PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) commissioned Raytheon Company's Precision Runway Monitor (PRM) Sept. 29
for use at Philadelphia International Airport. FAA's action clears the way
for air traffic controllers to increase Philadelphia's airport arrival
capacity using the PRM and associated procedures. First year capacity gains,
particularly during dense air traffic and adverse weather conditions, are
expected to increase arrivals by 15 to 20 percent and yield significant cost
savings to airlines.
PRM is an electronically scanned, monopulse secondary surveillance radar
that updates an aircraft's location once every second-a rate that is almost
five times faster than that of conventional radar equipment. Its high-
resolution digital displays and predictive alerts help air traffic controllers
to land aircraft safely on closely spaced parallel runways. PRM is a
sophisticated tool that enables increased aircraft arrivals and reduced delays
related to airport landing capacity.
In Philadelphia, the system allows aircraft to land simultaneously on
parallel runways separated by only 3,000 feet. Using PRM, air traffic
controllers direct smaller, slower moving aircraft to the recently completed
north runway while using the longer southern parallel runway for faster
moving, large jet aircraft. Arrivals on one runway are completely independent
of arrivals on the other.
Jim Frazier, US Airways director of Air Traffic Control and Airfield
Operations, said, "PRM enhances safety and promises an improvement in capacity
at a key northeast hub airport.
Our customers will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this important
addition to the suite of radar tools available to Philadelphia's air traffic
controllers."
With headquarters in Lexington, Mass., Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is a
global technology leader in defense, government and commercial electronics,
and business and special mission aircraft.
Contact:
Patricia Perlini
219.429.5547
SOURCE Raytheon Company
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Related links:
http://www.raytheon.com
CONTACT:
Patricia Perlini of Raytheon Company,
+1-219-429-5547
NOTE TO EDITORS: Philadelphia's PRM is the third U.S. system to
be installed. Two new systems are under construction at New
York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and San Francisco's
International Airport. The FAA has designated Atlanta's Hartsfeld
International Airport to receive a PRM. Internationally, the
system is operational at Hong Kong and Sidney, Australia
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