FAA Addresses Converging Runway Operations

An independent safety analysis, specific to converging runway operations, could provide an equivalent level of safety and improve efficiency, but only if certain criteria exist, and the FAA’s Order JO 7210.880 spells out how and operator can accomplish this. A facility may be permitted to conduct independent non-intersecting converging runway operations (CRO) without the use of some mitigations if a documented independent safety analysis indicating a specific non-intersecting CRO configuration meets FAA safety criteria or a runway configuration for which these provisions are applied must be specified in a facility directive.

To make use of this criteria, an airport must recieve approval from the FAA's vice presidents of air traffic services and safety and technical training. A review of facility safety-risk management documents and an independent analysis of the arrival departure window (ADW) meeting FAA safety criteria are also needed. During development of the ADW tool, it was discovered there are configurations which FAA Order JO 7210.3, paragraph 10-3-14 indicates could safely support independent operations, without an ADW.