PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE TERMINAL AREA

 The terminal area includes the facilities for passenger and baggage processing, cargo
handling, and airport maintenance, operations, and administration activities.
PASSENGER TERMINAL SYSTEM AND ITS COMPONENTS:
 The passenger terminal system is the major connection between the ground access system
and the aircraft.
 The passenger terminal system consist of three major components:
 The access interface where the passenger transfers from the access mode of travel
to the passenger processing component (circulation, parking, curb side loading
and unloading of the passengers).
 The processing component where the passenger is processed in preparation for
starting, ending, or continuation of an air transportation trip (ticketing, baggage
check-in, baggage claim, seat assignment, security check, and immigration).
 The flight interface where the passenger transfers from the processing component
to the aircraft (assembly, conveyance to and from the aircraft, and aircraft loading
and unloading).

Components of the Passenger Terminal System

APRON GATE SYSTEM:
 The apron provides the connection between the terminal buildings and the airfield.
 It includes aircraft parking areas called ramps, and aircraft circulation and taxiing areas
for access to these ramps.
 On the ramp, aircraft parking areas are designated as gates.
 The size of the apron gate areas depends on: (i) the number of aircraft gates, (ii) the size
of the gates, (iii) the manoeuvring area required for aircraft at gates, and (iv) the aircraft
parking layout in the gate area.
Number of Gates:
 The number of gates is determined such that a predetermined hourly flow of aircraft can
be accommodated.
 The number of gates required depends on the number of aircraft to be handled during the
design hour and on the amount of time each aircraft occupies a gate.

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 The number of aircraft that need to be handled simultaneously is a function of the traffic
volume at the airport.
 In order to achieve a balanced airport design, the estimated peak hour volume should not
exceed the capacity of the runways.
 The amount of time an aircraft occupies a gate is referred to as the gate occupancy time.
 The gate occupancy time depends on the size of the aircraft and on the type of operation
(a through or turnaround flight).
 Larger aircraft occupies the gate for longer time than a smaller aircraft because the large
aircraft require more time for aircraft servicing, pre-flight planning, and refuelling.
Gate Size:
 The size of gate depends not only on the size of aircraft which it is to accommodate, but
also on the type of parking used (nose-in, parallel, or angled parking).
 The size of the aircraft determines the space required for parking as well as for
manoeuvring, and the size of the servicing equipment required.
 The type of parking used at the gates affects the size since the area required to manoeuvre
into and out of a gate varies depending on the way the aircraft is parked.
Aircraft Parking Type:
 Aircraft parking type refers to the manner in which the aircraft is positioned with respect
to the terminal building and to the manner in which aircraft manoeuvre in and out of
parking positions.
 Aircraft can be positioned at various angles with respect to the terminal building line and
can manoeuvre into and out of parking positions either under their own power or with the
aid of towing equipment.
 The aircraft parking types include: noise-in, angled nose-in, angled nose-out, and parallel.

Aircraft Parking Types

 Nose-in Parking:
 In this configuration, the aircraft is parked perpendicular to the building line with
the nose as close to the building as permissible.
 The aircraft manoeuvres into the parking position under its own power.
 In order to leave the gate, the aircraft has to be towed out a sufficient distance to
allow it to proceed under its own power.
 The advantages of this configuration are:
o It requires the smallest gate area for a given aircraft,
o Causes lower noise levels as there is no powered turning movement near
the terminal building,

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 o Sends no jet blast towards the building, and
o Facilitates passenger loading as the nose is near the building.
 The disadvantages of this configuration are:
o It requires towing equipment, and
o The nose is too close to the building to effectively use the rear doors for
passenger loading.
 Angled Nose-in Parking:
 This configuration is similar to the nose-in configuration except that the aircraft is
not parked perpendicular to the building.
 The configuration has the advantage of allowing the aircraft to manoeuvre in and
out of the gate under its own power.
 The disadvantage is that it requires a larger gate area than the nose-in
configuration and also causes a higher noise level.
 Angled Nose-out Parking:
 In this configuration the aircraft is parked with its nose pointing away from the
terminal building.
 Like the angled nose-in configuration, it has the advantage of allowing the aircraft
to manoeuvre in and out of the gate under its own power.
 It requires a larger gate area than the nose-in position, but less than the angled
nose-in.
 The disadvantage is that the breakaway jet blast and noise are pointed towards the
building when the aircraft starts its taxiing manoeuvre.
 Parallel Parking:
 This configuration is the easiest to achieve from the aircraft manoeuvring
standpoint.
 In this case, noise and jet blast are minimized as there are no sharp turning
manoeuvres required.
 The disadvantage is that it requires a larger gate position area, particularly along
the terminal building frontage.
Apron Layout:
 Apron layout affects the size and installation requirements.
 Apron layout refers to the manner in which the apron is arranged around the terminal
building.
 The apron layout depends directly on the way the aircraft gate positions are grouped
around the buildings and on the circulation and taxiing patterns dictated by the relative
locations of the terminal buildings and the airfield system.
 Aircrafts are grouped adjacent to the terminal building in a variety of ways depending on
the horizontal terminal concept used.
 These groupings are referred to as parking systems and are classified as follows:
 The frontal or linear system,
 The finger or pier system,
 The satellite system, and
 The open apron or transporter system.
 Many airports have combined one or more terminal types.
 Frontal or Linear System:
 The simplest linear terminal consists of a common waiting and ticketing area with
exits leading to the aircraft parking apron.
 Adaptable to airports with low airline activity which will have an apron providing
close-in parking for 3 to 6 aircrafts.

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  The layout of the simple terminal should take into account the possibility of pier,
satellite, or linear additions for terminal expansion.
 In this system, aircraft are parked along the face of the terminal building.
 This system offers ease of access and relatively short walking distances if
passengers are delivered to a point near gate departure by vehicular circulation
systems.
 Expansion may be accomplished by linear extension of an existing structure or by
developing two or more terminal units with connectors.

Horizontal Distribution Concepts for Passenger Terminals: (a) Linear, (b) Pier, (iii) Satellite,
and (d) Transporter
 Pier or Finger System:
 The pier system has an interface with aircraft along piers extending from the main
terminal area.

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  Aircraft are arranged around the axis of the pier in a parallel or nose-in parking
alignment.
 Each pier has a row of aircraft gate positions on both sides, with a passenger
concourse along the axis which serves as the departure lounge and circulation
space for both enplaning and deplaning passengers.
 This concept allows for the expansion of the pier to provide additional aircraft
parking positions without the expansion of the central passenger and baggage
processing facility.
 If two or more piers are provided, the spacing between the two piers must provide
for manoeuvring of aircraft on one or two apron taxilanes.
 The main disadvantages of this concept are its relatively long walking distance
from curb front to aircraft and the lack of a direct curb front relationship to aircraft
curb positions.
 Satellite Concept:
 The satellite concept consist of a building, surrounding by aircraft, which is
separated from the terminal and is usually reached by means of a surface,
underground, or above ground connector.
 The aircraft are parked in radial or parallel positions around the satellite.
 Opportunity for simple manoeuvring and taxiing patterns.
 Requires more apron area than other concepts.
 Can have a common separate departure lounge.
 In this concept, enplaning and deplaning from the aircraft is accomplished from a
common area, which requires mechanical systems to transport passengers and
baggage between the terminal and the satellite.
 The disadvantage is that the construction cost is relatively high due to the need to
provide connecting concourses to the satellite and lacks flexibility for expansion
and also the passenger walking distances are relatively long.
 Open Apron or Transporter System:
 Aircraft and aircraft servicing functions in this concept are remotely located from
the terminal.
 The connection to the terminal is provided by the vehicular transport for enplaning
and deplaning passengers.
 The characteristics of the transporter concept include flexibility in providing
additional aircraft parking positions to accommodate increase in schedules or
aircraft size, capability to manoeuvre an aircraft in and out of a parking position
under its own power, the separation of aircraft servicing activities from the
terminal, and reduced walking distances for the passenger.
Apron Circulation:
 When the traffic volume is high, it is desirable to provide a taxilane on the periphery of
the apron.
 Allow sufficient space to permit easy access of aircraft to gates.
 Sufficient space must be provided between fingers to allow aircraft ready access to gates.
 The separation between fingers depends on their length and on the size of aircraft to be
accommodated.
 The longer the finger, the more aircraft gates can be accommodated.
 The increase in the number of gates may necessitate the provision of two taxilanes instead
of one between the fingers to provide circulation without excessive delay.
 One taxilane may be sufficient when there are no more than five or six gates on each side
of a finger and a large number of gates may require two taxilanes.

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Passenger Conveyance to Aircraft:
 There are three methods to move passengers between the terminal and the aircraft:
 Walking on the apron,
 Walking through aircraft building connectors such as passenger loading bridges,
and
 By mobile conveyance using any of a variety of apron vehicles.
 As the number of parking positions and the apron size increases, it becomes impractical
to use walking for the conveyance of passengers.
 Second method can be used for all systems other than where open apron parking is used.
 A variety of fixed and movable loading systems are in use for passenger conveyance.
 Most common are the nose bridges, which are short connectors suitable for use when the
aircraft door comes close to the terminal building such as with nose-in parking.
 Another common system is the telescopic loading bridge.
 The telescopic loading bridge has the flexibility of extending from the terminal building
to reach the aircraft door and of swinging to accommodate different types of aircraft.

Typical Aircraft Telescopic Loading Bridge

Apron Utility Requirements:
 Aircraft need to be serviced at their respective gates and requires certain fixed
installations on the apron.
 Aircraft Fuelling:
 Aircraft are fuelled at the apron by fuel trucks, fuelling pits, and hydrant systems.
 In the hydrant system, a large fuel storage area called a fuel farm is located on the
airport property, fuel is transferred from this area to aircraft gate positions through
a system of pipes located below the pavement surface, and a special vehicle
(hydrant dispenser) is used to connect the fuel supply to the aircraft.
 Large airports use hydrant system.
 Electrical Power:
 Electrical power is required on apron for aircraft servicing prior to engine starting.
 External electrical power is required for starting the engines.
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