October 2022 DCA Noise Meeting Summary
Meeting Highlights
MWAA Update: Flights are running at about 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels of
2019. That translates into a combined total of about 820 takeoffs and landings per
day on average. There is strong growth in passenger traffic, especially among
leisure travelers. Business travel is still lagging. People are going to vacation
destinations and working remotely while they're there. It's an entirely different
pattern for parking lots.
FAA Update: Regarding Recommendations 22, 23 and 24; GPS Runway 19
Matt Fisher (FAA): Discussion started with new proposal for the GPS approach by
the FAA that almost matches the RNP. Fisher compared the FAA design of the
GPS to the ABCx2 design and they are also similar. DARIC moved back 2,700’.
The FAA design is slightly closer to the DC side of the River near Georgetown and
Palisades, but also has lower weather minimums which will reduce the use of the
LDA procedures, which will be re-designed as part of this process.
Questions and Discussion Followed
Fisher Recommendation 24. FAA did an analysis of the June 2022 departures off
Runway 1 and Runway 33 that flew over ALEEX. A few aircraft were vectored off
procedure. Over ALEEX was the area of concern and concentration for exercise.
2,590 tracks were examined. We had six tracks below 4,000 feet, 188 between
4000 and 5000 feet. Bulk of the tracks crossed between 5,000 and 6,000. About
1200 represents about half of the tracks off the north operation that flew over
ALEEX for this data poll. Another significant percentage were above 6,000.
Plan would be after confirming no technical concern, submitting an IP gateway
request for the next time the procedure's open; can potentially code the above
5,000. Some technical things to work through to see if this is feasible. Want to
present the track data to validate that would see some benefit. Will set the
expectation to run down some answers with our technical people and have an
update in January as to what we found out.
Fisher: Wanted to touch on request to pursue NADP-1 noise abatement departure
procedures at DCA. Meeting in August that was informative. NADP-1 is something
most of fleet mix is not capable of at DCA. Some airlines fly airframes that they
operate internationally and may be able to do NADP-1. American committed to
starting NADP-1 and ran that through a good part of the summer. Towards end of
the summer there were incidents where an operator not participating with NADP-1
ran down and caught the American departure doing NADP-1 because the air speed
is slower. Created a potential safety issue ultimately resolved by controllers
involved but may have to change departure interval at the airport. Not tenable for
either the airport or FAA at TRACON. At August meeting, most operators spoke
about concerns.
To add another variable, the airframes of certain airlines operating at a slower air
speed - proved to be more of a challenge than is tenable. Not going to support that
request from an FAA standpoint. Not going to pursue the change. Unless 100
percent of operators can do NADP-1, it introduces too much risk