Simultaneous Offset Instrument Approaches at Newark International Airport: An Airspace Feasibility Study

Abstract : A real-time human-in-the-loop study of simultaneous offset instrument approaches (SOIA) was conducted at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ, August 14 through 17, 2000. The purpose of the study was to assess the operational feasibility of Air Traffic Control to support dual feed operations to Newark International Airport (EWR) with a straight-in approach to Runway 4R and an offset localizer directional aid with glideslope approach to Runway 4L with no changes to the current EWR airspace configuration. Five Certified Professional Controllers and one Operational Supervisor from the EWR sector of the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control participated in the study to evaluate the feasibility of conducting SOIA within the EWR airspace boundaries. They determined that, under the current airspace configuration, dual feed SOIA operations are not feasible. The reason is the lack of airspace south of the airport that is necessary to sequence, vector, and pair the aircraft for the final. If certain traffic flows could be flip-flopped within the EWR airspace, the procedure may be able to provide the benefits for which it was intended. A follow-on study should be conducted to investigate the effects of such proposed modifications.