A new standard instrument arrival: the point merge system

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to design a new standard instrument arrival called the point merge system (PMS) for converging runways. The PMS enables controllers to handle traffic with no heading instruction, as well as aiming to reduce a controller's frequency occupancy time.Design/methodology/approachThe point merge model was designed for converging runways. Istanbul International Ataturk Airport, which has converging runways, was chosen as an application area for this model. The same 50 traffic arrivals per hour were used both for point merge and vectoring. Implementation was compared using a real time simulation.FindingsThe simulation results show that the total average number of instructions is about 33 per cent less and the frequency occupancy is about 37 per cent less for point merge than for vectoring. In addition, in terms of trajectory dispersion, in point merge, traffic is within a narrower triangular area, while in vectoring large traffic dispersion occurs.Practical implicationsThe point merge model for converging runways proposed in this paper can be applied by airspace designers and air navigation service providers to perform efficient standard instrument arrival routes.Originality/valueThe PMS has been developed for single and parallel runways; however, in this study, the point merge model is designed for converging runways at Istanbul International Ataturk Airport.