Departure Separation
Separation between departing aircraft is applied so that after one aircraft takes off, the next aircraft does not take-off with less than the number of minutes needed. There are 3 main departure separation methods; Vortex Separation, Route Separation and Speed Separation
Vortex Separation
| First Aircraft Vortex Category | Second Aircraft Vortex Category | Separation (Mins) |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy | Heavy | 1 |
| Heavy | Medium | 2 |
| Heavy | Small | 2 |
| Heavy | Light | 2 |
| Medium | Heavy | - |
| Medium | Medium | 1 |
| Medium | Small | 2 |
| Medium | Light | 2 |
| Small | Heavy | - |
| Small | Medium | - |
| Small | Small | 1 |
| Small | Light | 2 |
| Light | Heavy | - |
| Light | Medium | - |
| Light | Small | - |
| Light | Light | 1 |
The time is counted from the moment the 1st aircraft's main landing gear leaves the ground. (At certain airfields it is counted from the time the aircraft starts its take-off roll.) If the first aircraft commences a full length take-off and the following aircraft departs from an intersection, the spacing must be increased to 3 minutes.
Route Separation
1 minute separation - The aircraft fly on tracks diverging by 45° or more immediately after take-off.
2 minute separation - The preceding (first) aircraft has filed a true airspeed 40 knots or more faster than the following (second).
5 minute separation - The preceding (first) aircraft has filed a true airspeed of 20 to 39 knots faster than the following aircraft.
10 minute separation - Any other case
ATC Units may have their own reduced separations. These will be detailed in the airport information on our website.
Speed Separation
| Group 3 | Group 2 | Group 1 | Group 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATP | |||
| AT43/44/45/72 | |||
| All jet aircraft excluding: | BA46 | BE20 | BE99 |
| BA46 | C501 | DHC7 | E110 |
| C501 | C551 | DH8A/8B/8C/8D | SH33 |
| C551 | CARJ | E120 | SH36 |
| CARJ | CL60 | F27 | C404 |
| CL60 | E145 | F50 | PA23 |
| E145 | L328 | G159 | PA31 |
| JS31/32/41 | |||
| SF34 | |||
| SW3/4 |
When a faster aircraft follows a slower aircraft, the minimum separation is increased by one minute for each successive group (e.g. Group 3 following Group 2, add 1 minute. Group 3 following Group 0, add 3 minutes)
The time is counted from the moment the first aircraft begins its takeoff roll. If the first aircraft commences a full length take-off and the following aircraft departs from an intersection, the spacing should be increased to 3 minutes.