How is capacity measured?

How is capacity measured?

• A. Passenger throughput per hour
• B. Number of aircraft operations per hour
• C. Baggage handling per hour
• D. Number of runways

Answer: (B)

Measuring capacity centers on how many aircraft movements the airport system can handle in a given time. The standard metric is aircraft operations per hour—counting each takeoff and landing—because it directly reflects the airside and ATC capacity to process flights within a hour, considering runway use, taxiing, sequencing, and related constraints. Passenger throughput per hour measures how many passengers are processed, which is more about demand and terminal service than the airport’s ability to move aircraft. Baggage handling per hour gauges ground handling efficiency for bags, not the overall rate at which the airport can accommodate flights. The number of runways is a fixed asset that influences capacity but isn’t a rate itself. The key idea is that capacity is the maximum rate of operations, best expressed as aircraft movements per hour.

Measuring capacity centers on how many aircraft movements the airport system can handle in a given time. The standard metric is aircraft operations per hour—counting each takeoff and landing—because it directly reflects the airside and ATC capacity to process flights within a hour, considering runway use, taxiing, sequencing, and related constraints.

Passenger throughput per hour measures how many passengers are processed, which is more about demand and terminal service than the airport’s ability to move aircraft. Baggage handling per hour gauges ground handling efficiency for bags, not the overall rate at which the airport can accommodate flights. The number of runways is a fixed asset that influences capacity but isn’t a rate itself. The key idea is that capacity is the maximum rate of operations, best expressed as aircraft movements per hour.