LOX Summary Report: Airport issues

Airport layout

The airport facilities would include:

• Terminal capacity for 120 million passengers per annum;
• Air Cargo Centre capacity for 4 million tonnes per annum;
• four 4000 metres runways in two close parallels pairs;
• intermediate parallel taxiways between the close runway pairs;
• dual parallel taxiways to each runway pair;
• 12800 metres of passenger aircraft stands;
• 1200 metres of air cargo aircraft stands;
• Passenger rail station with 8 platforms of 450 metres length;
• Rail head for air cargo within the Cargo Centre;
• Aircraft maintenance centre.

The airside facilities and operational layout of the airport are shown on Figure 13.

Obstacle Limitation Surfaces

There are several physical features which are infringements of the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces. The infringements of the Inner and Outer Horizontal Surfaces [see Figure 14] are not viewed as significant to the safe operation of the airport [note 4].

These obstacles are:

Inner Horizontal Surface:

• Milton House: A structure at 371 feet above mean sea level.

Outer Horizontal Surface

• Didcot A Power Station: Main Chimney
  This obstacle would penetrate the Outer Horizontal Surface to a significant extent – some 169 feet. Since it extends to a height more than 150 metres above ground level high intensity obstacle lights will be required.
• Lambourne Downs:
  Areas of natural terrain above 677 feet.
• Lambourne Down: communications mast
  A radio transmission mast of 1013 feet above mean seas level in height, since this latter obstacle extends to a height more than 150 metres above ground level high intensity obstacle lights will be required.

Take-off Climb Surface (runway 09R) and Appoach Surface (runway 27L)

• Didcot A Power Station: Main Chimney
  Although the hazard presented by this obstacle in the OHS may be mitigated by lighting, it would penetrate the Approach Surface to runway 27L (the fourth runway) and thus represent an unacceptable hazard to aircraft using this runway. A reduction in the height of the chimney of some 60 metres (197 feet) would therefore be required for the landing of aircraft on the instrument runway or a reduction of 75 metres (247 feet) for both landings and take-offs [see Figure 15].
  
  The loss of the potential fourth runway would reduce the capacity of the airport to 638 000 air transport movements a year and the passenger capacity to 112 million passengers a year.

Runway Usability

Based on the Met Office records (1990-2000) for RAF Brize Norton and RAF Benson the runway usability for a cross-wind component of 20 knots (37 km/hour) was assessed as greater than 99.6 per cent.

Note: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommended minimum runway usability is 95 per cent.

Birdstrike hazards

There are no significant birdstrike hazards in the vicinity of the airport site, although the potential for the build-up of hazardous levels of bird populations at the two nearby sewage works and several major rivers, reservoirs and areas of standing water within 8 miles of the airport would require continuous review. The management of the proposed airport Holding Pond would require low scale counter measures to deter colonisation by wildfowl [see Figure 16].

Interaction with RAF Brize Norton

The proximity of RAF Brize Norton would require joint management of the operations from the airbase and LOX [see Figure 17]. Likewise the occasional US forces operational use of Fairford would necessitate control and coordination by the joint facility.

Oxford Area of Intense Aerial Activity

A substantial reduction in the surface extent of the Oxford AIAA would be required, with the bulk of the designation being subsumed in the Airport Control Zone [see Figure 18].

Airspace restrictions and Hazardous Areas

The Prohibited Area P106 around Harwell would prevent flight below 2500 feet within its extent. This would constrain recirculation of aircraft to the south of the airport to flight levels above 2500 feet. The Danger Area D129 (Brize Radar) is taken into account in the configuration of the Departure & Arrival Routes for the airport [see Figure 19].

Departure & Arrival Routes

Figures 20 and 21 show the Standard Instrument Departures & Standard Terminal Arrival Routes assumed in the study – these are based on the integration of the new pattern of movement into the existing confirguration of the London system, a presumption which will need to be reviewed in the light of the future revisions and technological changes which will certainly intervene during the planning stages of the project.

Extension to the LTMA

In order to accommodate the new site traffic an extension to the London Terminal Manoeuvring Area is proposed [See Figure 22].

The potential co-location of RAF Brize Norton and the airport

Preliminary studies were made into the feasibility of the relocation of RAF Brize Norton to an area of land adjoining the airport and enabling the shared use of the runway, airside and aircraft maintenance facilities of the airport. This co-location would offer the prospect of substantial capital release and operation savings to the Ministry of Defence. The proposal has not been developed in detail [see Figure 23].

Compensation for aircraft noise nuisance

A novel scheme for the direct compensation of those households impacted by aircraft noise is advanced in a separate document [see Appendix Figures A.13-A.14].