Preliminary queuing analysis of integrated departure operations in metroplex systems

Airports and their terminal airspaces are key choke points in the air transportation system, where most delays are generated. Solutions to mitigate these choke points have consisted mostly of isolated concepts and capabilities that are applied to components of the system. Integrated solutions are needed in order to reap the benefits of the isolated capabilities. In this paper we present a preliminary simulation-based analysis of integrating departure operations in a metroplex consisting of a major airport and its surrounding secondary airports. The departure operations are integrated from the release from the gate on the airport surface, to the takeoff from the runway, to the crossing of departure fixes and the merging into the overhead traffic stream. Applying the analysis at Atlanta Hartsfield airport, we demonstrate the delay savings that result from such integration and their dependence on the flexibility afforded by allowing certain levels of queues to accommodate uncertainty.