FAA addresses Minneapolis-St. Paul air traffic procedures.
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Press Release Summary:
On July 24, FAA temporarily suspended certain operations on Runway 30-Left and Runway 35 at Minneapolis-St. Paul Intl. airport based on NTSB recommendation to modify arrival/departure procedures at airports with runway configurations that create intersecting flight paths. To comply with new safety requirements, arrivals on Runway 35 and departures on Runway 30-Left will be alternated. Resumption of arrivals to Runway 35 could result in 15-18% increase in capacity under optimum conditions.
Original Press Release:
FAA Statement on Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Traffic Procedures
On Friday, August 28, weather permitting, the Federal Aviation Administration will allow limited arrivals on Runway 35 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. This change will enable the airport to safely accommodate more arriving aircraft. To comply with the new safety requirements, arrivals on Runway 35 and departures on Runway 30-Left will be alternated. The resumption of arrivals to Runway 35 could result in a 15-18 percent increase in capacity under optimum conditions.
Background:
On Friday, July 24, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily suspended certain operations on Runway 30-Left and Runway 35 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport.
The suspension was not the result of a specific event. It is based on a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation to modify arrival and departure procedures at airports with runway configurations that create intersecting flight paths. These intersecting paths pose potential risks if a landing aircraft discontinues its approach and must go around, crossing the departure flight path for the other runway.
The suspension reduced the airport’s capacity to receive arriving aircraft when flights are landing and departing in a northerly direction. The maximum hourly arrival rate was reduced to between 60 and 64 aircraft, down from a previous maximum of 90 aircraft.
Converging Runway OperationsÂ
A non-intersecting converging runway operation occurs when the flight paths of two aircraft intersect but the runways themselves do not. This “intersection” in the sky poses potential risks if a landing aircraft must discontinue its approach and go around. This action could bring the airplane too close to an aircraft departing from the other runway, risking a mid-air collision.
Based on a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation issued on July 1, 2013 regarding converging runway operations, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required air traffic control at airports with this configuration to modify arrival and departure procedures. The new requirements for converging runway operations stem from FAA analysis of aircraft go-around events between 2011 and 2013 that showed reduced safety margins between some arriving and departing aircraft.
The FAA used a phased-in approach nationally, which began in January 2014, to introduce these safety requirements at airports identified by the NTSB. Some of the airports that have changed their operations include Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Houston Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Memphis, New York JFK, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Tampa and Washington Dulles. Prior to the phasing in of the safety requirements outlined by the NTSB, FAA personnel at Minneapolis had completed a Safety Risk Management Document that appeared to address the risks associated with converging runway operations, specifically landing Runway 35 and departing Runway 30L. In late July 2015, we determined that the mitigations in the Safety Risk Management Document were not sufficient to meet the standards of the Converging Runway requirement and the procedure was terminated. There was no event that occurred that caused this termination.
Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
The immediate solution for MSP (while in a Northwest Flow Configuration) was to prohibit landings on Runway 35 when departures are occurring on Runway 30L. The airport is in a northwest flow approximately 60 percent of the time. This restriction results in an arrival rate reduction of up to 30 percent when in this configuration.
The FAA will continue to focus on increasing the arrival and departure rates while adhering to the new safety requirements.
