Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC)

Service technique de l'aviation civile

The airport capacity studies aim to assess an airport’s performances by determining the maximum traffic flow, expressed in aircraft or passenger movements per unit of time, that it is capable of accepting in satisfactory conditions for operators. Airport capacity is a decision-making aid for use in the planning of airport infrastructure and coordination.

STAC’s “Airport Safety and Capacity” division conducts capacity studies on the aircraft transit area (ground) and the airspace near an airport. They can also assess, including from the environmental point of view, certain innovative concepts changing the operating rules.

To perform its capacity studies, the STAC has various tools:

  • internally developed analytical calculation tool;
  • CAST, accelerated time simulation tool designed by the company Airport Research Center (Germany).

These tools simulate traffic in flight and traffic on the ground in a synchronized manner, in order to broaden the scope of the studies executed for the DGAC’s different departments, the DTA (air transport department), principal sponsor, and also the DSAC (Civil Aviation Safety Department), the DSNA (air navigation service) and other transport stakeholders.

leaflet on Capacity of the airport and its airspace (French only)

Updated on January 17 2022