AIRPORT TERMINAL PLANNING

Bala Palani
Senior Manager (School of Aviation Management)

Copyright © 2015 CAAS. No part of it may be used, circulated, quoted, or reproduced for distribution outside CAAS without prior written permission. Every care has been taken to ensure that the
information contained here is accurate. Nonetheless, CAAS does not warrant the currency, accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document, nor does CAAS accept liability
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 What is an Airport ?
• An airport is a facility where passengers connect from ground
transportation to air transportation

• Provides interface between access mode & aircraft where

processing of pax departing, arriving, transfer, transit take
place

• To some its more than a facility, it’s a lifestyle icon and

national pride (major airports)

• Dwell time of passengers vis-à-vis aircraft, cargo in airport

means $$$ (both in terms of revenue and cost)

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 Classification of Airports

• International or Domestic Airports

• Primary or Secondary Airports

• Hub or OD Airports

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 Financing Models

• State-owned airports

• Private airports

• PPP (Public Private Partnership)

• Greenfield Airports

• Brownfield Airports

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 Planning involves many areas

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 ICAO Annex 14 Volume 1

• Code of Aerodrome in
relation to designs of
aircrafts
• Runways
• Aircraft
Maneuverability areas
• Clearance
• Etc.

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 IATA Airport Development Reference Manual

• Forecasting
• Master Planning
• Airside Infrastructure
• Passenger Terminal
• Cargo Terminal
• Support Services

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 Planning Objectives
• To achieve a balanced system; Capacity Vs. Demand

• To facilitate airline operations; ensure all airlines can operate

efficiently and competitively

• To achieve flexibility and ability to grow – surrounding areas

• To achieve a good quality of service; ease the stress and

increase enjoyment of air travel

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 Planning Objectives
• To meet regulatory requirements – Govt agencies, ICAO
Annex 14, IATA, other safety & security requirements

• To ensure constructability – make sure the project can be

built, while the airport continues to operate

• Seamless access to airport & city (vice versa)

• To meet business plan criteria – consider cost of construction,

cost of operation and revenue generation

• Airport Commercials (Aero vs Non-Aero Revenue)

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 Airside & Landside
Airports are divided into landside and airside areas

• LANDSIDE
• Landside is where the passengers arrive/depart from the airport
terminal building to get to/from the airplanes
• Areas include check-in areas, retail space, parking lots, fuel
tank farms and access roads etc.

• AIRSIDE
• Airside areas include all areas accessible to aircraft, including
runways, taxiways and ramp
• Access from landside areas to airside areas is controlled

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 Terminal Area Requirements

• The terminal must be designed to accommodate traffic

during the peak hour movement of passengers which will
be the primary determinant of aircraft gate positions, space
requirements for passengers, baggage, visitors, vehicles
and ground transportation facilities respectively

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Basic Criteria
• Compatibility of facilities with aircraft characteristics, with
built-in flexibility to accept future generations of aircraft

• Seamless Above Wing & Below Wing operations

• Easy orientation

• Shortest walking distance

• Minimum level changes

• Traffic peaking characteristics

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 5 Common Terminal Concepts

• Linear
• Transporter
• Pier/ Finger
• Satellite
• Compact Module Unit Terminal

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Passenger Terminal Planning
Linear

Transporter

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

Copyright © 2015 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. All rights reserved.

 Passenger Terminal Planning
Pier/ Finger

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

Copyright © 2015 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. All rights reserved.

 Passenger Terminal Planning

Satellite

Compact Module Unit Terminal

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Terminal Area Requirements
• However, each airport has unique characteristics:
• Number of airlines
• Destinations served
• Passenger processing procedures, processing time
• Operational procedures
• Nature of trip, type of traffic (international, domestic)
• Number of visitors accompanying passenger

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

Copyright © 2015 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. All rights reserved.

 Planning and Design Considerations
• Planning Parameters
• Level of Service
• Passenger Flow
• Minimum Connecting Time
• Passenger Walking Distance
• People Mover System
• Baggage Handling System
• Performance Standards
• Ease of Way-finding
• Retail Potential
• Future Growth and Expansion Capability
Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

Copyright © 2015 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. All rights reserved.

 Planning Parameters
• Annual and hourly aircraft movements
• Annual passenger volume & design pax volume
• Terminal annual capacity
• Passenger processing standards e.g.
o Check in 90% cleared in 10 mins
o Immigration 90% cleared in 8 mins
o Customs 80% cleared in 5 mins
o Taxis 90% cleared in 5 mins

• Baggage processing

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Flow of Terminal Operations

Passenger routes shall be as simple and direct as

possible with minimum level changes

DEPARTURES GATE LOUNGE

ARRIVALS CORRIDOR

TYPICAL PIER
SECTION DEPARTURES FLOW
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 Flow of Terminal Operations

Above Wing Ops

Below Wing Ops

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Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition
 Minimum Connecting Time (MCT)
• MCTs must be competitive with competing regional or
international airports

• Infrastructure with adequate facilities to allow single or

alliance airlines to connect within published MCT

Type of Airport MCT (mins)

Domestic – Domestic 35 - 45
Domestic – International 35 - 45
International – Domestic 45 - 60
International – International 45 - 60

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 Minimum Connecting Time (MCT)
• Passenger walking distance
- unaided: < 300m
- aided (moving walkways): > 300m
• People Mover System (PMS) or 'Skytrain'

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 Minimum Connecting Time (MCT)

• Changi’s 'Skytrain' connects T1, T2 and T3

• Bus services to connect to T4
1.3min 2.8-2.9min

2.8min
2.4min

2.8-3.5min

T4

Bus service

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 Minimum Connecting Time (MCT)

Baggage Handling System

Off-loading of baggage Baggage retrieval

from aircraft
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 Level of Service Parameters
Capacity is a function of Level of Service
• A facility can operate at varying degrees of congestion and
delay depending on level of service intended

• IATA’s Level of Service (LOS) Framework (prior to Airport

Development Reference Manual 10th Edition) consisting of
six categories, i.e.. from LOS “A” to “F”

LOS “A” LOS “C” LOS “F”

Excellent LOS, free flow, Unacceptable LOS, cross flow,
no delays and excellent system breakdown and long
level of comfort delays and unacceptable level
of comfort
Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Level of Service Parameters

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 New infrastructure developments will see Changi
boosting capacity to 135 million pax/yr by 2020s

Plans for a new mega-terminal Terminal 5 (T5) are already underway. When ready in the mid 2020s, it is set
to be one of the largest terminals in the world with a planned capacity of 50 million

The infrastructure development plans outlined will bring Changi‘s passenger handling capacity to 135 million
mppa by the mid-2020s and will provide adequate headroom for passenger growth over the next few
decades from the 53.7 million passengers (in 2013) currently passing through the airport.
 Level of Service Parameters

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Level of Service Parameters

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

Copyright © 2015 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. All rights reserved.

 Level of Service

Source: IATA, ADRM, 10th Edition

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 Ease of Way-finding
• The terminal should incorporate self-
evident passenger routes through the
building

• But where signs are required, they must

be provided a continuous indication of
direction

• Signs should be in “native language” and

in English

• Signs should adhere to a basic guideline

of copy styles and sizes, consistent
terminology, recognizable and universally
acceptable symbols and uniform colours

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 Ease of Way-finding

• Complex paths?
• No clear line of sight to
facilities?
• Poor accessibility to
commercial areas?
• Multiple decision points?
• Back-tracking?
• Inconvenient level changes?

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 Future Growth and Expansion Capability
• The terminal should allow capacity enhancements to be added
without major disruption to airport operations and functions

• New regulatory developments and changes in the nature and

volume of passenger flows can also be more readily and quickly
accommodated
A380 holdroom
designed to IATA
Level of Service ‘A’
3rd aerobridge Expanded gate holdroom

Arrival Greeters’ Hall

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 Group Discussion & Presentation
1. The Government/Civil Aviation Authority is considering PPP for
the new airport development. Discuss the merits and demerits
of PPP and make your recommendation.

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 Bala Palani
Singapore Aviation Academy, CAAS
Bala_Palani@caas.gov.sg