Delta airlines operates it's major hub at the world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson provided services to 88 million passengers and 970,235 flights, or about 242,000 passengers and 2,700 flights per day on average during 2010. The airport operates 5 runways to accommodate the enormous amount of traffic. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is gigantic at over 5.7 million square feet. On a normal operating day, the airfield will utilize 2 runways for takeoffs and 3 for landings for maximum efficiency. It operates more than 200 concession outlets which includes food, beverage, retail, convenience, and staffed service outlets.
Hartsfield saw an optimum arrival and departure aircraft capacity at 180-188 per hour during visual meteorological conditions or VMC according to the 2004 Airport Capacity Benchmark study. The same study saw 158-162 departures and arrivals optimally during instrument meteorological conditions or IMC. It was predicted that in 2010 that the airfield would see an increase of about 28-33% from the 2004 levels. This prediction equated to approximately 250 per hour during VMC and 215 during IMC. Mr. Robert Williams of the Atlanta TRACON stated that controllers can currently handle about 220 per hour during VMC and 190 per hour on an IMC. He also mentioned that the airport has not reached its full capacity as anticipated because of ongoing construction on the field, airspace issues, and high world load on the air traffic controllers themselves. Additionally, Hartsfield-Jackson has yet to upgrade the servicing radar that allows traffic that allows arrival aircraft to be spaced out at 3 miles apart vice the standard 5 miles or greater requirement during the approach phase. The required radar would be in compliance with the reduced runway separation requirements as mandated by the FAA. The radar required is currently under construction and should be available during the summer to 2011
The airport has seen continuous growth historically from its humble beginnings as an retired army airfield during WWII to its current reign as the world's busiest airport. Eastern airlines was growing rapidly in the 1970's by pioneering the hub and spoke system for commercial aviation. After the airlines deregulated, Eastern crumbled and Delta picked up many of the defunct airline's routes. Most importantly, it left Delta as the sole major airline with its home based in Atlanta. Over the years, Delta began absorbing other smaller airlines to become the giant entity it is today. It continues to operate its major hub in Atlanta resulting in the large influx of traffic.
During the mid 1990's, studies found that the airport will increase its overall traffic flow at a rate of approximately 2% every year. In response to the magnitude of this increase traffic and Delta's emergence as a world leader in international travel, the Atlanta City Council approved construction of a new international terminal, servicing taxi-ways, a new runway, and a new control tower. The new control tower was required in order to see the new 5th runway that was being considered. It would become the tallest control tower in the United States at about 400 feet in height. Additionally, the council approved projects to resurface the existing runways, adding 500ft both inside runways, and giving the majority of the terminal areas a cosmetic facelift. The resurfacing project was completed in 2004, new terminal and runway in 2006, and international terminal is schedule for a 2012 completion. The intention of this massive undertaking was to build and maintain the facilities necessary to reduce flight delays and handle increased travel demand.
The expansion project was immense and expensive. It was originally conceived to cost $6.3 billion but new estimates show that it will be more than $9 billion. The cost of raw materials soared during the past 10 years mostly because of rising fuel costs. Also, the original design team for the new international terminal had started the project but was then fired after it predicted massive cost overruns. The council basically had to start over from scratch. (5)
Hartsfield-Jackson's grounds cover 4,700 acres and contain five runways. All runways run east to west, with a pair of runways north of the terminals and three runways south of the terminals. Having five parallel runways makes it possible for multiple aircraft to take off and land at the same time without concerns that their flight paths will cross. This allows all the runways to be in near-continuous operation. The inside runways, closest to the terminals, are the longest; one is 11,889 feet in length, and the other is 10,000 feet long. The remaining three are each 9,000 feet long. Jets can be much heavier when they take off than when they land since they burn off fuel weight during the course of flight. This requires the length of these inside runways to be longer so they can provide aircraft fully laden with passengers, cargo, and fuel with the distance needed to accelerate safely to takeoff speed or to stop just before takeoff if something goes wrong.
Two of the outside runways, used for landing, have specialized Category III Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) that provide precise radio beams for aircraft to follow down to the runway. By using these radio beams, the most modern aircraft can land themselves during weather conditions in which the visibility and ceiling prevent the pilots from seeing the runway until they have landed.
Demand in the future may support the need for additional structures. The Atlanta City Council seemed to understand this 11 years ago when they idea for the new runway was conceived. The new runway was built significantly offset from the previous 4 leaving plenty of space for growth in-between. This gives the airport an economic advantage since it does not have to purchase additional land to expand if it desires to use this area. Encroachment of urban sprawl around the airfield required that the new runway span across I-285. The new runway is the only one in America to be built to cross a major interstate.
The FAA concludes that Hartsfield-Jackson currently meets the requirements for its capacity today and for the 2015 expected capacity. However, it recognizes that the airport will need to continue infrastructure growth in order to meet the 2020 and 2025 goals. "While ATL should be lauded for the increased capacity added by its new runway and end-around taxiway, the metropolitan area is expected to need additional capacity improvements to meet forecast demand for 2025".
Delta has been the steady driver of the expansion of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The company's and airfields growth can almost go hand-in-hand. The recent merger of Southwest Airlines and AirTrans poises even larger expansion needs of the field. It has taken to task and met the capacity for growth that was anticipated several years ago. Now it must redefine itself again and continue its forward leaning posture in order to meet the demands of decades to come.
Betsy Braden and Paul Hagen, A Dream Takes Flight: Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport and Aviation in Atlanta (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1989)
Airport Capacity Benchmark Report 2004. US Dept of Transportation. FAA. September 2004
Robert Williams, Interview, 21April201, Federal Aviation Administration, Senior ATC manager, Atlanta TRACON.
An Analysis of Airports and Metropolitan Area Demand and Operational Capacity in the Future, May 2007, US Dept of Transportation, FAA.
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2007/09/24/story2.html
