plan is to have everyone treat
  it the same.

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Will Preferential Handling/Routing be Required?

• The basic TERPS runway-taxiway restriction is
  that in Category II weather and below (less
  than 200 ceiling and/or ½ mile visibility), with
  a runway-taxiway spacing of 400, arrivals to the
  runway are not allowed if an aircraft with a tail
  height greater than 55, or a wingspan greater
  that 171, is on the parallel taxiway within
  6,000 of the landing runway threshold.
• The Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 77
  describes Object Free Areas (OFA) as a
  two-dimensional ground area surrounding runways,
  taxiways and taxilanes which is clear of all
  objects except those whose location is fixed by
  function and are given an exception by the
  Federal Aviation Administration.
• JFK (Kennedy)
• Runway-taxiway restrictions apply only in IFR-2
  and IFR-3a/b weather.
• Taxiway-taxiway restrictions apply under all
  weather conditions.
• Restricted to Taxiway A at a speed of 15mph as
  set by AAS-100.
• Restrictions may be applied when taxiing on two
  bridges (North and South). All aircraft will
  hold when an A380 uses taxiway A bridge.
• No restrictions for departures.

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Will Preferential Handling/Routing be Required?

• LAX (Los Angeles)
• Runway 7R/25L is the only runway usable for
  departures and arrivals.
• Allowing the A380 to taxi only on Taxiway S,
  prohibited from Taxiway Q, would restrict other
  aircraft with wingspans of at least 171 from
  taxiing on parallel Taxiway Q. This restriction
  would apply to all Code C/D-V and C-VI aircraft
  e.g., B747 and B777.
• This situation would exclude the large numbers of
  B747 and B777 operations causing a backup of
  aircraft until the A380 is off Taxiway S.
• The A380 is limited to a taxi speed of 15mph. No
  other aircraft is limited.
• The A380 must be clear of the Precision Object
  Free Area (POFA) if not, increase the Height
  Above Terrain/visibility values to 250 and ¾
  mile.

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Will Preferential Handling/Routing be Required?

• IAD (Dulles)
• The 2006-2007 time frame for the A380 appears to
  be realistic. Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa have
  had discussions with the Dulles Airport
  Authority.
• Dulles was planned to meet DG-VI standards for
  runway/taxiway separation and safety area design
  standards, but the current runway/taxiway
  pavement widths do not meet current DG-VI
  standards. While specific taxiway ingress/egress
  routes can be developed to accommodate the A380
  extended taxi times are expected. With the
  limited number of operations expected it may not
  be a significant problem and could be handled
  similarly to the C-5 and An-124 flights that
  operate from Dulles on an irregular basis. More
  frequent operations could pose some problems.
• The Dulles Airport Authority will also need to
  consider modifications to the airports signs and
  elevated lights that could be impacted by jet
  blast and the taxipath of the A380. From an
  airport viewpoint the pavement, signage and
  lighting issues are pretty significant as are the
  gate modifications that will be required and
  movements within the terminal area. Dulles is
  spending 6.5M in 2005 to modify two gates.
• Potential delays for increased separations due to
  wake vortices could be significant as well as the
  increased time it could take the A380-800 to
  maneuver for take off.

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Will Preferential Handling/Routing be Required?

• SFO (San Francisco)
• Began A380 preparations several years ago.
  Special routes were developed to avoid
  interference with other aircraft during normal
  operations. The A380 is expected to arrive/depart
  during off-peak hours. Concerned about wake
  potential.
• MIA (Miami)
• Restricted to one runway and specific routing
  to/from ramp.
• ANC (Anchorage)
• Restricted to Runway 6R, TERPS/wake issues have
  not been addressed.
• MEM (Memphis)
• Nothing larger than a B737 allowed to operate on
  the taxiway/runway if an A380 is landing or
  taxiing.
• Limited to one runway.
• USAF C5A Galaxy (C-VI) already causes similar
  delays and preferential handling.
• Will Preferential Handling/Routing be Required?
  The answer is YES.

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Summary

• The A380/NLA will present new challenges to the
  conduct of daily ATC operations at the airports
  it is intended to serve.
• Preferential routing/handling will be required at
  some destination airports.
• May have an adverse affect on capacity,
  efficiency and airport throughput.
• Waivers to TERPS standards may increase airport
  operation risks.
• New separation standards may be required to
  accommodate the A380 and NLA in the terminal and
  enroute environments.
• New requirements may be needed for
  departure/in-trail/arrival RVSM separation.
• Not enough is known about the wake turbulence
  generated by an A380. Comprehensive in-depth
  studies are needed and required.
• Possible adverse affects on domestic RVSM i.e.,
  is 1,000 still safe?
• ATC is uncomfortable with the A380, we need
  answers ASAP.