KEWL Airport Capacity Study

The following presents the highlighted results of an airfield capacity analysis developed by the Elwood Logistics Airport Development Corporation. Operational capacity curves for the three (3) Noise Mitigation proposals (along with a Baseline case) were simulated for two fleet mix estimates for a total of eight cases.

Two fleet forecasts for the likely mix of traffic (by wake turbulence category) have been developed. The first estimate, FAA Mix, is based on an analysis and estimate supplied by the FAA , suggests that a fleet mix of roughly 80% cargo aircraft and 20% general aviation will be operating at this airport. The Village of Elwood hired an independent consulting firm, Shirley Wright and Nowitt (SWaN, Inc.), who provided a second fleet mix estimate.

The resulting capacity curves are shown below. Further information such as operational configurations, or details of each case, are described further within the published Capacity Study.

FAA Operational Fleet Estimate

The list of aircraft types that are forecasted to arrive at KEWL are representative of fleets that air freight airlines typically use and were found to be sufficient for estimating the mix of aircraft expected at KEWL. The following table provides the aircraft data. Note that the operational fleet mix for simulating airport operations is presented by FAA Wake Turbulence Category (WTC) as outlined in FAA JO 7110.126A.

Independent Operational Fleet Estimate

The Village of Elwood hired an independent consulting firm, Shirley Wright and Nowitt (SWaN, Inc.), who provided the following fleet mix estimate.

Simulation Methodology

The capacity curves were estimated using the runwaySimulator (rS) model developed by The MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development. This model simulates arriving and departing traffic at an airport, the decisions made about runway assignment and sequencing, and the flight operations themselves. The rS model generates a randomized traffic sample that keeps pressure on the airport. The traffic sample reflects an airport's mix of aircraft types, which differ in their performance parameters. Separation standards in FAA Order 7110.65, Air Traffic Control are codified as rules that govern pairs of flight operations, and these are modified to represent common pilot and controller behaviors. An airport/runway configuration can be described in exacting detail along with any operational exceptions, such as to prohibit use of specified runways by certain aircraft types or to set aside runways for exclusive use by, say, general aviation traffic. A heuristic algorithm assigns runways and sequences traffic to balance efficiency and delay while respecting separation requirements and runway eligibilities.

When used to estimate capacity, rS generates traffic from pre-specified traffic fleet mix distributions, so there is constant demand on the runway system. It does this for various arrival-departure mixes and, for each, simulates steady-state operations for several hundred hours. The average throughput achieved is recorded for each arrival-departure mix and used to create the airport's capacity "curve" (i.e., a Pareto frontier). The model provides a variety of measurements and visualizations to the analyst to verify and validate the simulation.

Study Limitations

The software package, MITRE runwaySimulator is limited in that it does not evaluate non-runway constraints at the airport nor limitations elsewhere in the national airspace system. Examples of this include taxiway, ramp, or gate constraints, terminal airspace congestion, Air Traffic Control traffic management initiatives, and any seasonal limitations due to high temperatures that restrict aircraft climb rates.

Note that estimates pertain to only runway capacity, if operated according to the configurations outlined in each case description. This analysis does not account for the demand for aviation services which will vary according to factors such as the overall economy, the price of fuel, and many other economic and social forces. This research concurs with FAA policy to conservatively recommend that airport development be tied to observed activity levels and not programmed only according to the results identified in this study.

Operational Noise Mitigation Proposal 1 - Enhanced Noise Mitigation

The ELA development leadership, working with the two logistics parks, have developed a proposal for an operational plan that follows the FAA’s requirement for noise standards. This includes imposing an operational rule that aircraft must diverge from the runway centerline 15 degrees once airborne. This commonly-used standard FAA air traffic procedure can also be used to shift the noise profiles that aircraft have on surrounding communities by reducing impact of repeated departures over the Village center , while still maintaining capacity. Representatives of CIC-Joliet/Elwood have fully endorse this plan.

Operational Noise Mitigation Proposal 2 - Limited Operations

The Village of Elwood's Department of Planning working with consultants have proposed a more conservative plan to appeal to the long-time residents and the logistics park business community. Due to the potential noise impacts that east arrivals and west departures could have, the proposal plans to exclude certain aircraft types to specific runway directions. These limitations account for the physical limitations based on the FAA’s report.

Recognizing that the proposed limitations will have an impact to capacity and overall traffic throughput, the Village conceded that this trade-off is to the benefit of both the residents of Elwood and the Logistics Park business community.

Operational Noise Mitigation Proposal 3 - West Arrival Operations

A citizens group, the West Arrival Concern Citizens Organization, developed via a grass-roots effort has organized and hired an independent consulting firm to help develop its own ideas for noise mitigation. They argue that aircraft would only need to land to the West at KEWL. According to the consultants’ opinion, the anticipated aircraft have the ability to fly in nearly all wind conditions except for extreme crosswinds, they propose to eliminate all non-propeller aircraft arrivals to Runway 10L and 10R . In return for avoiding the Elwood Village Center altogether, this plan also makes the provision for dedicated cargo operations that prohibits general aviation traffic from using Runway 10R-28L.

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