London Gatwick Airport has completed the construction of a Rapid Exit Taxiway to reduce delays and support the airport’s goals to reduce carbon emissions and noise pollution.
The taxiway, used by 56% of Gatwick’s arrivals in its first four days of operation, enables arriving aircraft to leave the main runway at a more optimal location after landing, reports traveldailynews.com.
Gatwick found that some aircraft piloted by those unfamiliar with the airport would miss the first taxiway to exit the runway due to weather conditions or flying with a heavier load. The aircraft would then have to travel to the next taxiway exit, adding at least 20 seconds on its journey to a boarding gate. However, the new taxiway helps pilots identify the first exit from the runway. As a result, air traffic controllers are seeing improved performance.
“For aircraft exiting the runway, it is like the speed of turning onto a motorway slip road rather than onto a suburban street,” commented Gavin Sillitto, Transformation Programme Lead at London Gatwick, adding that the taxiway could handle aircraft exiting safely at higher speeds.
