Arrivals and departures


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Arrivals and departures

In a lot of ways, the terminal area around major German airports resembles a complicated spider web. There are many different routes which guide aircraft to and from the airport. This means when arrival or departure routes are changed, an even larger area is affected. In addition, such changes always mean that existing routes must be adapted or redefined. This, in turn, means that relief in one area presents a challenge for another.

Departure routes
The most noise is produced by departing aircraft due to engines producing maximum thrust for take-off. For this reason, particular care must be taken when planning departure routes. Routes are defined and amended in accordance with legal provisions and in consultation with local noise abatement commissions. There are different procedures for each individual departure runway. These procedures are used from the moment the aircraft becomes airborne at the end of the runway; they direct the aircraft towards its destination aerodrome and integrate the aircraft into the airway system.

Arrival routes
As a rule, arrival routes are based on the same criteria as departure routes. However, there are differences: At all major airports, controllers guide aircraft, from a certain position and altitude, directly to the beams of the instrument landing system (ILS). The German Aviation Regulation (Luftverkehrsordnung LuftVO) authorises controllers to individually determine the course of a flight, in particular the flight path and altitude.

Arriving aircraft must be separated following legal provisions. This includes horizontal separation (minimum distances ahead of and behind the aircraft), vertical separation (minimum distances above and below the aircraft) as well as instructions to fly at certain speeds. When aircraft begin their final approach, the task of the responsible controller is to guide them in a smooth and orderly fashion to the instrument landing system. This means that published arrival routes only provide general orientation. The last approach segment is a straight line, the final approach.


30/05/2011	PRINT