The Basis of Current Trends in Air Travelling - Case Study Example

Airport Terminal Design and Innovation Executive Summary: In the modern world, the significance of air travelling is extremely on an increase. The requirements and demands of the air passengers also have changed considerably. To facilitate the most suitable facilities to the passengers must be the aim of every airport and many often the design and architecture of the modern terminals seem to be deficient to meet the increased demand or requirement of the passengers. There are certain terminals that cater to the manifold requirements of the passengers, whereas many others need yet to learn the basics of airport design to the best needs of the modern customers. What are the major design requirements of modern terminal users and how can the airport terminals accomplish the customer requirements? Identification of these requirements by evaluating the major design types of the current terminals and suggestions to meet the future requirements on the basis of current trends in air travelling is the major motivation behind this assignment. For this, the major airport designs are investigated and they are illustrated with examples from UK airports. Airport Terminal Design and innovation: a critical overview: “All airports are unique in terms of markets served, services offered, physical layouts and appearance, business and community relations, and profitability.” (Assa and Thomet 2004). The situation with regard to terminals and their design proves this uniqueness more evident. Terminals are buildings and related establishments that cater for passenger transfer between ground haulage and all the facilities of the airport for the use of the passengers. There are certain airports that use the most modern techniques of terminal designs whereas we also notice the inadequately designed terminals. Many often, the passengers find themselves dissatisfied with the limited space for passenger activities in airport terminals. Before we analyze such elements that require immediate attention let us find the different types of airport design designs. Unlike the previous times when the passengers would use the service of a bus or directly walk on to the airliner, there are many types of facilities available to them at present. The remote pier is one of the design types, “in which passengers are brought out to a remote pier by an automatic people mover and there embark or disembark in the conventional manner.” (Airport. Remote pier designs. 2007). The design type has proved its merit in handling transport passengers, yet not recommended for most of the other new systems. In this design there is an extended but contracted building attaching the main area with the other side of the terminal. The simplicity of the design is especially noticeable and they propose greater aircraft capacity. Many of the international airports today use the pier design including the London Heathrow Airport. There are simple terminal configurations used mainly in small aircraft airports. We can also find linier terminals which are an extension of the simple terminal design. In Pier finger terminal add gate concourses to the simple terminal design. A concourse means an open space where paths meet. “Passengers are usually processed at the simple terminal location and then routed down a "pier" where aircraft are parked in the "finger" slots or gates for boarding.” (Tutorial, Airport Design). Another design of terminals is the Pier satellite terminal/ Remote satellite terminal design which “involves a single terminal where all the ticketing and passenger processing takes place.” (Tutorial, Airport Design) This will be attached with open space that directs to one or more satellite structures. There will be space for the aircrafts to park in groups. As a result the distance that a passenger need to walk to reach one terminal from another or from one gate to another increases. The use of people-mover systems employed reduces these walking distances. “These systems can be high speed escalators, monorails or electric-powered carts. This design concept lends itself to a compact central terminal, but is difficult to expand without disrupting airport operations.” (Tutorial, Airport Design). Mobile lounge or transporter terminal (remote aircraft parking concept) is a system that is not very popular. This design uses the passengers are taken to and from the airplanes. “This design has excellent expansion capabilities and can maintain the pace with increased airport usage. With this concept, aircraft can be parked remotely from the terminal buildings thus increasing the amount of aircraft enplaning and deplaning passengers.” (Tutorial, Airport Design). There are many advantages to this system, a significance one being that it reduces the time wastage in walking long distances to and from the aircraft. This also lessens the aircraft engine noise in the region of the terminal. “Aviation passenger traffic is forecast to grow significantly over the next decade and beyond. To accommodate this growth will require investment in airport infrastructure, including terminals.” (Jones and Pitfield 2007). Identification of the most suitable terminal design and its implementation cannot be neglected in any case possible. Due to the increase in the number of passengers and the unavailability of the most sophisticated designs that cater for the different needs of the passengers, it is the most appropriate time to consider some innovative strategies in terminal design and airport development. “The demands on international airports have increased dramatically. London Heathrow alone handles in excess of 400,000 flights per annum. The growth in air travel has created a competitive market to service the requirements of both passengers and airlines. Airport design has become increasingly sophisticated incorporating shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment facilities that contribute to revenue and provide a more attractive environment for passengers.” (Airport Solutions. Metal Ceiling and Cladding Systems. 2002). The airport terminal designs in the UK bear evidence to the fact that there is need both for the improvement of current terminal design and the establishment of the most sophisticated system of terminal design in order to meet the customer requirements as well as to provide a working example to the terminal designs of other nations. To consider the special case of the UK, “The airport industry has always pushed the boundaries of building capabilities. It has always required designers to be both supremely creative and deeply practical. And it has always harnessed innovation ahead of other industries.” (Design and Construction). This points to the ability of the airport design in the UK to bring about the most promising changes in the field. Let us find the peculiarities of the different terminals of one of the airports of the high rank, i.e. Manchester Airport. The terminal design of the airport is an example of most of the design types discussed above. Among the terminals, “Terminal 1 is in the main airport complex and is the terminal furthest from the M56 access road.” (Manchester Airport Terminal 1. 2006). The terminal is particularly meant for the international and charter flights and services to the Irish Republic and it is an example for the most sophisticated systems of design. The walkway connecting it with Terminal 3 is especially noteworthy. There are many changes in the progress of the design that need to be institutionalised in fulfilling the passenger requirements. The next terminal, Manchester Airport Terminal 2, “serves all long haul scheduled flights except British Airways and El AL plus some charter flights.” (Manchester Airport Terminal 2. 2006). The facilities that are provided in this terminal are of world class and the check-in and arrivals link to the airport parking, shopping area, and other facilities. “Those who just want to relax quietly can find peace and comfortable seating on the mezzanine floor.” (Manchester Airport Terminal 2. 2006). Terminal 3, “the newest of the airports three terminals”, gives the best evidence to the quality design of airport terminal, yet emphasise the need for better design to meet the passenger needs. (Manchester Airport Terminal 3. 2006). The passenger demand increases every now and then and the terminal design is the key area that need to bring about right strategies to include the passenger requirements. Different types of terminals are the guiding factors in the changes that are to be effected and a judicial selection of the best suiting to the customer requirements is the key to these changes and innovation. One of the major airports of the UK is Edinburgh Airport. “Edinburgh Airport is the second best performing airport in the British Airports Authority UK portfolio and far and away the best performing of their 3 Scottish airports.” (Statistics - facts and figures - EDI versus GLA, 2007). The terminal design of the Edinburgh Airport provides many facilities to the passengers. Yet there are certain areas that still need to modernise in order to meet the challenging passenger requirements. This realisation made the airport improve the terminal design and “The first phase of the work was completed in 1999, it included numerous terminal facilities and expanded the number of parking spaces for aircraft.” (FUTURE EXPANSION OF EDINBURGH AIRPORT, 2007). The innovation in the field is expected to give a major role for the airport in the UK and the passenger capacity will be doubled to enable it to enjoy the sixth place among the UK airports. The current number of terminal stands will be increased and the construction of a new wide-body stand to accommodate new aircrafts also will be undertaken. Many other facilities including multi-storey car park are under the agenda of the new strategies. All these tell the magnitude of terminal design improvement of the airports from time to time. “Terminal 5 (T5) at Heathrow Airport is one of Europe’s largest construction projects of the 21st Century.” (Terminal 5 – Heathrow Airport, UK. 2007). The project that is expected materialise in 2008 will give the most elegant example of airport terminal design and construction. The project is important in many respects and the completion of it will provide the best example of a most modern terminal design. “Completed on time, under budget and with no impact on the airport’s day to day operations, the dual purpose tunnel will provide road access from Terminal 1, 2 and 3 to Terminal 5. It will also serve the remote aircraft stands on the western edge of the airport from the central terminal area.” (Heathrow Terminal 5, UK. 2007). The statistics about the project prove the need for greater emphasis to be made on the airport terminal design. “The T5 site covers 260ha, equivalent to the size of London’s Hyde Park. The terminal will take an estimated 37 million man hours to build and will have the capacity to serve some 30 million passengers a year.” (Heathrow Terminal 5, UK. 2007). The innovative measures taken in one of the busiest and largest airports in the world proves also the need for the implementation of greater innovations in the field of terminal design. The following pictures of the terminal in one of the significant airports in the UK, the Manchester Airport illustrate the complicated activities related with the modern airports and help us identify certain areas that need special attention. (Terminal 1: Pick Up/Drop Off. 2007). The Modern Airport Terminal: New Approaches to Airport Architecture, by Brian Edwards is a book that clearly tells the need for a most modern approach to the in the book the author discusses the need for the implementation of new strategies that ensure the innovation in the terminal design and architecture. (Edwards 2005. p 277). All the efforts of this report have been in order to provide a critical evaluation of the design requirements of airport terminal users and to identify the areas that are to be improved upon. The innovative measures that should be taken with regard to terminal design and passenger requirements are also aimed at. All these analyses stress the need for improved terminal design and determined innovative measures to improve the quality of airport terminals and to meet the increasing requirements of the passengers. Bibliography Airport. Remote pier designs. (2007). [online]. Britannica Online. 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Last accessed 2 November 2007 at: http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/design/tutorial/tutorial7.html Read More