Centreline

Overall, a good event and one worth attending.

The Ultimate Planning Tool?

Airport managers and planners can now access an airport planning programme specifically developed for the visual simulation of airport design.

A Melbourne based company, the Preston Group, offer ATISS (Airport Terminal Interactive Simulation System) which alleviates many of the problems operators and planners face when designing new terminals, upgrading existing facilities and validating the viability of the resultant plans. ATISS proves or disproves whether the facility will in fact work under predetermined conditions.

This is achieved by ATISS modelling the dynamics of the passenger terminal in an interactive form by firstly importing the proposed building/apron design from a CAD model and then overlaying the airport demand characteristics ie: aircraft schedules, passenger arrival/departure rates, SBR/BHR rates, spatial requirements per passenger for a given level of service, surface access mode variables, baggage ratios, cargo volumes etc etc. These inputs can then be manipulated to provide a visual prediction of the impact of demand at any level of activity clearly illustrating how the facility will perform under varying conditions of load. For example, inbound and outbound passenger flows (represented by icons) are shown moving around the terminal at any given walking speed thereby allowing a dynamic presentation of potential congestion points, queue lengths, pedestrian flow conflicts etc.

The planner is thus able to test, in real time, the design for accuracy, and having done so, adjust the parameters to remove bottlenecks, adjust queue lengths, assign check-in desks and baggage conveyors etc. The model can then be run interactively until the design meets the planning objectives.

The Preston Group have, in collaboration with air transport consultants Michael Kellaway International, recently developed a model for Wellington Airport, New Zealand.

To Hub or Not to Hub?

For those who of us who thought hub airports were the answer to the ever increasing pressure on the air transport system to handle mass travel – we should, apparently, think again! It transpires that having evolved hubs and secondary hubs in response to demand, these facilities will be insufficient for the future. The US FAA Airport Capacity Program Office (ACPO) is now examining the concept of ‘wayports’ to relieve pressure on ground access systems, terminals and the environment.

The wayport concept is an integrated system approach for providing large increases in airport and airway system capacity inexpensively and quickly. The concept calls for the development of four to six regional connecting or transfer airports strategically positioned in unused airspace and in rural areas where land costs would be low, environmental problems minimal and the local community receptive. These airports would serve as regional air transportation collection and distribution centres for passengers, cargo and mail.

In theory, creation of such a network would provide significant capacity to the system by allowing airlines to divert a large portion of connecting passengers out of their congested major hubs so more origination and destination traffic could be accommodated. In effect they would disentangle O&D (Originating and Departing) traffic from transfer traffic.

The prototypical wayport would occupy approximately 15,000 acres (23 square miles) with two or more, though possibly up to eight, 3,500m runways. Initial cost estimates are in the region of US$1bn. Other similar concepts being examined by the FAA are Superhubs and Remote Transfer Airports which are basically derivatives of the Wayport concept, differing with regard to location size and level of technology.

These type of airport systems envisage the need to provide mega terminals capable of handling 20,000 peak hour passengers with 30,000 bags. The requirements for ground transport would be equally as staggering and demand the extensive use of Maglev rail systems, tilt-rotor aircraft and high speed limited access freeways.

While on the topic of mega airports, consider the size and scale of the New Denver International Airport . . . designed for 38,000,000pax pa and 1 ,230,000 movements pa in 2020 – the airport is being designed for, ultimately, up to twelve runways, 206 gates, 38,000 car parking spaces, 350 lane kilometres of roads and 6 million square metres of airfield pavements with the whole lot covering 80 square kilometres – cost? a mere snip at US$1,740m for Phase One. Tends to put the Sydney situation into context.

Developments in and Around Australia

Adelaide Airport

Returning to matters a little more tangible, Airplan the Melbourne based airport planning company, have been appointed by the FAG to undertake a feasibility study to examine the need for a new International Terminal at Adelaide. The existing facilities are frequently subjected to capacity pressures and criticism in terms of the level of presentation to international travellers to South Australia.

During the four month study Airplan will look at the functional layout of the building and associated infrastructure, together with a financial analysis of the proposal in which commercial opportunities will also be explored. Extensive consultation will take place with users and government authorities to produce design parameters for the new terminal.

Tonga

Construction is expected to commence shortly on a 600 metre long extension to the runway at Fua’moto Airport which serves Nuku’alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Planning and design has been carried out by Airport Consulting and Construction Australia (ACCA) on behalf of the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau ·(AIDAB) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Appointed contractor is Downer and Company of New Zealand.

An interesting aspect to this project is the choice of materials for pavement construction as the island of Tongatapu on which the airport is sited is composed entirely of coral in various stages of formation or decomposition. The poorer quality coral ‘gravels’ will be used at the bottom of the pavement layered with a higher quality limestone like material requiring blasting and crushing. The bitumen top surface will however need to be imported.