Quote: "It's only 99% of the artificially limited capacity. Under FAA rules the runways would be independent and run in mixed mode."
BTW, it's CAA rules that apply in the UK, not FAA.
Quote: "Mixed mode would add about 15% to runway capacity. It would arguably add nothing to resilience, since commercial pressures would ensure that movements would grow pro-rata and utilisation would be back up at 99%."
The trouble with mixed mode is:
(1) it does not address congestion and delays in the air (stacking) and on the airport (queing to take off);
(2) it does not provide a long term remedy to the UK's lack of hub capacity: LHR still needs two more rwys;
(3) it will lead to more noise for flightpath residents who lose their daily half-day of quiet, so politically unacceptable.
Maybe it could be used just while the rwys are being built. Maybe it could be used to illustrate to flightpath residents that more rwys is a better option. But as a long term answer - no chance.
Last edited by Fairdealfrank; 19th Jan 2013 at 23:04.