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Heathrow

General Policy Area of Responsibility Operation Information Outbound Procedures Inbound Procedures Intermediate Approach Final Approach Aerodrome Control Low Vis Procedures Northolt and Denham Quickview Back

Heathrow has two parallel runways, the northern of which is 09L/27R and the southern, 09R/27L. A third runway, 05/23 used to exist but is no longer used - It is now designated as taxiway Alpha.

Runway	Take-off Distance	Landing Distance
27L	3658m	3658m
09R	3658m	3353m
27R	3962m	3884m
09L	3902m	3595m

Terminal Assignments

Airline	Terminals
Aer Lingus	1
Aeroflot	4
Air Algerie	4
Air Astana	4
Air Canada	3
Air China	3
Air France	4
Air India	3
Air Malta	4
Air Mauritius	3
Air New Zealand	1
Air Seychelles	4
Alitalia	4
All Nippon Airways	3
American Airlines	3
Arik Air	4
Asiana Airlines	1
Atlas Blue	4
Austrian Airlines	1
Azerbaijan Airlines	4
Bellview Airlines	4
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	3
Blue 1 (SAS Group)	3
BMI	1
British Airways	3, 4, 5
Bulgaria Air	4
Cathay Pacific	3
China Eastern	4
Continental Airlines	4
Croatia Airlines	1
CSA Czech Airlines	4
Cyprus Airways	1
Delta Airlines	4
Egypt Air	3
El Al Israel Airlines	1
Emirates	3
Ethiopian Airlines	3
Etihad Airways	3
Eva Air	3
Finnair	3
Gulf Air	3
Iberia	3
Icelandair	1
Iran Air	3
Japan Airlines	3
JAT Airways	4
Jet Airways	3
Kenya Airways	4
Kibris Turkish Airlines	3
Kingfisher Airlines	4
KLM	4
Korean Air	3
Kuwait Airways	3
Libyan Arab Airlines	4
LOT Polish Airlines	1
Lufthansa	1
Malaysian Airlines	3
Middle East Airlines	3
Northwest Airlines	4
Olympic Airlines	4
Oman Air	3
Pakistan International Airlines	3
Qantas	4
Qatar Airways	3
Rossiya Airlines	4
Royal Air Maroc	4
Royal Brunei Airlines	3
Royal Jordanian	3
SAS	3
Saudi Arabian Airlines	3
Singapore Airlines	3
South African Airways	1
Sri Lankan Airlines	4
Swiss International Airlines	1
Syrianair	4
TAM	4
TAP Air Portugal	1
Tarom	4
Thai Airways International	3
Transaero Airlines	1
Tunisair	4
Turkish Airlines	3
Turkmenistan Airlines	3
United Airlines	1
US Airways	1
Uzbekistan Airways	4
Virgin Atlantic Airways	3
Vueling	3
Yemenia Yemen Airways	4

Lighting

Runway Lighting

• High Intensity bi-directional centre line lights at 15 metre intervals.
• Bi-directional High Intensity white edge lights spaced 46 metres apart laterally and 25 metres apart longitudinally.
• Touchdown zone lights consisting of bars of 4 white lights. The bars are spaced at 77 metre intervals longitudinally and cover the first 923 metres of the runway.
• High Intensity green threshold lights stretching the whole width of the runway, with green wing bars.
• High Intensity red end bar lights across the whole width at the upwind end of the runway.

PAPIs are installed on all runways and consist of 4 units on the left, providing guidance in maintaining the required 3 degree approach angle.

Approach Lighting

• 914 metre high white High intensity coded centre line with 5 crossbars
• The last 305 metres of approach lighting includes Supplementary Approach lights (SALS) consisting of 9 barrettes of 4 white lights dispersed about the centre line, and the same number of 4 red light barrettes either side. All the lights are at 30 metres spacing

Noise

The airport is surrounded by many built up areas. Various procedures have been designed to minimise disturbance to the local communities.

Preferential Selection of Runway

As a general principle, runway 27L/27R are to be used in preference to 09L/09R whenever the tailwind component does not exceed 5kts, provided that the runway surface is dry and the associated crosswind component does not exceed 12kts. The choice of runway is decided by ADC.

In order to spread the noise impact of aircraft operations, when westerly operations are in use, Heathrow will make use of both runways; one for take-off and the other for landing, switching around at 1500 Local. During Easterly operations, runway 09R is used for departures and runway 09L used for landing (although 09R can also be used for landing).

In reality, the runway alternation procedure is in use from 0600 local until the last departure of the day. In our virtual world
however, we have decided to make the alternation procedure start at 0600 local and end at 2300 local. Outside those times, a night alteration program runs which designates a landing runway for use. In reality, this is a highly complex program so we have simplified it for our virtual world.

Runway alternation procedure - Table indicates the LANDING runway:

Week beginning	06 - 15 local	15 - 23 local		23 - 06 local
14/12/2009	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
21/12/2009	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
28/12/2009	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
04/01/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
11/01/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
18/01/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
25/01/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
01/02/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
08/02/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
15/02/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
22/02/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
01/03/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
08/03/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
15/03/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
22/03/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
29/03/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
05/04/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
12/04/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
19/04/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
26/04/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
03/05/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
10/05/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
17/05/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
24/05/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
31/05/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
07/06/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
14/06/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
21/06/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
28/06/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
05/07/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
12/07/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
19/07/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
26/07/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
02/08/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
09/08/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
16/08/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
23/08/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
30/08/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
06/09/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
13/09/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
20/09/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
27/09/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
04/10/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
11/10/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
18/10/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
25/10/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
01/11/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
08/11/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
15/11/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
22/11/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
29/11/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)
06/12/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09R (27L)
13/12/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27L (09R)
20/12/2010	27R (09L)	27L (09L)		09L (27R)
27/12/2010	27L (09L)	27R (09L)		27R (09L)

Between 2300 and 0600 local, single runway operations are in force. The runway indicated in the table should be used for both arrivals and departures. If the runway indicated can not be used due to wind factors, then the runway indicated in the brackets should be used instead.

There are occasions where aircraft are allowed to land on the departure runway. These are:

• During periods of excessive inbound delay
• Inadequate spacing on final approach which may result in a missed approach, the aircraft can be switched to the departure runway
• Propeller driven aircraft of  MTOW not exceeding 5700kg (Nothing bigger than a Jet Stream 31)
• Royal/CAT D flights who may wish to land on 27L/09R due to its proximity to the Royal Suite

Owing to difficulties in noise abatement requirements and taxing problems near the holding point, runway 09L is not to be used for departures except in the following circumstances:

• When unserviceability of the approach aids prevent it being used as a landing runway
• When there is excessive delay on northbound departures
• When parallel approach procedures are in operation
• When runway 09R is unserviceable
• When the IRVR or runway state is better than that of 09R

Approach controllers must pass a 20nm check to the tower for any aircraft landing on the departure runway.

Night Noise Restrictions

Jet aircraft operating into and out of Heathrow at night are subject to limits and operating restrictions:
- Between 2300 and 0700 local in respect of 09L/09R and between 2300 and 0600 local in respect of 27L/27R, inbound aircraft are to be vectored onto a closing heading which will intercept the aircraft on the extended centreline no closer than 10nm from touchdown.
- Descent clearance below 6000ft is not to be given until the aircraft is 20nm from touchdown
- Descent clearance below 3000ft is not to be given until the aircraft is 10nm from touchdown

Turbulence on Final Approach

Turbulent conditions may be experienced on final approach to runway 27R when the wind is between 170 and 230 degrees at a mean speed of 15kts or more. This is primarily caused by the British Airways hangar. If such conditions exist, it may be beneficial to de alternate from the preferential runway procedures. If continuing to land on 27R, this information must be contained within the ATIS.

Parallel Runway Operations

Parallel approaches with 2nm horizontal separation are approved for use at Heathrow provided that:
- Day only
- Visibility is 10km or more

A reduction below 2nm horizontal separation may be used provided that:
- Day only
- Visibility is 10km or more
- Both aircraft are established on the ILS final approach tracks
- Cloud base is such that the aircraft will remain below cloud throughout the part of the approach where standard vertical separation is not applied
- The 2nd of the pair is informed of the position of the 1st and is happy to maintain visual separation
- The tower is informed