When in a peak load scenario with plenty of departing & arriving aircraft to keep the ATC pipeline full, are there considerations that make a certain sequence of Departures / Arrivals that optimizes throughput?
For specificity, let us assume a single runway in use and no general aviation aircraft with predominantly jet traffic and multiple runway entry & exit taxiways available. Including high speed exit turnoffs.
I typically see a sequence something like:
Dep-Dep-Arr-Dep-Dep-Arr
But an alternative optimum might turn out to be:
Dep-Arr-Dep-Arr-Dep-Arr
etc.
I realize that the specifics will depend on the exact aircraft etc. but just to use an idealized model what would result from typical operating constraints. e.g. You need to allow a certain separation during approach but you can have multiple aircraft lined up for take off. So is the potential to squeeze departures into the "holes" higher? Also, you can clear a second departure after a first far more rapidly, than the landing-to-landing interval right?
Just wondering, if you had to set up a formal optimization model what sort of parameters & constraints should go into the model as inputs.
A follow up question: Say you had two runways available in parallel & widely spaced apart. Does it make sense (for throughput) to dedicate one to landings & another to takeoffs or is it more efficient to mix landings & takeoffs on both runways?
R18L: Dep-Dep-Dep-Dep-Dep-Dep-Dep-Dep-Dep
R18R: Arr-Arr-Arr-Arr-Arr-Arr-Arr-Arr-Arr
vs
R18L: Dep-Dep-Arr-Dep-Dep-Arr-Dep-Dep-Arr
R18R: Dep-Dep-Arr-Dep-Dep-Arr-Dep-Dep-Arr
PS. If further simplifying assumptions are necessary, let's imagine a hypothetical airport serving a single aircraft type, say A320 only. Or assume any type you will to be representative of a wide class of aircraft just to get the modelling started.