Operational concepts for closely spaced parallel approaches

The procedures used during closely spaced parallel approaches can have a dramatic impact on the safety, efficiency and cost of this operation. As such, it is as important to systematically investigate the potential procedures for this operation as it is to develop the various technologies the procedure may require. This paper outlines the many different variants in possible procedures, and then discusses the metrics by which each variant can be measured for its impact on safety, efficiency and cost. Numerical simulations of the aircraft trajectories that result from each procedure are demonstrated as a technique that allows for quick a priori analysis of their efficacy.