MANAGED ARR RESERVOIR PROGRAM CAUSED ACFT DIVERSIONS EXCESSIVE CTLR WORKLOAD.

Narrative

THE FAA HAS RECENTLY STARTED THE 'MANAGED ARR RESERVOIR' PROGRAM; DESIGNED TO ISSUE AIRBORNE DELAYS (HOLDING) NEAR THE DEST ARPT RATHER THAN GND DELAYS AT THE POINT OF DEP. SINCE ITS INCEPTION AND POSSIBLY DUE TO WINTER WX PATTERNS; THIS HAS RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE HOLDING. TO THE ATC SYS; THIS TRANSLATES TO EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD; SECTOR SATURATION; AND TFC SITS NOT CURRENTLY CONSISTENT WITH PROCS DUE TO DEPS CONFLICTING WITH ARR HOLDING PATTERNS AT MORE ALTS (IE; TOUGHER TO CLB DEPS 'ABOVE THE STACK'). FURTHER CURRENT METHODS OF MONITORING SECTOR SATURATION ARE INEFFECTIVE (A RECENT ERROR INVESTIGATION SHOWED 17 ACFT IN THE SECTOR; FLOW CTL INDICATED ONLY 7). TO PLTS; EXCESSIVE HOLDING CREATES THE OBVIOUS PROB OF FUEL CONSUMPTION. EARLIER TODAY WE FACED ACFT ARRIVING FROM THE FAR EAST WHO HAD BEEN IN THE AIR 9 PLUS HRS HITTING THEIR HOLDING LIMIT AND BEING FORCED TO DIVERT TO ALTERNATE ARPTS ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASION. THE STRESS CAUSED TO BOTH THE ATC SYS AND THE FLCS BECAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM ARE UNNECESSARY. GND DELAYS MAY NOT BE PLEASANT; BUT ARE FAR SAFER THAN THIS METHOD. I HOPE THAT THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A FAR MORE SERIOUS RPT MUST BE FILED. THIS IS PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS DURING SFO'S 'SE PLAN' OPS; COMMON IN WINTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLED ZOA TFC MGMNT BRANCH REGARDING RPT. SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED ON OR ABOUT JAN/XX/95. THE VARIOUS AIRLINES SUPPORT THE PROGRAM AND BELIEVE THE AIR DELAYS ARE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEM THAN GND DELAYS. SPECIALIST CONFIRMS THAT ARRS FROM THE PACIFIC RTES WHO HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE FOR 10 PLUS HRS DO HAVE TO PROCEED TO ALTERNATES SOMETIMES. ARPT CAPACITY IS A PRODUCT OF THE WX SYS SO ARR RATES VARY WITH THE SYS. SPECIALIST DOESN'T CONCUR WITH RPTR REGARDING CAPABILITY OF MONITORING TFC SATURATION BY TMC'S; BUT DOES ADMIT TO BUSY TFC SECESSIONS DURING HOLDING PERIODS.