How Air Traffic Control Sequences 48 Landings Per Hour

That string of lights stretching back into the darkness as your plane taxies in — it's not random. Every aircraft in that sequence has been orchestrated for over an hour, starting 200 nautical miles out. This episode breaks down the arrival sequencing system that feeds runways with surgical precision: how controllers manage wake turbulence categories, why Time-Based Separation recovers four extra landings per hour in windy conditions, and how holding stacks and Ground Delay Programs act as shock absorbers when demand exceeds capacity. Discover why delivering exactly 48 arrivals per hour (not 49) is the measure of success.