RUNWAY CONFIGURATION ANALYSIS BASED ON WIND DATA: A CASE STUDY OF WARSAW CHOPIN AIRPORT

Runway configuration at airports is determined based on the prevailing wind direction to ensure the safety of flight operations. In this process, wind direction, crosswind component, and wind coverage are of critical importance. In this study, Warsaw Chopin Airport, which has intersecting runways, is examined. Using 12 years of METAR data for the airport, wind speed, wind direction, and wind coverage were analyzed. Finally, monthly wind contour models were generated for the airport, and the relationship between wind and runway configuration was evaluated seasonally. Based on the wind data from Warsaw Chopin Airport, it was found that the prevailing wind directions are west, northwest, and east-southeast; the average wind direction is 250°, while the maximum and minimum wind directions are 270° and 360°, respectively. Additionally, the wind coverage was calculated as 99.77% with the combined use of the existing intersecting runways, indicating that the current runway configurations are operationally highly sufficient.