TWR/GND capacity
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Central Europe
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TWR/GND capacity
Hi everyone !
The question is about closing TWR sectors due to staff shortage. It
might be the Ground Control, for example. In such case, Tower controller
takes over all the apron and taxiways movements (traffic) also
managing the airside of the airport. It might be a different combination of operational positions - the key thing is closing one of the sectors on TWR and bigger workload for his fellow controllers on duty.
For exaple, overall capacity of an aerodrome is set on 60 (both ARR and DEP). This means that the Tower controller (or the aerodrome) can handle 60 operations. But what happens when Ground Control is closed due staff shortages for 1 hour. Does it mean that the same man (the tower controler) can do 60 operations on the airside and on the aedrome taxiing as well, with the same level of safety?
Is there any document which states that in cases mentioned above overall capacity of a unit (TWR) is going down? Or is it an internal case of every ATC Center ?
Take care,
Mstream
P.S. Do you also have problems with searching tool on this forum ? No matter what I put in the form the tool finds doesn't find anything.
The question is about closing TWR sectors due to staff shortage. It
might be the Ground Control, for example. In such case, Tower controller
takes over all the apron and taxiways movements (traffic) also
managing the airside of the airport. It might be a different combination of operational positions - the key thing is closing one of the sectors on TWR and bigger workload for his fellow controllers on duty.
For exaple, overall capacity of an aerodrome is set on 60 (both ARR and DEP). This means that the Tower controller (or the aerodrome) can handle 60 operations. But what happens when Ground Control is closed due staff shortages for 1 hour. Does it mean that the same man (the tower controler) can do 60 operations on the airside and on the aedrome taxiing as well, with the same level of safety?
Is there any document which states that in cases mentioned above overall capacity of a unit (TWR) is going down? Or is it an internal case of every ATC Center ?
Take care,
Mstream
P.S. Do you also have problems with searching tool on this forum ? No matter what I put in the form the tool finds doesn't find anything.
Re: TWR/GND capacity
Hi Mstream.
In our part of the world, (NZ), when this happens, if it is considered likely to have an operational impact, a NOTAM is issued (with some god-awful PC wording) to get the message across.
On reading this, hopefully aircrews will realise R/T response time might increase,things might slow down, and airline operations might think to throw a little extra gas in the tank.
There is also an internal flow-control procedure invoked, depending on demand,weather,capacity etc, which is also notammed,but the detail of what the flow rate is set to is usually decided by the parent sector.
In our part of the world, (NZ), when this happens, if it is considered likely to have an operational impact, a NOTAM is issued (with some god-awful PC wording) to get the message across.
On reading this, hopefully aircrews will realise R/T response time might increase,things might slow down, and airline operations might think to throw a little extra gas in the tank.
There is also an internal flow-control procedure invoked, depending on demand,weather,capacity etc, which is also notammed,but the detail of what the flow rate is set to is usually decided by the parent sector.
