Looks like part of LLAO's interim development plan will be to provide taxiways all the way to the (existing) runway ends.
If correct (and if planning permission is granted) this will have three operational benefits:
1. Departing crew will be able to apply a lower factoring percentage in respect of the published take-off runs because the aircraft will actually line-up at the start of each run (the best scenario is a line-up into the beginning of the take-off run [e.g. MAN Runway 24L via Taxiway Sierra & LGW Runway 08R via Taxiway Juliet] because there's no factoring required). This should slightly improve payload/range potential.
2. ATC at Luton will in theory, be able to depart aircraft at one-minute intervals, subject to vortex-wake and departure (route) separations (this is currently, only permitted from Runway 08 but the opportunities are relatively few). This should mean aircraft holding at the holding points for less time which is more efficient.
3. Luton Radar at West Drayton will be able to position landing aircraft at 3 miles apart (subejct to vortex wake separation), because the aircraft will all be able to clear the runway by rolling to either end after landing, instead of having to backtrack if they miss the existing taxiway turn-offs.
The overall effect should be to increase slightly, the declared hourly movement rate from the current 32 an hour but more importantly, it will enable LTN to run continuously at 32 movements an hour without any major difficulties.
Tentative date for completion (subject to planning permission) is Autumn, 2007.
