Introduction to this manual

The objective of this manual is to provide airport planners with an impartial airport planning guide and reference material. The manual analyses the airport planning guidelines produced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airports Council International (ACI) and makes independent recommendations; detailed analysis of the ICAO Annex standards is also provided. Associated airport planning software developed by the author is detailed under ‘Related titles’ on p. ii of this book. The manual comprises seven chapters.

Chapter 1, The brief to airport planners, defines the briefing material that airport planners need to take account of. The chapter explains the sensitivities surrounding forecasts, including upper and lower forecasts and the recommended medium forecast range to use. The chapter also explains the sensitivities surrounding the planning objectives for a small, medium or large airport. Service-level metrics are discussed and explained in the context of legacy carriers and low-cost carriers where operational expectations vary enormously. Development and phasing strategy objectives are also explained, as are the physical site constraints that can exist and how they can have a major bearing on the selected design strategy for an airport. As airport security becomes ever more important, the need for a competent airport design is paramount. The key airport security characteristics are explained together with the reasons why they must be addressed at the onset of design.

Chapter 1 also explains the forms airports can take, the operating functionality parameters and the analysis techniques that architects, engineers and planners will require to enable them to detail masterplan options that are innovative, effective, efficient and affordable to the airport client and airline users. To this end the characteristics of terminals, satellites and piers are defined. Most airports process cargo of one form or another. This chapter clarifies the location, size benchmarks and the general form of such cargo facilities. General aviation is often an important component of income for most airports. This chapter explains the briefing material that should be provided in this regard. Aircraft maintenance facilities and general airfield infrastructure are also explored and the reader is given the opportunity to use reference material for briefing purposes.

Chapter 1 also defines the briefing requirements to enable the airport planner to define the numerous support infrastructure and ancillary facilities that exist in an airport. Airport landscaping is critical to the successful design of most modern airports. The airport designer is directed to the clauses of ICAO Annex 14 which details the landscaping recommendations that can be used to provide an effective airport environmental performance. Finally, this chapter outlines some of the primary and secondary objectives associated with providing effective surface access provision, whether by rail, road or alternative modes of transport.

Chapter 2, Outline airport planning principles, examines and concludes an independent view of the IATA 10-step plan for masterplan development. A number of scenarios are explained, which focus on alternative types of runway alignment, primary and secondary airport development zones and general support infrastructure locations.

Chapter 2 also explains the various types of masterplan evaluation techniques that can be applied when assessing the validity and appropriateness of the master plans that may have been developed. Pairwise and weighting techniques are explained in full, allowing the designer to make effective design judgements based on a comprehensive evaluation technique. An example is given whereby the primary drivers for projects are outlined and then evaluated for a given airport development. Finally, this chapter includes a case study and a template that can be used for decision-making.

Chapter 3, Airport terminal and pier/satellite planning, focuses on the design of the terminal pier and satellite infrastructure. The complex problems associated with passenger segregation are explored and planning matrices are given to help explain the sensitivities that may exist at a particular airport. The benefits of process flow diagrams are highlighted and a case example is given to show how an airport operates with the complex, multiple, discrete passenger flows that exist. Levels of passenger experience and performance criteria are explained in the context of IATA service levels. The tools that an airport planning architect can use to determine whether the prospective design is effective are explored. These include passenger simulation tools and computational fluid dynamics software tools.

Chapter 3 identifies the key operational considerations that both airport owner and airlines need to consider. All airport developments have to be evaluated against key financial criteria. In this regard this chapter highlights the benchmark net present value and internal rate of return matrix that should be observed.

All airports will require efficient retail facilities to be provided to enable them to offer landing fees that airlines can afford. To this end airports need to provide effective retail facilities, whether they are landside retail or airside retail. The characteristics of these retail facilities are explained in detail. Case study examples are given of departures lounges in satellites and pier retail facilities, with explanations of income and rates of return for such facilities.

The following software is available to enable the core passenger processing and retail components of the internal space to be calculated statically: Reference calculations for planning airport terminal buildings: a supplement to The independent airport planning manual. This software is available by contacting Woodhead Publishing Limited at: www.woodheadpublishing.com.

Chapter 4, Airport baggage handling design, explains key characteristics of baggage handling design. The various categories of baggage handling system are explained, whether they are category A, category B or category C baggage handling systems as defined by IATA. This chapter tries to simplify the often complex characteristics witnessed within the baggage hall and explains the user requirements for baggage handling systems in simple terms. Manual handling requirements have changed enormously since 2004. This book explains the technologies that can be used and their pros and cons.

Chapter 5, Airport apron, runway and taxiway design, details all aspects of apron design with reference to the ICAO Annex 14 design standards. The function areas of the apron are explained with the design parameters that should be observed. The outputs from stand design tools are given. The optimum position and height of passenger airbridges are given for a wide variety of aircraft types. The advantages of configuring aircraft using Multiaircraft Ramping System (MARS) stand centrelines and the alternative types of aircraft parking aids are explored. At the end of Chapter 5 there is a summary of the characteristics of airports operating predominantly with low-cost carrier airlines when compared with airports that operate predominantly with legacy carriers.

Chapter 6, Design for airport security, focuses on the requirements to enable designers to develop safe airports, recognizing that existing airports can have poor security characteristics. This chapter looks at ways in which these existing airports can remedy these security deficiencies. The chapter shows how new airport developments can use modern information technology systems such as bomb blast simulations, vehicle approach speed simulation and rendered walk-through active simulations to create a safe design.

International, European and domestic security legislation obligations are explained and masterplan airport development considerations to meet those obligations are outlined. Chapter 6 also looks at the component parts of terminals, piers, satellites, car parks and forecourts and explains the best practice that should be adopted.

The differing security zones within the confines of the airport perimeter are defined. The various types of attack that airport or aircraft can sustain are examined and countermeasures explored. Alternative types of munitions and explosives are also examined and the impact that they can have on terminal infrastructure is discussed. Recommendations are given regarding appropriate countermeasures.

The blast zones and collateral damage that result from high explosives are discussed. The metrics that result from explosive simulation studies are given, as are recommendations on where best to site terminal infrastructure such as forecourts, building facades, car parks and any other zones considered to have a high population density.

Chapter 7, Case studies in airport planning, comprises a series of airport case studies. Two case studies look at the characteristics of airports processing predominantly low-cost carriers while three case studies look at characteristics of airports that process predominantly legacy carriers. This chapter has been developed with the kind cooperation of a number of airports across the world. Recognition of...