HEATHROW MIXED MODE HOW IT WORKS

Under current rules, arriving aircraft land in sequence on one runway while a queue of departing planes waits to take o from the other runway.
HOW IT IS NOW
Arriving ights Departing ights

CURRENT RULES
Maximum total movements per hour Maximum arrivals/ departures per hour

Northern runway

Terminal 3 Terminal 5 Terminal 1

Annual passengers

87 43/44 70m

Southern runway

STANWELL

Terminal 4

EAST BEDFONT

To extract maximum capacity from a runway requires mixed mode. As soon as arriving aircraft A lands, departing aircraft B turns on to the runway. Once A has turned o the runway, air-tra c controllers clear B for take-o .
PROPOSED MIXED MODE A B

WITH MIXED MODE

Maximum total movements per hour Annual passengers given typical current aircraft usage

108 87m

0.5 MILES
GRAPHIC: JOHN PAPASIAN