What does throughput capacity describe?

• A. Rate at which aircraft operate without regard to delay
• B. Maximum number of aircraft on the ground at once
• C. Average fuel burn per flight
• D. Total annual passengers served

Answer: (A)

Throughput capacity measures the maximum rate at which a system can process operations. In aviation, this means how many aircraft movements (takeoffs and landings) can be handled per hour under given conditions. It’s about the flow or speed of operations, not how many planes sit on the ground, how much fuel a flight uses, or how many passengers are served over a year. So the rate of movements per hour is what throughput capacity describes.