ATC
Time-based ATC Separation Begins in London
Windy conditions reduce LHRs arrival rate approximately 65 days each year.

The initial phase of time-based separation (TBS) made its debut at London Heathrow airport last week. Rather than using traditional mileage-based spacing, the new system employs live wind data from airborne aircraft to dynamically calculate optimal safe time-based spacing between arrivals. At Heathrow, the normal arrival rate is 40 per hour, a number that can easily slip closer to an inefficient 30 per hour when high-wind conditions are present. Strong headwinds, present approximately 65 days each year, are considered the single largest cause of arrival delays at Heathrow.