Runway usage at Heathrow

[dougc]

Wondering if anyone can help me. Does anyone know where I might find statistics on how often each runway is used at Heathrow, specifically I'd like to know how often they use 09R for departures (ie lifting towards London) rather than taking off to the West over Windsor on either 27R or 27L?

[tank slapper]

I'm not sure where you would find statistics detailing that, but they will use which ever way is pointing closest into the wind. As the prevailing winds for the UK are from the west then 27 is going to get used quite a bit more than 09 I would have thought.

[Papoo]

In short, aircraft will take off and land on the (parrallel) runways which point into the wind, or point most into the wind. LHR's operation is so as to quieten the whiners who opted to live by an airport, so they switch runways half way through the day.

So, if the wind is from the West, during the first half of the day, departing aircraft may take of on 27L, and after lunch switch over to 27R, to give a bit of noise respite to those under the departure end of 27L. The landing aircraft will switch, too.

Take-off/landing stats for the whole airport are readily available. Split the T/O stats in half, and there's a rough answer to how many depaurtures there are on a given runway. Same for landings.

Hope this helps.

[john_p]

If exact figures aren't available, I suspect you'd get a good idea by looking back at the historic weather data. Westerly = runway 27, Easterly = 09.

Otherwise, you can go to http://lhr.webtrak-lochard.com and look at each day for a few months. Not sure how far back it goes though.

[pugwash4x4]

You could try and approach NATS, or ask on pprune.

NATS will have the info, and you may be able to pry figures from ATCOs who work on shift.

Actually there was a thread about this on PPRUNE recently http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/375566-last-usage...

althougn it actually concerns 23 and 05 so it might not be too much help

[BonzoGuinness]

http://www.baa.com/assets/B2CPortal/Static%20Files...

Page 11 onwards. Movements per runway (27/09 L/R - so westerly/easterly basically) for 2007. Split into Arrivals & Departures

Edited by BonzoGuinness on Monday 14th September 16:52

[dougc]

BonzoGuinness said:

http://www.baa.com/assets/B2CPortal/Static%20Files...

Page 11 onwards. Movements per runway (27/09 L/R - so westerly/easterly basically) for 2007. Split into Arrivals & Departures

Edited by BonzoGuinness on Monday 14th September 16:52

Just what I was after - thanks everyone!