Traditional runway occupancy management relies on standardised separation minima, which often fail to account for differences in aircraft type, performance, and operational behaviour. This results in inefficiencies, higher fuel consumption, and missed opportunities for optimising throughput.

ROCAT aims to increase runway throughput based on the characterisation of local runway occupancy time (ROT) and determination of the ROT spacing categories applied between consecutive arrivals.

This procedural application of ROCAT is based on the ROCAT solution developed in SESAR PJ02.08.03. for the procedural application, the optimised ROT distance spacing relies on the definition of a category-based ROCAT scheme defining categories of aircraft. In HERON, the analysis to characterise local ROT was based on the runway occupancy time per individual aircraft type and the associated applicable ROT distance spacing value, allowing reduced ROT spacing for medium wake category aircraft.

As ROCAT matches aircraft types to specific ROT categories, ROT spacing minima are tailored to maximise runway usage, helping to increase runway throughput, reduce delays and airborne holding times leading to lower fuel consumption, reduced CO2 emission and improved traffic predictability without compromising safety.

The solution applies to airports with high-capacity runways and can be integrated into existing air traffic management (ATM) systems without requiring additional modifications to aircraft.
ROCAT operates within the established frameworks of air traffic management (ATM) and aligns with european civil aviation conference (ECAC) performance requirements.  

While no regulatory changes are currently required for its implementation, ongoing evaluations aim to assess its scalability and standardisation potential for broader adoption across SESAR-member states.

ROCAT exemplifies how innovative procedural solutions can address runway capacity challenges, enhancing efficiency and sustainability while maintaining the highest safety standards.