Definition
The total time an aircraft spends on an active runway, measured from the moment it crosses the runway threshold (on landing) or begins its takeoff roll until it has fully exited the runway via a taxiway. ROT is tracked by air traffic control as a factor in runway capacity and the spacing of arriving and departing aircraft.
Plain English
How long an aircraft stays on the runway, from the time it gets on until it gets off. The shorter this time, the sooner the next aircraft can use the runway.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport operations, tower-controlled traffic flow, runway capacity discussions, and FAA acronym or NOTAM contraction lists.
Why Pilots Care
Directly influences how closely arrivals and departures can be sequenced, affecting delays and the number of operations an airport can handle per hour.
Intuition Check
Do not read “occupancy” as meaning parked or stopped. In this context, the runway is occupied even while an aircraft is rolling, landing, taking off, crossing, or otherwise using it.
Example Sentence 1
The tower asked us to expedite our exit at taxiway B to keep our runway occupancy time short, since traffic was on a two-mile final.
Example Sentence 2
Reducing runway occupancy time during busy periods allows more aircraft to use the runway each hour.