CIRCULAR CONCEPT An endless runway would enable aircraft to always take off and land safely by avoiding risky crosswinds as routing can be changed dynamically according to current weather conditions
Netherlands-based aerospace innovation centre NLR proposes that a single circular runway – its Endless Runway concept – could mitigate many takeoff and landing risks and improve airport efficiency, as opposed to the multiple straight runways in service at commercial airports throughout the world.
NLR senior research and development engineer Henk Hesselink envisaged the concept – the circular runway is inspired by a growing demand for airport capacity as growth figures point to a doubling every 15 years.
The concept of the Endless Runway airport design is based on a circular runway with a diameter of about 3.5 km and a central terminal in the middle, thereby occupying a space a third the size of a conventional airport.
One of the major advantages of the design is that aircraft will be able to take off and land independently of wind direction, as there will always be a point on the runway not exposed to a crosswind, according to NLR.
In addition, landing aircraft can be routed away from residential areas with a multitude of approaches being available.