Tweed-New Haven Airport: The next JFK International Airport?

New Haven and East Haven "International Airport"?

If you subscribe to the claims of the ant-airport group, "10,000 Hawks", this will be the outcome of the Tweed-New Haven Airport Master Plan. Everyone run!!! In reality, I am not sure the last time any in this group has been to JFK, looked at diagram of it or looked at the traffic counts of this Goliath of an airport. But they sure sound to be sure of what they're talking about. Very authoritative indeed. We shall soon see.

Regardless of the hawk's rudder-less ship and inaccurate banter, I thought my experience Piloting a jet airplane into JFK numerous times (and to every major airport in the U.S.) might help me weigh their comparison of HVN to JFK. In doing so, I hope you'll come away from this article with an accurate understanding of the issues at hand.

How many runways do you have?

JFK Airport has four (4) runways. These runways are also parallel to one another. This configuration of runways allows SIMULTANEOUS operations of aircraft. Meaning, airplanes can take off and land at the same time...one uses Runway 'A' while the other uses Runway 'B' for its given operation. Further, if traffic volume dictates, JFK can use one of its intersecting runways while still using the other two parallel runways. That means, JFK can essentially use 3 runways to increase traffic flow.

Tweed-New Haven Airport has one (1) runway. One. Watch out JFK!

The airport configuration of (1) one runway is a relatively inefficient set-up to handle large amounts of traffic. And guess what? If you extend the runway at Tweed as proposed, guess how many runways you have? Still one! Still inefficient to handle vast amounts of additional traffic.

Runway length has nothing to do with it!

It seems some of the Hawks think there is a direct correlation to runway length and how busy the airport can get. Airports don't work that way. You could build Tweed's runway to 10,000 feet and that still would not equate to a busier airport. Airport configuration (how many runways and how they are set up in relation to one another) is what dictates an airport's ability to handle more traffic. A single runway airport has inherent limitations in becoming very busy.

Will Tweed get busier? Probably. Are there busy single runway airports? Yes. The point to remember however is that this increase in activity wouldn't equate to anything near the comparisons the "10,000 Hawks" like to make. There is a limit. I just described one reason why. Here's another:

Airspace Limitations.

Without getting overly technical, the way airplanes are spaced (sequenced) from one another is also a factor in how busy an airport can get (3 miles or 1.5 minutes generally speaking). This procedure of 'lining up airplanes in the sky' also relates directly to the level of technology at a given airport.

An airport like JFK also has the 'latest and greatest' radar technology that allows Air Traffic Control to maximize every shred of airspace. Simply put, JFK airport has multiple kinds of radars and other Air Traffic Control tools at its disposal. Tweed does not have this infrastructure. Nor is such proposed that I know of...Hawks, have you heard anything in your daily tech briefings?

These Air Traffic Procedures and Infrastructure requirements absolutely prohibit Tweed's ability to handle anywhere near the level of traffic the "10,000 Hawks" bellyache over. Further, with the number of airports in our region, there are again limits on just how many aircraft could be handled at Tweed. Lots of airplanes and airports around here!

The above issues are complex, eclectic and constantly under the review of experts at the Federal level (yes, I just equated Federal to expert!) in order to deliver the safest and most efficient product to the end product user, us. I doubt that the " 10,000 Hawks " know more than these professionals. If you listen to the Hawks at the next community airport meeting, don't say you weren't warned. Raise your claws all you want; Tweed can't get much busier.

The weather plays a roles too!
The real FACT is that weather plays a role in airport capacity (how many takeoffs and landings) as well. Ever flown out of NYC airports? This is an area of the country particularly sensitive to weather and how it equates to airport delays. And when I say “weather” I don’t mean torrents or rain and whirlwinds. I mean minute changes in weather that wreak havoc with airport capacity and lead to delays. How do I know this for a fact? First, the link I provided from the FAA website with this article describes “Visual” and “Marginal” weather. It shows in hard data how airport capacity is effected by weather. Secondly, while one of the “10,000 Hawks” touts flying out of JFK three times, I was based out of Newark-Liberty International for 21 years….that’s a few more times than three, I promise. While her statements and experience are valid, mine are too. I hope this lends credibility to my input on airport capacity.

Final Approach.

To substantiate my counterclaim to the "10,000 Hawks" expertise, I attached (I hope) rudimentary comparison data between Tweed and JFK. In doing so, you can see for yourself the ridiculous comparison. If you want any credibility, learn a little and know what you're talking about. To highlight the graphs above:

JFK has about 1,000 daily operations (Takeoffs and Landings).

HVN has about 53 daily operations (Takeoff and Landings).

It's a long way to Tipperary folks!!!

IF YOU READ THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN, THERE IS AN ACTUAL TABLE THAT SHOWS THE AIRPORT 'THROUGHPUT' CAPACITY. THIS NUMBER IS 77. THAT'S REAL, HARD DATA THAT CAN BE VERIFIED VIA FAA PUBLICATIONS. 77 OPERATIONS UNDER IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

THIS IS AN INHERENT LIMITATION THAT CANNOT BE EXCEEDED WITHOUT TURNING THE AIRPORT INTO SOMETHING IT IS NOT...IE MORE RUNWAYS!!!!

Word of ⛔️ caution ⚠️ This is 77 operations per hour. That is the capacity, not an aimed for goal. And remember, this is under ideal conditions.

Tweed averages about 50 operations per day at the current time. To presuppose that 77 operations per hour would be for a market like ours would be outlandish.

The frequently expressed goal of Tweed airport officials is 30 Airline flight per day. 30 per day!!! Not per hour.

You could do research yourself and dig deeper if you like. www.FAA.gov is a great website to learn about virtually everything airplane and airport. As the Tweed discussion unfolds, it's important that you understand who is credible in their assertions and who is not. My hope in writing this article is that you have an understanding of why HVN could never rival JFK or anything like it.

Not my work below, but a link and a cut and paste of some useful information to get you on your way.

Airport Capacity Profiles (faa.gov)

Below is a cut and paste of the information you would need get started in your research.

The set of FAA regulations for air traffic controllers is order 7110.65. These regulations are quite complicated and there are lots of exceptions and corner cases for various scenario. I'll try to give only the most basic rules here, but note that a full reading of 7110.65 would be necessary to understand all the minutiae.
Vertical separation:

• 4-5-1 Vertical Separation Minima. In general, 1,000 feet for IFR traffic (with exceptions).
• 7-7-3 Separation, 7-8-3 Separation, 7-9-4 Separation. 500 feet for VFR aircraft (with exceptions).

Lateral separation:

• 5-5-4 Minima. In general, 3 miles in the terminal environment and 5 miles in the enroute environment (with exceptions).

Things get more complicated in the following scenarios, and exceptions apply to them:

• Oceanic environment (7110.65 Chapter 8).
7110.65 Chapter 3, Sections 9 & 10).
• Nonradar environment (anytime the controller is not able to "apply radar separation") (7110.65 Chapter 6).

For these scenarios the regulations are rather lengthy and complicated, so I would simply refer you to Order 7110.65 in general.