Delays in the terminal area lead to increases in the operating cost of the aircraft involved. We assess these costs as one criterion of the effectiveness of the air traffic system in the terminal area, and to give a measure of the desirable expenditure on methods of reducing delay (e.g. improved radar, additional runways or even an extra airport). This note discusses methods of assessing the cost penalty of delays exclusively to the airline operator and gives examples for three types of aircraft, a short-range subsonic jet, a long-range subsonic jet and a supersonic transport.

Terminal area delays occur essentially because aircraft apply for use of the runway, either for take-off or landing, in a random fashion and because the acceptance rate of the runway is limited by the need to maintain safe separation between aircraft on and in the vicinity of the runway. Such delays involve penalty to the aircraft operator in terms of extra time and fuel consumed and hence of extra operating cost.