Airport Design

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Airport Design
Author(s): P. W. LE BLOND
Source: Built Environment (1978-), Vol. 10, No. 3, Airport Planning and Design (1984), pp. 196210
Published by: Alexandrine Press
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Airport
Design
P. W. LE BLOND
What are the principal elements of

airport design, and what design options
are available, given the constraints
of land use, cost and safety?
Introduction
are
Airports
with
International
large.
or
two
one,
more
airports
3 km
each
runways
in length, may occupy several thousand

hectares.
Ideally, they should be located
close
such
to
the
urban
large
is
pressure
area
areas
of
therefore
where
serve,
they
land
are
often
on
scarce.
The
plan
airport
ners to use airport land as fully as possible.

But aviation is a rapidly changing business,
and airports which cannot adapt to those
changes will soon get into difficulties. The
changes
mean
usually
needed,
so
ensure
there
an
ideally
more
airport
is enough
is
space
and change.
So straightaway
there is a
conflict which has to be resolved.
Similar
conflicts
exist
in
in
this
other
of
aspects
more.
obstructions
the
by
these and give examples of how they have

in various situations.
been approached
The largest and most difficult facility to
locate is the runway, and this is discussed in
distance
from
does
not
figure 1.
Then
I discuss
I set
article,
out
some
of
the next section. Following

that, I discuss
the passenger terminal which is usually the
most expensive facility to build, although it
usually
scape
take
the
up
most
space.
facilities and land
ancillary
an increasingly
design,
important
aspect of airport planning, and finally I go
outside the airport boundary
and discuss
surface
most
access
passengers
this way.
196
remembering
planning,
get
to
or
from
the
that
airport
STOL
Landing)
can
allowed
a runway
150
the
Actual
within
For
aircraft
operate
runway
but
150
and
the
so
metre
line
ends
of the
and
example,
land
Even
for
some
there
runway,
there
no
metres
is considerable.
on the height and
are restrictions
development.
metres.
centreline
runway
the
and
indeed
and
or
on
operate
45 or 60 metres
are
beyond
layout
be
can
and
of 750
may
sterilized
airport
Off
runways
of 3000 metres
aircraft
lengths
Take
(Short
London-Los
example,
runways
Smaller
shorter
of
(for
need
Angeles)
747) on the
aircraft (Boeing
route
longest
widths
for expansion
space
project.
The largest
from
should
planner
As an example of airport design, I have

Stansted
referred mainly to the proposed
a
At
the
time
of
writing,
development.
government decision to go ahead with this
but the
project has not been received,
were discussed
airport design
principles
extensively at the public inquiry into the
type of
should
be
no obstacles higher than 45 metres within

a radius of 4000 metres of the runway. A
indication
restrictions
of such
general
applied in the United Kingdom is shown in
are
Taxiways
to
and
from
used
the
as
the
runways
for
routes
aircraft
the
and
restric
tions mentioned above determine their loca

tion. Clearly a taxiway cannot be within 150
metres
of
would
be
obstructions.
international
runway,
or
standards
else
aircraft
Current
require
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

U.K.
184
on
it
and
metres
VOL 10 NO 3
AIRPORT
DESIGN
To assist clarification the vertical

scale on this chart is 20 times that
of the horizontal scale.
1.
Figure
Aerodromes,
Obstacle
two
ance
major
the
the taxiways,
are
similar
instrument
between
to
the
clear
aircraft
on
in figure 2, and
shown
standards
for
the
distance
between taxiways and fixed obstructions.

Given these clearances, if you decide you
need a 3000 metre runway with a twin
parallel taxiway system, you will need at
least
150
Whilst
the
largest
were
airports
current
based
extensive
tions
accommodate
Stansted,
aircraft,
on
are
aircraft
and expensive
current
based
many
smaller
the BAA is planning
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
land.
standards
existing
required
to
of cleared
hectares
the
on
older
and
modifica
aircraft.
(From
runway.
CAP
168,
The
Licensing
of
Authority)
centreline
of two
wingtips
as
Aviation
distance
is related
taxiways
between
Civil
a taxiway
The
airport.
parallel
there
and
for an
surfaces
by the
a runway
between
at
limitation
published
LONGITUDINAL SECTION THROUGH APPROACH

AND TAKE-OFF FUNNELS
For
to avoid later
modification by having sufficient clearance

for aircraft with a wingspan
25 per cent
than
the
747,
greater
Boeing
although this
adds
to
the
land
take.
obviously
The greatest utilization can be obtained
from a runway if it is used solely for take-off
and landing and not for taxiing to or from
that activity. A twin parallel taxiway system
with a large number of turn-offs, some of
which are angled to allow high-speed turn
offs, with holding areas at the ends will
permit
per
up
hour
to
about
on
that
40
aircraft
runway
movements
in
instrument
A runway with only a

landing conditions.
partial taxiway system may only accom
modate
shows
25
some
movements
per
hour.
Figure
examples.
VOL 10 NO 3

197
AIRPORT
PLANNING
AND
DESIGN
I'////////////
*\
<
Min.
. >f
49 5 m
~Uj5m
85m
2.
Figure
ances.
clear
Taxiway
, Runway
//////
( \
)(
)(
^ rTsrnt'W
)(,
) (
/
M(
[/
Fast turn offs
Holding area
Capacity
)( )
Twin parallel taxiways
- 40 movements
per hour
Runway
TV
Turning area
'Single
Capacity
Figure
3.
Runway
and
taxiway
of the most important aspects

runway layout is orientation, although
the United Kingdom this has not come
some
time
no
completely
new
of
in
up
run
been built for some

years.
a
Basically,
runway should be aligned with
the predominant
wind direction but of far
ways
198
have
as
taxiway
- 25 movements
per hour
layouts.
One
for
parallel
greater importance
extends
beyond
the
is the noise effect which

ends
of
runways.
On
take-off, aircraft may turn off the straight

flight path fairly quickly but on landing they
tend
to establish
on
themselves
the
extended centreline several miles from the
airport. The alignment is therefore critical in
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

VOL 10 NO 3
AIRPORT
which
determining
are
areas
overflown
regularly and this can be shown

contours
of
the
index
of
DESIGN
by plotting
aircraft
noise
annoyance which is most frequently used in

the United Kingdom, the Noise and Number
Index (NNI).
One
of
airports
are
the
most
features
obvious
is their flatness
standards
laid
gradients.
Around
Passenger
Terminals
and
down
as
some
about
indeed
to
cities
there
maximum
are
there
not
many locations where there is sufficient flat

land that is not surrounded
by hills that
the
surfaces
in
shown
infringe
figure 1.
The passenger terminal complex is made up

The
airside
of three elements.
apron,
of
aircraft
stands,
taxiways and
consisting
the pier or satellite
system,
occupies
typically some 50 per cent of the terminal
area.
complex
The
landside
access
zone,
forecourts, access
mainly
comprising
roads and car parks, may occupy 40 per cent
and the terminal building itself may be only
10
the
of the
of area
cent
per
terminal
complex.
The most efficient use of apron concrete is

obtained when aircraft are parked in two
lines either side of a single central taxiway
if
such as is shown in figure 4a. However,
the
is a cul-de-sac
taxiway
and
is very
aircraft at the end may get trapped

for
waiting
an
aircraft
in
and
manoeuvre
distances
long.
the
along
4b
Figure
at
out.
the
Also
piers
other
end
the
walking
become
can
the
shows
long,
whilst
same
to
very
number
of
stands provided in three culs-de-sac, which

reduces the problem of blockages and exces
but requires more
sive walking distances
concrete. Figure 4c shows a single short pier
which
arrangement with short culs-de-sac
uses
4a,
the
but
amount
same
in
this
case
of concrete
the
outer
stands
as
figure
are
not
pier served and would have to be served by

buses or mobile lounges.
When aprons become
very large it is
inevitable that a pier system will result in
In many airports
long walking distances.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Figure
4.
Apron
layouts.
passenger conveyors ease this distance but

their relatively low speed means that these
are
not
always
the
answer.
Tracked
transit
systems, such as at Gatwick, provide faster

but can only be used with a
movement
limited number of stops and ideally, with
only one stop at either end. Tracked transits
are therefore usually used in conjunction
VOL 10 NO 3

199
AIRPORT
PLANNING
AND
DESIGN
Piers
T
Ji
Conveyo s
wc
1
wc
ft
1
-
o ? rooms
CD
14
l1^
Terminal building
lA-rH"
11+
b Satellites
Transit track
'Terminal building
Transit station
with satellites
from
the
how
shows
where
transit
Satellites
the walking
is
station
and
piers
distance
short.
Figure
satellites
At
5
compare.
the provision of centralized

lavatories,
(for example,
shops,
which
would
be
less easy to site in
catering)
allow
facilities
a
However,
pier.
waste
of
outer
different
considerable
stands
when
the
com
are
chosen
sees
airport
particular
its problem. At Gatwick, a pier and satellite

exist side by side attached
to the same
terminal. At some airports (for example,
Dulles, Montreal Mirabel) the

Washington
have
planners
attempted to avoid the dis
of
advantages
piers and satellites by having
an
open
apron
where
all
aircraft
are
directly
whilst
with
the
aircraft.
the mobile
lounge concept allows

to be changed easily, it has
aprons layouts
a number of drawbacks,
operating
allow
200
costs
and
last-minute
the
fact
boarding.
at small
including
that
it does
high
not
have
planners
or airports
airports
domestic
cannot
traffic.
that
However,
the
layouts,
be
handle
they
can
centralized.
with regard
Finally,
role
of the
barrier should
to pier and
as
piers
an
apron
accoustic
not be discounted.
At Heath
row's new Terminal 4, nearby housing will
be shielded from some of the activities on
the main aircraft apron by the airside con
course area which extends along the front of
the building and in line either side of it.
The
next
landside
largest
access
user
terminal complex,
the
However,
satel
have high operating costs because activities

such as check-in, immigration, security and
served
by mobile lounges. A mobile lounge is a bus

whose body raises and lowers so that it can
mate
well
shops
solutions
the
of
edge
airports,
and
attempted to do away with long walking

distances altogether by designing 'drive to
the gate' terminals. Examples
of this are
shown in figure 6. Such terminals can work
mainly
stands.
rectangular
to how
according
the
aircraft
with
Clearly
is
at
space
wedge-shaped
pared
there
other
Piers
5.
Figure
lites.
most
difficult
of
zone
in
space
is usually
the
and in some
area
to
plan.
the
passenger
respects
is
Passengers
who arrive by road want to be dropped or to

park their cars as near as possible to the
terminal; likewise
passengers
arriving by
rail want a short walking distance. Remem
ber that at this stage passengers
are still
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

VOL 10 NO 3
AIRPORT
Figure
nals.
6.
Drive
to the
gate
termi
carrying their luggage and so short walking

distances are probably more important than
on airside where they are usually
only
hand luggage.
If the forecourt,
railway station, bus station and car park are
all to be close to the terminal and road
carrying
crossings are to
level solution is
and
expensive,
to
having
change
be avoided,
then a multi
needed.
But this can be
result in passengers
level. Using stairs, lifts or
escalators may be less easy than walking a
little extra distance
on the flat. For the
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
DESIGN
will
new
proposed
terminal
at
where
Stansted,
space is less of a premium than at Heath

row, an ideal solution is being considered
where rail and bus passengers
will access
the terminal via a subway at station con
course level, cars will be able to pick up and

set
down
on
forecourt
out
immediately
side the terminal, and cars will be parked in

car parks at sides of the terminal (see figure
7). This solution is economic and provides
good
The
access
landside
for all passengers.

access
VOL 10 NO 3

zone
may
also
con
201
AIRPORT
PLANNING
Terminal
AND
DESIGN
Forecourt
building
Figure
7.
landside
Proposed
access
arrangements
tain other facilities such as an hotel, car hire

facilities and some ancillary facilities which
need to be close to the terminal building.
Although the terminal building occupies

only a small percentage of the airport's total
area, it is often the single most expensive
There
element of an airport development.
are virtually no two airport terminal build
ings in the world the same, although there
are a number of types quite commonly seen.

and
The
simplest,
usually
cheapest,
building is single level (see figure 8). In this
building
202
there
is
horizontal
segregation
for Stansted
Bus
Rail
Stn.
new
Stu
terminal.
between
departing and arriving passengers.

very frequently used for smaller
airports, there are often conflicts between
passenger and baggage flows. It also means
Whilst
that
upwards
passengers
to
board
have
to
the
aircraft.
level
change
These
con
flicts can be avoided

a
by constructing
basement
for baggage handling, as in the
one and a half level building
shown
in
figure 8b. A two level terminal, as shown in
figure 8c, uses less land but is usually more
to construct. Aircraft boarding
expensive
can be achieved
on the level or possibly
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

VOL 10 NO 3
AIRPORT
DESIGN
a Single level
Apron
Deps
a a
Forecourt
b One and a half level

Apron
Deps
Baggage
below
Arrs
mm
Forecourt
c
Two
level
Apron
Deps above
U
Arrs.
<
below
>
w
ffl
Forecourt
d Two and a half level

Apron
tDeps
above
<
Mezz for baggage

I
Arrs.
below V
Forecourt
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
w
>
Figure
8.
Passenger
terminal
VOL 10 NO 3

w
buildings.
203
AIRPORT
PLANNING
with a small level change. Figure 8d shows

an adaption
of the two level building in
which
is
level
mezzanine
to
introduced
the baggage flows.

the plan shape
of terminal
Although
is
and
other facili
variable,
buildings
very
handle
ties
such
as
restaurants
shops,
and
offices
may be provided on additional levels, the

main passenger processing activities usually
conform to one of the four types shown in
figure 8. The plans for Stansted are for a one
and a half level building. Natural ground
levels in the Stansted
terminal complex
zone fall from landside to airside so it will be
to
possible
construct
the
without
undercroft
will
Passengers
be
as
basement
too
much
able
to
an
excavation.
from
transfer
forecourt to aircraft without changing level.

The result will be an economic
building
offering good levels of passenger service.
The terminal building is the architectural
of
focus
airport
and
be
may
in
an
of having
prestige
form
an
allowed
some
to
the
cases,
attractive
building
overrule
the
need
for a functional building. The most econ

omic type of building to construct, maintain
and
as
consists
adapt
few
internal
seen
usually
But
columns
a roof,
walls,
as
used
being
an
such
of four
and
possible
for
environment
and
is
warehouses.
is
not
their
are constantly being changed buildings

internally, partitions are relocated, new faci
lities are added and externally extensions
are built. Unless the building is capable of
it will soon lose
accepting these changes,
any
had.
attractiveness
I have grouped
together
that is not in the runway and
and
taxiway
ancillary.
204
originally
this article
everything
ance,
have
Facilities
Ancillary
For
it may
cargo,
terminal
passenger
Thus it includes
car
parks,
zones
as
aircraft mainten
motor
transport
aircraft
aviation
offices, general
catering
depots,
facilities, hotels, fuel farms and
engineering services.
facilities are usually
Aircraft maintenance
constructed by airlines based at the airport
and the amount of land used for this pur
on the size of the
pose therefore depends
airline which uses the airport as its base and
is not necessarily in direct relation to the
Aircraft hangars may
airports throughput.
be the largest buildings on an airport, with
Boeing 747 hangars up to 35 metres high
requiring an area of up to 10,000 square
metres
for
have
and
each
aircraft.
roof
large
need
Hangars
to
spans
to
aircraft
cover
and
for grand designs.

may give opportunities
However, the airline will undoubtedly want
a cheap and adaptable
building and this
often
out
turns
to
be
the
simple
large
rectangular box. The tallest part of an air

craft is its tail and one way of using hangars
for aircraft larger than was
originally
intended
is by adding a tail dock which
slides together to enclose the tail (see figure
9). Stepped roof designs may also be built
from
and
the
outset
the
thus
The
aircraft
the
of heating
the
of
to
the
in
testing
considerable
positioning
attenuation
The cargo
quickly and
of the
maneouvre
However,
areas
maintenance
source
other
and
hangars.
of noise
area
interior.
area is primarily
to
requirement
out
enclosed
the
hangars
in a maintenance
in and
engine
to reduce
cost
layout
related
'user
that
remember
however,
DESIGN
buildings
friendly' and may not promote the required

image. Airport terminal building architects
should,
AND
and
the
is
careful
of buildings can provide some

for the airports neighbours.
terminal at an airport must be
easily accessible to the passen
ger terminal apron because the majority of

air cargo now travels in the belly-holds of
aircraft. The air cargo industry
passenger
considerable
has undergone
change in the
last few years and the facilities required are
changing. Ten years ago, all-cargo aircraft
and airlines
most of the business
a
schedule
of
all-cargo services.
operated
The need was then for an independent
carried
cargo
terminal
passenger
somewhat
terminal
which
similar
facilitated
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

to
the
VOL 10 NO 3
AIRPORT
DESIGN
Plan
Elevation
Conventional
Tail Dock
Stepped Roof
Figure
Aircraft
9.
hanger
shapes.
transfer
of the
transportation.
scheduled
cargo
from
aircraft
the
general
Now
service
has
declined
to ground
all-cargo
with most
to the large
general cargo being consigned
holds
of
wide-bodied
aircraft.
capacity
deal
with
outsize
loads,
Specialist operators
etc.
The
fresh produce,
livestock,
parcels,
role of cargo agents in consolidating
loads
and
extended
Customs
obtaining
and
the
need
clearance
to integrate
has
air
cargo
with other types of freight operation

has
become increasingly important.
So what will the future cargo terminal
look like? Every airport will probably be
on the types of oper
different, depending
ations there, but will probably consist of a
mixture of aircraft stands, transit sheds,
vehicle unloading
and
agents'
buildings,
areas
and
facilities.
manoeuvring
ancillary
Stansted's
cargo area will be next to the
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
passenger terminal apron and will probably

be something
like the layout shown
in
but
the
is
to
leave
10,
figure
important point
for expansion.
scope
to waste
space
for
future
be
some
reserved
it waiting
by having
for
in order
However,
unknown
the
need,
expansion
empty
space
of a
not
can
number
of activities on the basis that, in the end, not

all of them will require full expansion.
The design and layout of car parks may
not seem terrifically exciting, but their size
at airports presents
particular problems.
Short-term car parks are usually provided
close to the terminal building, and have
been dealt with already.
car
Long-term
parks
for
are
usually
a number
remote
from
of reasons.
To
the
make
terminal
it worth
while to use them, charges
have to be lower
than
parks,
means
the
short
term
they are usually
VOL 10 NO 3

car
and
only ground
this
level.
205
AIRPORT
PLANNING
AND
DESIGN
Aircraft stands
Equipment/load
consolidation area
Airline
Transit shed
Agents
building
Car/ Lorry park
Customs/Admin
10.
Figure
are
have
car
park.
cargo
if they
to walk
A
area.
available
rarely
even
and,
would
the
Layout
areas
Large
terminal
of
close
were,
to
passengers
long distances
means
of
the
across
transporting
par
kers is therefore provided (usually a shuttle

bus, but possibly an automatic transit in the
and
future)
once
the
are
parkers
on
the
transport system, it makes little difference

time if the car park is
to the journey
located.
remotely
car
Long-term
can
parks
be very large (it is proposed

to provide at
least 15,000 spaces at Stansted) and can be
made
design.
trees
attractive
more
It needs
careful
on
to cars
be difficult to remove.
aisles,
long-term
landscape
to be careful because
substances
drop
by
car
As
parks
well
have
some
which
have
road network for the shuttle buses to collect

and distribute parkers as near as possible to
their cars.
There
are
large
number
of
other
ancil
lary facilities provided at an airport includ

ing hotels, car rental depots, flight catering
kitchens, fire stations, fuel depots, all of
which have specific requirements
for loca
tion relative to other activities as well as
more
general
accommodation
offices and workshop-type

206
because
problem
areas
where
slow
moving
large
are
airports
the
natural
streams.
in
is
drainage
Heavy
areas
impermeable
often
rainfall
of concrete
flat
into
on
to
results
in high rates of run-off and to prevent

flooding drainage is channelled into balanc
ing
let
ponds
it into
which
the
store
streams
the
at
water
and
controlled
then
rate.
Balancing ponds also incorporate pollution

control devices,
such as aeration (which
reduces de-icing chemicals) and oil traps.
can
as access
to
An airport is like a town requiring a com

plete range of services
electricity, gas,
and
sewage
drainage. Drainage is a special
such
accommodation.
as
Landscape
Design
I have already mentioned that long-term car

parks should be designed from the start to
incorporate planting as a visual screen. The
consideration
of landscape
design from the
is
one
of
the
most important
early stages
in
that
the landscape
principles
ensuring
is
successful.
design
Naturally, successful
landscape
design
requires
large
areas
of
land to be allocated and at Stansted this has

to be achieved
by defining a functional
boundary
and
then using
land
up to the
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
VOL 10 NO 3

AIRPORT
11.
Figure
car
Long-term
on
parks
sites:
sloping
next existing field boundary or stream for

planting or mounding. This also means that
can form the basis of
existing hedgerows
new
any
planting.
the
Perhaps
second
most
prin
important
ciple in landscape design follows from this

that is use what you already have as it is
much more likely to survive than newly
planted
areas.
number
of
At
there
Stansted
and
woods
it
is
are
and
course,
species.
The proposed
sted includes
features.
The
the
rows
of
must,
planting
with the indigenous
landscape
design for Stan
a number
of interesting
car
long-term
park
is
on
site and it is proposed
gently sloping
out
New
ponds.
be consistent
of spaces
along
the
to lay
contours
so
that planting between the rows will provide

a stepped
screen (see figure 11). At the
a
north-east end of the site, to provide
visual
between
(and,
the
to
an
passenger
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
extent,
acoustic)
terminal
and
landscaping
design.
an
village,
earthmound
is to be
constructed.
But, unlike the rather geometrically

that
mounds
have
been
built
shaped
this
elsewhere,
one is to have gently sloping sides (either 1

in 6 or 1 in 10), a tapering profile and shape
and
which follows the existing boundary
extensive
around
planting
reduce the apparent

figure 12).
base
to
mass of the mound
the
(see
to
proposed
retain 75 per cent of these in the developed

airport, together with a number of hedge
rows
DESIGN
screen
a small
Surface
Access
Lastly,
few
words
about
an
aspect
of
airport design that relates to facilities which

are mainly outside the airport boundary.
Both road and rail links are very important
to the success of an airport, and any discus
sion of airport design would be incomplete
without
mention
to
them.
Although one usually thinks of links to

the city centre as being the most important,
they
are
only
part
over-emphasized
to
other
potential
areas.
of the
system
and
to the detriment
Even
at
airports
traffic is large enough
VOL 10 NO 3

can
be
of links
where
the
to justify a
207
AIRPORT
Figure
12.
Stansted:
proposed
PLANNING
passengers,
but
taxis,
208
DESIGN
earthmound.
rail link, it is usually a minority of passen

gers who arrive by this mode. Private cars
of air
usually carry the largest percentage
can also be significant
AND
buses
modes.
and
coaches
At the Lon
don airports it is apparent

that the split
between
and
public
private
transport
remains roughly similar, although the split
between different types of public transport
does vary considerably.
Thus, when the
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

VOL 10 NO 3
AIRPORT
link
Underground
most
Heathrow,
travelled
introduced
users
airport
for
reason
modal
seems
modes
alternative
into
to
be
that
the
on the quality
on
than
the
as
buses
or coaches,
be appropriate.
previously
coach.
by
this
had
split is less dependent
the
of
the
to
The
was
of the
DESIGN
provided
are
national
rail
very
then
a link
such
of the
part
local
networks
metro
which
But if a rail link can be justified,
jour
use
then
him
drive
a relative
or get
car,
to the
because
airport,
is available
or friend
such
to
a car
and he is likely to be starting or

his
finishing
journey from home, away from
the city centre. A non-U.K.
national is less
to
a
have
car
available
and
more likely
likely
to be travelling to the city centre.
access
Passenger
important
roads
of
course,
but in the peak
hours
to
leading
is,
airports,
portion
of vehicles
widespread
and
will
far
most
on
larger
the
pro
occupied
by
origins will be very
Employees'
employees.
different from air passengers,
being more
on
the
access
system
a particular
be a good
used
But
the
by
the
dence
only
east
As
cars,
private
be
that
after
must
appropriate
there
must
public
also
road
buses
be
well
system.
and
taxis.
connected
to
with
Only
the
so
connected
the
as
around
picked
the
north
there
to
must
connections
to
the
local
particularly
to
the
urban
the
also
road
areas
and
good
network,
where
employees live.
which
The question
mainly
occupies
whether
or not a rail link should
is
planners
This question probably occu
be provided.
pies too much time, as only for the largest

airports can a rail link be justified. If there
a fast, high
was any way of providing
link
for
near
as cheaply
anywhere
capacity
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
link
compared
and
stations
only
that
allows
fast
seem
to the city
a few
save
link
thus
would
passengers
may
with
frequent
minutes
at
stops
more
with
interchange
other lines. At Stansted

which is over
30 miles (48 km) from the centre of London,
a non-stop
link is planned
high speed
it
is
although initially
likely that the services
will not be exclusive to air passengers.
An
airport
also
may
be
for a comprehensive
In
interchange.
the
convenient
transportation
past,
have
planners
thought of airports only as

destinations for air passengers
origins and
undertaking
surface
an
even
journeys,
air transfer hub

But
principle.
in
and
the
with
of airports
though
is an
future
to
becoming
rail,
long-distance
we
the
locations
road
strategic
interchange
and
coach
see
may
out-of-town
connections
good
network
as
airport
old-established
for
points
bus
travel.
If
this is to be the case,
then the interchange
facilities
be
must
clearly
to
designed
cope
with this type of traffic as well as the air

passenger.
strategic
be
a fast
then of
and
up
completed.
connections
networks,
coinci
has
traffic
M25
was
it is no
and
Stansted's
non-stop
to air
exclusive
more
of the M25 will all of London's
of London
well
sort of
road link to the city centre to be
national
airports
what
most
Clearly,
airport.
road
completion
is
type?
link
an
with this background,
So,
surface
road
concentrated
centre.
city
for
less
what
location
be
usually
expensive.
best, but if the airport is close
own
or even
are
ney purpose and particularly the nationality

A U.K. national travelling
of the passenger.
to or from a U.K. airport is far more likely to
his
would
But most rail links that are
Conclusion
This paper has worked

points of airport design
areas
could
have
been
the
through the main

but each of these
of a paper
subject
by itself. Airport planners throughout the

world have tried all sorts of different solu
tions appropriate to their own locality, and
no one can say which is right and which is

wrong.
recent
Airports
planned
tend
years
to have
and
at least
built
in
more
learned
the
lesson
of providing
sufficient space
for
but
the
been
both
has
price
expansion,
high
in
terms
of
land
used
VOL 10 NO 3

and
construction
209
PLANNING
AIRPORT
costs.
are
Airports
because
of their
are places
so
enced
them
sonal
impession.
focus
and
travellers
can
of
the
fact
DESIGN
attention
that
they
for use by the travelling
designed
and
public,
scale
AND
who
an
have
have
experi
immediate
even
However,
per
if
you
manage the perfect airport design (if there

were such a thing), it is doubtful that
someone
whose
flight has been delayed
6 hours
or
baggage
words
who
will
about
has
have
that
waited
many
an
hour
for
his
complimentary
design.
NOTE
The
views
the author,
the BAA.
210
in this article
are those
expressed
and do not necessarily
reflect those
of
of
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

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Airport Design

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safsad

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

What are the principal elements of

in length, may occupy several thousand

ners to use airport land as fully as possible.

these and give examples of how they have

the next section. Following

facilities and land

on the height and

As an example of airport design, I have

no obstacles higher than 45 metres within

tions mentioned above determine their loca

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

To assist clarification the vertical

between taxiways and fixed obstructions.

the BAA is planning

LONGITUDINAL SECTION THROUGH APPROACH

modification by having sufficient clearance

A runway with only a

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

Twin parallel taxiways

of the most important aspects

been built for some

is the noise effect which

take-off, aircraft may turn off the straight

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

regularly and this can be shown

annoyance which is most frequently used in

many locations where there is sufficient flat

The passenger terminal complex is made up

The most efficient use of apron concrete is

aircraft at the end may get trapped

stands provided in three culs-de-sac, which

pier served and would have to be served by

passenger conveyors ease this distance but

systems, such as at Gatwick, provide faster

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

the provision of centralized

its problem. At Gatwick, a pier and satellite

Dulles, Montreal Mirabel) the

lounge concept allows

have high operating costs because activities

by mobile lounges. A mobile lounge is a bus

attempted to do away with long walking

who arrive by road want to be dropped or to

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

carrying their luggage and so short walking

space is less of a premium than at Heath

course level, cars will be able to pick up and

side the terminal, and cars will be parked in

for all passengers.

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

tain other facilities such as an hotel, car hire

Although the terminal building occupies

are a number of types quite commonly seen.

departing and arriving passengers.

flicts can be avoided

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

b One and a half level

d Two and a half level

Mezz for baggage

This content downloaded from 152.118.148.226 on Thu, 6 Nov 2014 02:59:29 AM

with a small level change. Figure 8d shows

the baggage flows.