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DESIGN OF AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES

AIRPORT
A public facility where aircrafts can take off and land.
Consists of runways.
Usually owned and/or operated by the national government
TYPES OF AIRPORTS
1. Towered
the Tower controls the air traffic and monitors the departure / arrival of aircrafts
2. Non-Towered
AIRPORT PLANNING
- is a systematic process used to establish guidelines for the efficient development of
airports that is consistent with local, state and national goals.
- A key objective of airport planning is to assure the effective use of airport resources in
order to satisfy aviation demand in a financially feasible manner.
- An airline is dependent for its very existence on the ability of its top planners. Failure to
forecast the demand for air travel and to plan how to meet a rising or shrinking demand
spells the difference between success and failure. The management process begins with
planning, which sets the stage for what the organization will do, both globally and
specifically.
- In order to determine airport demand, forecasts of annual, peak-day and peak-hour
volumes of passengers and aircraft must be made. The size of the community serviced by
the airport must also be predicted.
Aviation activity of a community is dependent upon:
1. Population and population density
2. Economic character of the city: Generally, industrial-oriented cities have much
less aviation activity than centers of government, education, and finance.
3. Proximity of other airports: Nearby airports will create competition for
passengers and freight
GOALS OF AIRPORT PLANNING
1. Company-wide goals.
These are the general goals an organization wants to achieve. Some examples might
be earn an annual return of 12 percent on our investment, capture 25 percent of the
New OrleansMemphis market, and develop a new promotional fare to compete with
Airline X.
2. Administration or departmental goals.
These goals should be related to and should lead directly to the achievement of
companywide goals. Some examples might be improve on-time performance by 10
percent system-wide during the next quarter, develop and implement a new training
program for apprentice-level mechanics in the sheet metal shop, and hold flight
attendant absenteeism to 7 percent.
3. Individual goals.
These are the goals that specific persons will have to achieve if departmental, division,
group, or unit goals are to be met. Some examples might be increase my cargo sales
volume by 10 percent over last year and process 10 percent more insurance claims per
week.

GENERAL PURPOSE
Planning concept to develop the ultimate version of an airport
Includes aviation and non-aviation related sectors
Specific Goals
Provides guidelines for future development of the airport
To develop physical facilities of an airport
To account for land use impacts and airport noise compatibility standards
To establish access requirements
Schedule priorities in the development process

MASTER PLAN
For the individual airport, owners rely more on the airport master plan for their airport. An
airport master plan represents the airports blueprint for long-term development.
A few of the goals of a master plan are:
1. To provide a graphic representation of existing airport features, future airport
development and anticipated land use.
2. To establish a realistic schedule for implementation of the proposed development
3. To identify an realistic financial plan to support the development
4. To validate the plan technically and procedurally through investigation of concepts
and alternatives on technical, economic and environmental grounds.
5. To prepare and present a plan to the public that adequately addresses all relevant
issues and satisfies local, state and federal regulations.
6. To establish a framework for a continuous planning process.
PARTICIPANTS OF AIRPORT PLANNING
Coordinated effort between groups of people
Groups involved in master planning
Airlines
Airport authorities
Engineering team
Environmental groups
Financial groups
City council (community)
NOTE: Get the community involved
MASTER PLAN CHECKLIST
Organization and study groups
Inventory of existing facilities
Forecasts of future aeronautical demand
Capacity and delay analysis
Facility requirements and concept development (phases and alternatives)
Airport site selection (or infrastructure site selection if the airport is in place)
Environmental procedures analysis (noise and water pollution)
Operational simulations (capacity and delay analyses)
Airport plans (ALP)
Plan implementation
PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION PLANNING
1. Unity of Objectives
The principle of unity of objectives states that each administration, department, division,
section, group, and unit of the company must contribute to the accomplishment of the
overall goals of the firm. For example, the regional sales and services department must be
concerned not only with sales but also with how its activities are integrated with all other
activities in the company, such as personnel, finance and property, flight operations, and
so forth.
2. Span of Control
The principle of span of control states that there is a limit to the number of subordinates a
manager can effectively supervise. It is impossible to specify the exact number of
subordinates that a manager can supervise for each situation, for that depends on such
variables as (1) the type and complexity of work being performed, (2) the managers
ability, (3) the training of subordinates, (4) the effectiveness of communications, and (5)
the importance of time.
3. Departmentalization
Is the practice of subdividing both people and functions into groups within an organization
to gain the advantages of specialization. Many terms are used for such groups, including
administrations, departments, divisions, regional offices, sections, and units. The extent to
which an airline is departmentalized depends on the size of the carrier, the complexity of
its operations, and its route structure. In other words, in preparing an organizational plan, it
is necessary to decide the extent to which tasks are to be subdivided.
4. Delegation of Authority

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Implies that the authority to make decisions should be pushed down to the lowest
competent level of supervision. This allows minor decisions to be made at the lower levels
of management, and major decisions at the higher levels. However, delegation of authority
does not relieve the delegator of the responsibility for the actions of subordinates. A
supervisor is always ultimately responsible for the actions of subordinates.
Levels of Management
This principle holds that the number of levels of management in the company should be
kept to a minimum. As the number of organizational levels increases, problems in
communication increase, inasmuch as each communication must pass through more
people as it travels from its point of origin to its final destination.
Clearly Defined Duties
Every job classification should be clearly defined so that it differs from and does not
overlap with other job classifications. All of the major carriers have organizational manuals
(usually developed and maintained by the personnel department, except in the case of
several of the largest carriers, which have separate organizational planning departments).
Flexibility
A carrier must be flexible so that it can adapt to changing conditions, both internal and
external. In todays competitive environment, it behooves management to assess the
organizational plan continuously to be sure that it is responsive to the changing
marketplace.
Communication
The term communication here means an uninterrupted flow of orders, instructions,
questions, responses, explanations, ideas, and suggestions between top management and
the rest of the organization. This flow should be two-waythat is, both from management
to employees and from employees to management. Aside from the customary orders and
instructions concerning normal operations, management frequently wishes to explain some
of its policy decisions or to give information regarding a major route expansion, plans for
an acquisition or merger, finances, or personnel changes in order to bring about a better
understanding among its workers of the salient facts concerning the company

SITE SELECTION
The site selection process for a potential airport involves investigation of several factors.
Decisions made during the site selection process may result in complete failure or obsolescence of
the facility. Current land use plans and community and regional plans must be reviewed along with
other analyses.
The acquisition of land is, obviously, of primary importance. The site of the facility must be
convenient for its users to access. Unfortunately, because of airspace restrictions airports cannot
be located near the center of most cities.
The area must also be kept free of these obstructions, such as, towers, poles, buildings,
mountain ranges, etc. In the United States, the FAA regulates these obstructions by defining
Imaginary or obstacle limitation surfaces around the airport.
FACTORS CONSIDERED IN AIRPORT SITE SELECTION
Operational capacity (airspace issues, obstructions)
Capacity potential (land available, weather conditions)
Ground access (distance from city centers, existing highways, etc.)
Development costs (terrain, land acquisition, cost, soil conditions, utilities, etc.)
Environmental consequences (noise, impact on flora and fauna, air quality, endangered
species)
Socioeconomic factors (relocation of people, changes in employment patterns, impact on
industry, taxes, etc.)
Consistency in area wide planning (impact on land use, effort on metro/regional plans,
etc.)
NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Federal Aviation Regulations has established standards for determining obstructions in
airspace surrounding airports. The FAA must be notified of proposed construction activities which
may affect airspace. The FAA may require that the object be lit, marked properly, or removed.
Any construction of more than 200 ft. above ground level at the site requires FAA
notification. Also, anything that may penetrate the surfaces shown in Figure 17-4 also requires
notification.

OBSTRUCTION STANDARDS
Objects are deemed obstructions if they are 500 ft. above ground level or 200 ft. above an
established airport elevation.
Imaginary surfaces have been established by the FAA for Civil Airports in Figure 17-5.
These surfaces serve as a way to check how an obstruction will affect airports and approaches.

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AIRPORT SITE INVESTIGATIONS LOCATION


1. Names, addresses, and business of local parties interested, including any planning and
aeronautical organizations.
2. Reason for site investigation
(Statement of Need) including who proposed the airport, is it a local, regional or
national need.
3. Conformity with other plans.
Is the proposed airport shown in the NPIAS? Is it shown in the state system plan? Is it
shown in local planning documents? Does the proposed site conform to the zoning? Do
affected local governments agree with the need and the proposed site?
4. Driving time and distance to other airports from the proposed site within 45 miles.
5. Size and type of airport presently required (include critical aircraft and Airport Reference
code); ultimate size and type required. (Refer to NPIAS and state system plan).
6. Relationship of airport to area proposed to be served.
Maps, including a vicinity map, showing locations of candidate sites, USGS quadrangle
map(s) showing proposed sites, and Aeronautical chart with proposed sites.
AIRPORT SITE FEATURES
1. General topographic features of vicinity.
2. Meteorological conditions
Mean Daily Maximum temperature, at least one year of wind data for location.
3. Larger scale drawing of each site including topography. (sheet dimensions are
recommended to not exceed 11 by 17 with a scale of between 1 = 2,000 and 1 =
5,000).

RUNWAY ORIENTATION
The wind rose method is a graphical procedure used to
orient a runway based on prevailing wind data. The data
compiled includes velocity, direction and frequency of
occurrence. From this it is possible to predict the percentage
time wind velocities within a certain range and from a given
direction can be expected. These values are then plotted on a
wind rose.
ANALYSIS OF EACH SITE
1. Approximate runway end coordinates and elevations.
2. Section, township, range.
3. Wind rose data.

of

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8.
9.

Primary runway approach end.


Proposed type of approach to each runway end (Visual, Non precision, Precision).
Glide angle available for each approach after obstructions have been cleared.
List of obstructions that must be cleared for each runway end.
Existing zoning and zoning needed for airport
include name of jurisdiction having zoning authority.
Availability of utilities
- electricity, gas, telephone, water and sewer.
10. Access road availability and travel time to nearest community.
11. Potential Environmental Impacts

RUNWAY CAPACITY AND CONFIGURATION


Runway configuration is practically the only factor that an airport planner can adjust in
order to bring about an increase in capacity to serve future demand. The simplest runway
configuration is a single runway system which has varying capacities under visual flight rules
(VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR). Sometimes a second runway is added to utilize a wider
range of wind directions and provide a higher capacity. Separation between parallel runways must
be at least 700 ft.
The best configuration for a multiple runway system depends upon:
minimum spacing required for safety
prevailing wind directions
topographic features of airport site
shape and amount of available space
space requirements for aprons
location of terminal and other buildings
DATA

REQUIREMENTS (LIST)
Demand and traffic data
Passengers (historical annual, monthly and hourly passengers)
Aircraft (annual, monthly and hourly movements)
Cargo (annual, monthly and hourly tonnage of cargo)
Environmental data
Local regulations
Local development plans
Existing land uses
Local transportation plans
Aeronautical data - Holding stacks, approaches, and climb out procedures; Navaids;
Airways
Financial information - Revenue/expenses, Debt structure, Capital expenditures, Assets
and liabilities, Legal limitations
Costs Construction, Detail costs, Finishing costs, Equipment costs

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION FACTORS


1. General geological features affecting soil and foundation conditions.
2. Types of soil for foundations and drainage.
3. Clearing requirements including fences, trees, etc.
4. Grading factors - light or heavy rock, need to remove adverse materials.
5. Natural drainage courses of site.
6. Drainage improvements needed for airport construction.
7. General pavement design information (i.e. estimates of excavation and fill, sub base
volume and thickness, pavement thickness, type and dimensions).
8. Will the airport be lighted?
ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY FOR EACH SITE
1. Total estimated development cost.
2. Estimated capital improvement plan including federal and local share of costs.

AIRPORT LAYOUT PLANS


Overview
The Airport Layout Plan (ALP) serves as a critical planning tool that depicts both existing
facilities and planned development for an airport. Sponsors of airport development carried out at
federally obligated airports must accomplish the improvement in accordance with an FAAapproved ALP.
By definition, the ALP is a plan for a specific airport that shows:
1. Boundaries and proposed additions to all areas owned or controlled by the sponsor for
airport purposes
2. The location and nature of existing and proposed airport facilities and structures
3. The location on the airport of existing and proposed non-aviation areas and
improvements thereon.
NATIONAL PLAN OF INTEGRATED AIRPORT SYSTEMS (NPIAS)
AIRPORTS
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) identifies nearly 3,400 existing and
proposed airports that are significant to national air transportation and thus eligible to receive
Federal grants under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). It also includes estimates of the
amount of AIP money needed to fund infrastructure development projects that will bring these

airports up to current design standards and add capacity to congested airports.


KEY FACTORS
The FAA bases an airports inclusion in the NPIAS on information provided by a potential
airport sponsor. The FAA will evaluate an airports inclusion into the NPIAS based upon:
- Whether an airport is considered a public-use airport
- The number of enplanements the airport has or is forecast to have
- The number of based aircraft located at the airport
- Whether an airport receives U.S. Mail service
- Whether there is a component of the U.S. Military, Reserves or National Guard
permanently based on or adjacent to the airport
- Special justification that would consider the isolation of the community being served,
whether the airport serves the need of an Indian tribe, supports recreation areas, or is
needed to develop or protect important national resources
GENERAL AVIATION
- is the term used to designate all flying done other than by the commercial air service
carriers.
- General aviation operations range from local recreational flying to global business
transport, performed on aircraft not operating under the federal aviation regulations for
commercial air carriers.
CIVIL AVIATION
is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both
private and commercial.

Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) and work together to establish common standards and
recommended practices for civil aviation through that agency.
Civil aviation includes two major categories:
1. Scheduled air transport - including all passenger and cargo flights operating on
regularly scheduled routes, and
2. General aviation (GA) - including all other civil flights, private or commercial

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
1. Policy
Airport planning and development projects that include Federal involvement require an
environmental review. Per statutory and regulatory requirements, the FAA must evaluate
the environmental consequences of all proposed developments shown on the approved
airport layout plan. Applicable regulations include but are not limited to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act, and the Airport and Airway
Improvement Act.
2. Environmental Assessment (EA)
As the proponent, the airport owner is responsible for identifying all environmental issues
associated with the proposed development. The airport owner must also develop
conceptual alternatives for consideration. The airport owner typically accomplishes this
environmental review by preparing an environmental assessment (EA).
3. Zoning Around Airports
The objective of zoning land on and around the airport is to assure that future uses of the
land are compatible with airport operations to protect and preserve the airport and the
public investment in the airport.
Zoning strives to prevent the following incompatible uses:
Residential and other noise sensitive uses
Congregations of people in approach and departure areas to protect people and
property on the ground
Man made and natural structures that can interfere with flight
Uses which may be affected by vibration or fumes from aircraft operations
Uses of land on the airport that interfere with areas needed for aviation related
activities
4. Apron Design
The basic design of airport aprons includes application of FAA airport standards, effective
design considerations and AIP eligibility criteria.
The primary considerations for apron design are:
a) Apron Type (Terminal, Transient, Fueling, Based Aircraft and Holding)
b) Tie down Layout
c) Based Aircraft
d) Itinerant Aircraft
Other Considerations include the following:
a) Spacing of tie-downs need to match size of AC that utilize airport
b) Wind orientation, tie downs into wind when possible
c) Design Group considerations

APRON DESIGN ELEMENTS


1. Taxiway
A defined path established for the taxiing of aircraft from one part of airport to another.
Assume a design speed of 20 mph.
2. Taxilane
- Portion of the aircraft parking area used for access between taxiways and aircraft
parking positions
- Lower speeds allow for reduced safety area and object free areas
- Taxilanes are located outside of the movement area
- Best practice is to locate taxilanes on edge of apron
3. Taxiway/Taxilane Object Frees Area
An area on the ground centered on the taxiway and taxilane that is provided to
enhance the safety of aircraft operations by limited objects not fixed by function (e.g.
taxiway lights).

OFA Restrictions include service vehicle roads, parked aircraft, above ground objects
not fixed by function.
Vehicles may operate within an object free area but must yield to operating aircraft.

AIR PASSENGER TERMINAL AREAS


1. Airport Terminal
- Is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and
the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft.
Within the terminal, passengers purchase tickets, transfer their luggage, and go through
security. The buildings that provide access to the airplanes (via gates) are typically
called concourses. However, the terms "terminal" and "concourse" are sometimes used
interchangeably, depending on the configuration of the airport.
Smaller airports have one terminal while larger airports have several terminals and/or
concourses. At small airports, the single terminal building typically serves all of the
functions of a terminal and a concourse.
2. Pier
- A pier design uses a small, narrow building with aircraft parked on both sides. One end
connects to a ticketing and baggage claim area. Piers offer high aircraft capacity and
simplicity of design, but often result in a long distance from the check-in counter to the
gate.
3. Satellite Terminals
A satellite terminal is a building detached from other airport buildings, so that aircraft can
park around its entire circumference.
The first airport to use a satellite terminal was London Gatwick Airport. It used an
underground pedestrian tunnel to connect the satellite to the main terminal. This was also
the first setup at Los Angeles International Airport, but it has since been converted to a pier
layout. The first airport to use an automatic people mover to connect the main terminal
with a satellite was Tampa International Airport, which is the standard today.
4. Semicircular Terminals
Some airports use a semicircular terminal, with aircraft parked on one side and cars on the
other.
This design results in long walks for connecting passengers, but greatly reduces travel
times between check-in and the aircraft.
One rarer terminal design is the mobile lounge, where passengers are transported from the
gate to their aircraft in a large vehicle which docks directly to the terminal and the
aircraft. Washington Dulles International Airport, Mexico City International Airport,
and Mirabel International Airport have used this design.
The mobile lounge is a system for boarding and disembarkation from aircraft, using a buscarriage type "vehicle."
Hybrid layouts also exist. San Francisco International Airport and Melbourne Airport use a
hybrid pier-semicircular layout and a pier layout for the rest.

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