The omnidirectional runway with infinite heading as a futuristic runway concept for future free route airspace operations

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to create and analyze the effectiveness of a new runway system, which is totally created for the future free route operations. Design/methodology/approach: This paper researches and analyses the new generated runway concept with the fast time simulation method. Fuel consumption and environmental effect of the new runway system are calculated based on simulation results. Findings: According to different traffic density analyses the Omnidirectional Runway with Infinite Heading (ORIH) reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions up to 46.97%. Also the total emissions of the ORIH concept, for the hydro carbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollutants were lower than the total emissions with the conventional runway up to 83.13, 74.36 and 51.49%, respectively. Practical implications: Free route airspaces bring many advantages to air traffic management and airline operations. Direct routes become available from airport to airport thanks to free route airspace concept. However, conventional single runway structure does not allow aircraft operations for every direction. The landing and take-off operations of a conventional airport with a single runway must be executed with only two heading direction. This limitation brings a bottleneck direct approach and departure route usage as convenient with free route airspace concept. This paper suggests and analyzes the omnidirectional runway with infinite heading (ORIH) as a solution for free route airspace. Originality/value: This paper suggests a new and futuristic runway design and operation for the free route operations. This paper has its originality from the suggested and newly created runway system. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.