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4.1 Basic Traffic Management

4.1.1 General

Traffic management is the process of organising aircraft to ensure a safe, orderly, and efficient flow of air traffic at the aerodrome.

The Tower Controller shall manage all traffic in a proactive manner to prevent conflicts and maintain continuous operations.

4.1.2 Objectives of Traffic Management

The Tower Controller shall aim to:

  • Maintain safe separation between aircraft
  • Ensure continuous and efficient runway utilisation
  • Minimise delay where possible
  • Integrate arrivals, departures, and circuit traffic

Safety and separation shall take priority over efficiency at all times.

4.1.3 Traffic Flow Awareness

The Tower Controller shall maintain continuous awareness of:

  • Aircraft on final approach
  • Aircraft within the circuit
  • Aircraft at holding points
  • Aircraft taxiing for departure
  • Runway occupancy

Effective traffic management requires continuous scanning, anticipation, and planning.

4.1.4 Sequencing Arrivals

Arriving aircraft shall be sequenced as early as possible.

The Tower Controller shall:

  • Establish landing order in advance
  • Maintain adequate spacing between aircraft
  • Adjust spacing using appropriate control techniques
  • Coordinate with Approach Control where required

Spacing adjustments may include:

  • Extending downwind
  • Delaying base turn
  • Issuing orbit instructions where appropriate

Example Phraseology:

GFA123, number two, follow traffic on final.  
GFA123, extend downwind, I will call base.

4.1.5 Managing Departures

Departures shall be integrated into the arrival sequence without compromising safety.

The Tower Controller shall:

  • Assess available gaps between arriving aircraft
  • Delay departures where arrival spacing is insufficient
  • Ensure wake turbulence separation is applied
  • Obtain departure release where required

Departures shall not be prioritised over arriving aircraft when this would reduce safety margins.

4.1.6 Arrival and Departure Integration

The Tower Controller shall manage the interaction between arriving and departing aircraft.

The controller shall:

  • Ensure departing aircraft are airborne before arriving aircraft reach a critical point on final
  • Adjust sequencing to maintain safe spacing
  • Delay or resequence traffic where required

Where safe integration cannot be achieved, the controller shall:

  • Delay departures, or
  • Instruct a go-around

4.1.7 Flow Control Under High Workload

During periods of high workload, the Tower Controller shall:

  • Simplify traffic sequences
  • Increase spacing between aircraft
  • Reduce the rate of departures
  • Prioritise critical traffic

The controller shall avoid complex or unnecessary instructions.

4.1.8 Key Principle

Traffic management shall be proactive rather than reactive.

The Tower Controller shall:

  • Anticipate traffic conflicts
  • Sequence aircraft early
  • Apply simple and effective control techniques

If traffic cannot be managed safely, the controller shall reduce traffic complexity until control is regained.

The controller should:

  • Use gaps between arriving aircraft
  • Avoid delaying arrivals unnecessarily
  • Ensure the runway is clear before issuing takeoff clearance

Example:

GFA456, line up and wait runway 27.
GFA456, runway 27, cleared for takeoff.

4.1.5 Integrating Circuit Traffic

Circuit traffic must be managed alongside IFR arrivals and departures.

The controller should:

  • Fit circuit aircraft into the landing sequence
  • Use orbits or extend downwind when required
  • Avoid disrupting arrival flow

Example:

GFA789, orbit left, I will call you back.
GFA789, extend downwind.

4.1.6 Anticipation

Effective traffic management relies on anticipation.

The controller should:

  • Plan several moves ahead
  • Identify potential conflicts early
  • Avoid reactive controlling

4.1.7 Key Principle

Good traffic management is achieved through early planning, continuous awareness, and proactive decision-making.