A mixed integer programming model for optimal ATC tower height and location : a case study for Singapore Changi Airport's third runway extension

Abstract

With continued growth in air traffic, airports worldwide are expanding their runway infrastructure. This leads to the problem of determining an appropriate location and height for an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower that can provide the right vantage point for coordinating runway and taxiway movements. The challenge involves finding the right location and optimal height that can satisfy the visibility and obstruction constraints for a complex airport-airside environment with multiple runways and civil infrastructure under different weather conditions. This article formulates the ATC tower location and height problem as a Mixed-Integer-Programming (MIP) model while considering the visibility and obstruction constraints. Singapore Changi Airport's proposed third runway extension is used as a case study to determine the set of location and height of ATC Tower using the proposed approach. A visual analytic test is conducted in an ATC tower simulator for different tower locations and heights under varying visibility conditions.