Boston Logan International Airport Benchmarks

-   The current capacity benchmark at Boston Logan is 118-126 flights
    per hour in good weather.

-   Current capacity falls to 78-88 flights (or fewer) per hour in
    adverse weather conditions, which may include poor visibility,
    unfavorable winds, or heavy precipitation.

-   Traffic peaks at Boston can be handled today under good weather
    conditions when the winds favor the most efficient runway
    configuration. Peaks are periods of high concentration of arrival
    and/or departure traffic.

-   During adverse weather, capacity is lower and these peaks cannot be
    handled as well.

-   In 2000, Boston was ranked fifth in the country in number of flights
    significantly delayed (more than 15 minutes). Roughly 5% of aircraft
    are delayed 15 minutes or longer.

-   In adverse weather, capacity is lower and scheduled traffic exceeds
    capacity 8 hours of the day and the percentage of significantly
    delayed flights jumps to 12%.

-   A new runway, planned for completion in 2005, will not affect the
    Boston capacity benchmarks. Instead, this runway will help mitigate
    delays normally encountered during adverse wind conditions when the
    airport is reduced to a single runway operation today. This assumes
    that airspace, ground infrastructure, and environmental constraints
    allow planned use of the runway.

-   In addition to the new runway, technology and procedural
    improvements are expected to increase the Boston capacity benchmark
    by 4% in both good and adverse weather over the next 10 years.

-   These capacity increases could be brought about as a result of:

    -   ADS-B/CDTI (with LAAS), which provides a cockpit display of the
        location of other aircraft and will help the pilot maintain the
        desired separation more precisely.

    -   FMS/RNAV routes, which allow a more consistent flow of aircraft
        to the runway.

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-   Demand is expected to grow by 6% over the next decade but delays are
    not expected to increase primarily due to the construction of the
    new runway.

    **Airport Capacity Benchmarks --** These values are for total
    operations achievable under specific conditions:

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-   **Optimum Rate** -- Visual Approaches (VAPS), unlimited ceiling and
    visibility

-   **Reduced Rate** -- Most commonly used instrument configuration,
    below visual approach minima

  ----------------------------------- ----------------- -----------------
  **Scenario**                        **Optimum Rate**  **Reduced Rate**

  Today                               **118-126**       **78-88**

  New Runway                          **118-126**       **78-88**

  Plus planned improvements           **123-131**       **81-91**
  ----------------------------------- ----------------- -----------------

![](media/image72.wmf)

-   The benchmarks describe an achievable level of performance for the
    given conditions, which can occasionally be exceeded. Lower rates
    can be expected under adverse conditions. Note: In some cases,
    facilities provided separate unbalanced maximum arrival and
    departure rates.

-   Planned Improvements include:

    -   ADS-B/CDTI (with LAAS) -- provides a cockpit display of the
        location of other aircraft. This will help the pilot maintain
        the desired separation more precisely.

    -   FMS/RNAV Routes -- allows more consistent delivery of aircraft
        to the runway threshold.

-   Benefits from Planned Improvements assume that all required
    infrastructure and regulatory approvals will be in place. This
    includes aircraft equipage, airspace design, environmental reviews,
    frequencies, training, etc. as needed.

-   **Note:** These benchmarks do not consider any limitation on airport
    traffic flow that may be caused by non-runway constraints at the
    airport or elsewhere in the NAS. Such constraints may include:

    -   Taxiway and gate congestion, runway crossings, slot controls,
        construction activity

    -   Terminal airspace, especially limited departure headings

    -   Traffic flow restrictions caused by en route miles-in-trail
        restrictions, weather or congestion problems at other airports

These values were calculated for the Capacity Benchmarking task and
should not be used for other purposes, particularly if more detailed
analyses have been performed for the individual programs.

The list of Planned Improvements and their expected effects on capacity
does not imply FAA commitment to or approval of any item on the list.

### Current Operations -- Optimum Rate

-   Visual approaches, visual separation -- Runway 4R, 4L, 9

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-   Optimum rate of (68,50) was reported by the facility

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-   ASPM data is actual hourly traffic counts for the month of April
    2000 (and for July/August 2000) for Visual Approach conditions. This
    data includes other runway configurations and off-peak periods.

-   Solid line represents the calculated airport capacity during a busy
    hour, and the tradeoff between arrivals and departure rates

-   The capacity model can only approximate the complex operations at
    BOS

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-   Demand at BOS may reach or exceed the calculated capacity during
    short periods (15 minutes) during busy hours

![](media/image73.wmf){width="7.354166666666667in"
height="3.847916666666667in"}

> ![](media/image74.png){width="2.848611111111111in"
> height="2.464583333333333in"}

### Scheduled Departures and Arrivals and Current Departure and Arrival Rate Boundaries (15-Minute Periods) Under Optimum Rate Conditions

### ![](media/image75.wmf)![](media/image76.wmf)![](media/image77.wmf) 

### Current Operations -- Reduced Rate

-   Instrument approaches (below Visual Approach Minima) -- Runway
    33L/R, 27

-   Hourly rate of (44, 44) was reported by the facility

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-   ASPM data for "Instrument Approaches" can include other
    configurations or marginal VFR, with higher acceptance rates

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-   The capacity model can only approximate the complex operations at
    BOS

    -   Model results assume 6 arrivals and 6 departures per hour on
        Runway 33R, as reported by the facility

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-   Chart below represents observed traffic and expected rates in terms
    of operations per hour

![](media/image78.wmf){width="7.499305555555556in"
height="3.957638888888889in"}

![](media/image74.png){width="2.848611111111111in"
height="2.464583333333333in"}

### 

**Scheduled Departures and Arrivals and Current Departure and Arrival
Rate Boundaries (15-Minute Periods) Under Reduced Rate Conditions**

![](media/image79.wmf)![](media/image80.wmf)![](media/image81.wmf)