Sydney Airport Ground Operations

[Ultergra]

Could we have somebody from Sydney ATC, Air 'services' etc, please answer this question:

Why do we need a clearance to cross an inactive runway? Think of the reduction on unnecessary radio calls, the saving of fuel, the reduction in brake wear, the reduction in people holding short of B4 or Golf waiting for these little red lights to sequence.

Imagine if we could just be cleared all the way to 16L / 34R.

You guys seem to be able to do it when we exit the runway- "cross 25 to the bay" but not the other way around, and taxiing for the 3rd runway is up hill. So more breakaway thrust to get going again.

The airlines are on our backs everyday for increased efficiencies, including not increasing thrust to commence taxiing, it's about time everyone else pitches in where they can.

What's the story, why can't we be cleared all the way?

[Hugh Jarse]

That would be because it gives ATC an additional means of managing congestion on either side of runway 07/25 (particularly on the domestic side), and in both directions. It takes very little in the way of traffic to create a log jam at domestic, particularly when 16 is the duty runway.

That's my take on it anyway.

[bb744]

It is not inactive. All runways are active all the time EXCEPT at night when unlit.

[Capn Bloggs]

All runways are active all the time EXCEPT at night when unlit.
First, let's get one thing straight: there is no such thing as an "active" or "inactive" runway.

Second, a clearance is required to cross any runway, whether in use or not. AIP ENR 1.1 5.2.1 refers.

The night "waiver" disappeared out of the books probably 15 years ago.

Now, back to the question...

[sunnySA]

The question really relate to stop-bars. The use of interim hold-shorts is for traffic management, sequencing, separation. As I understand it a determination was made by SACL, Airservices, Industry and CASA for the stop-bars to be active all the time. This is different to how stop-bars are operated at some locations (only used at night or during reduced visibility). Conditional (runway crossing) clearances were scrapped with the introduction of stop-bars so this has slowed things down. Some ATCs (minority) will issue multiple crossings at say TWY Charlie and then monitor the lights to drop for the second and subsequent aircraft, other ATCs (majority) will wait for the stop-bars to come up again prior to issuing a runway crossing clearance.