Airport

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Airport

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For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation).

An aerial view of Incheon International Airport, located in Incheon, South Korea, and considered a large airport.

An aerial view of Paraparaumu Airport, a medium-sized airport

JetBlue Airways at Cibao International Airport, Santiago, DR.

An airport is a facility where aircraft such as airplanes and helicopters operate. An airport minimally consists of one runway or helipad (for helicopters), for take offs and landings, and usually buildings as hangars, terminal buildings and a control center.

Additionally, an airport may have a variety of facilities and infrastructure, including fixed base operator services, air traffic control, passenger facilities such as restaurants and lounges, and emergency services. A military airport is known as an airbase or air station. The terms airfield, airstrip, and aerodrome may also be used to refer to airports of varying sizes. In some jurisdictions, the term airport is used where the facility is licensed as such by the relevant government organization (e.g. FAA, Transport Canada). Elsewhere the distinction is merely one of general appearance. Yet other areas define an airport by its having the necessary customs offices etc expected of a port.

Attributes

The international public domain symbol for air transportation, created by AIGA.

Airports vary in size, with smaller or less-developed airports often having only a single runway shorter than 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Larger airports for international flights generally have paved runways 2,000 m (6,600 ft) or longer. Many small airports have dirt, grass, or gravel runways, rather than asphalt or concrete.

In the United States, the minimum dimensions for dry, hard landing fields are defined by the FAR Landing And Takeoff Field Lengths. These include considerations for safety margins during landing and takeoff. Typically, heavier aircraft require longer runways. The longest public-use runway in the world is at Qamdo Bangda Airport, in , Qamdo, China. It has a length of 5,500 m (18,045 ft). The world's widest paved runway is at Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport and is 105 m (344 ft) wide. As of 2006, there were approximately 49,000 airports around the world, including 14,858 in the United States alone.[2]

Airport ownership and operation

Most of the world's airports are owned by local, regional, or national government bodies who then lease the airport to private corporations who oversee the airport's entire operation. For example, the British firm BAA plc operates seven of the commercial airports in the United Kingdom, as well as several other airports outside of the UK. Germany's Frankfurt International Airport is managed by the quasi-private firm Fraport AG.

In the United States, most airports are operated directly by government entities or government-created airport authorities (also known as port authorities). Only Indianapolis International Airport, which is owned by the City of Indianapolis and leased to , a subsidiary of the British airport firm BAA plc, and Stewart International Airport in New York's Hudson Valley, are entirely operated by a private entity. Stewart International Airport was the nation's first privatized commercial airport and operates under a 99-year lease agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation. National Express Group, Inc., operates Stewart International Airport and is the United States subsidiary of the National Express Group, plc, in the United Kingdom.

Frankfurt International Airport is managed by Fraport AG

Many U.S. airports still lease part or all of their facilities to outside firms, who operate specific functions such as retail management and parking. In the United States, all commercial airport runways are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, but maintained by the local airport under the regulatory authority of the FAA.

Despite the reluctance to privatize airports in the United States (despite the FAA sponsoring a privatization program since 1996), the government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) arrangement is the standard for the operation of commercial airports in the rest of the world.

In New Zealand, Auckland International Airport, the nation's main international airport, is fully privatised. Ownership and operation of the 1,497 hectare complex is vested entirely with Auckland International Airport Limited, a public company, with the only governmental involvement being 's operation of air traffic control systems. Similar arrangements pertain to Wellington and Christchurch airports, and most other main airports are operated by private companies.

In Argentina, 32 airports including the main airport Ezeiza International Airport are operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, a private company. On the other hand, 3 airports are operated by another company named London Supply.

Airport structures

A terminal building at Mumbai Airport

Airports are divided into landside and airside areas. Landside areas include parking lots, public transportation stations, tank farms and access roads. Airside areas include all areas accessible to aircraft, including runways, taxiways and ramps. Access from landside areas to airside areas is tightly controlled at most airports. Passengers on commercial flights access airside areas through terminals, where they can purchase tickets, clear security, check or claim luggage and board aircraft through gates. The waiting areas which provide passenger access to aircraft are typically called concourses, although this term is often used interchangeably with terminal.

The area where aircraft park next to a terminal to load passengers and baggage is known as a ramp (or, to the media and uninitiated, "the tarmac"). Parking areas for aircraft away from terminals are generally called aprons

Both large and small airports can be towered or non-towered, depending on air traffic density and available funds. Due to their high capacity and busy airspace, most international airports have air traffic control located on site.

Airports with international flights have customs and immigration facilities. However, as some countries have agreements that allow travel between them without customs and immigrations, such facilities are not a definitive need for an international airport. International flights often require a more conspicuous level of physical security, although in recent years, many countries have adopted the same level of security for international and domestic travel.

Modern engineers and architects are developing "floating airports" which could be located several miles at sea and which would utilize designs such as Float Incorporated's Pneumatic Stabilized Platform (PSP) technology.

Shops and food services

Food court and shops, Halifax International Airport

Airports have a captive audience, and consequently the prices charged for food are generally higher than are available elsewhere in the region. However, some airports, such as JFK's Terminal 8, guarantee prices comparable to those outside of the airport. Airport fees are fees commonly paid for use of services of airports, such as in the Subic Bay International Airport, known for charging airport fees. However, some airports now regulate food costs to keep them comparable to so-called "street prices". This term is a bit misleading as prices often match the MSRP but are almost never discounted.

Premium and VIP Services

Several mid-large size airports also have facilities for premium passengers. In the United States, these lounges are typically for international or long-haul first and business class passengers, paid members, and elite-level frequent fliers on long haul flights (regardless of what class they are in). In the rest of the world, the lounges are not open to purchase, but can be used by all premium passengers and most elite frequent fliers. Some lounges are comparatively spartan and only offer a quiet place to sit and work; other lounges include meals and massage services.

Cargo and freight services

In addition to people, airports are responsible for moving large volumes of cargo around the clock. Cargo airlines often have their own on-site and adjacent infrastructure to rapidly transfer parcels between ground and air modes of transportation.

Support services

Aircraft maintenance, pilot services, aircraft rental, and hangar rental are most often performed by a fixed base operator (FBO). At major airports, particularly those used as hubs, airlines may operate their own support facilities.

Some airports, typically military airbases, have long runways used as emergency landing sites. Many airbases have arresting equipment for fast aircraft, known as - a strong cable suspended just above the runway and attached to a hydraulic reduction gear mechanism. Together with the landing aircraft's arresting hook, it is used in situations where the brakes would have little or no effect.

Airport access

Many large airports in the world are located next to or even above railway trunk routes, for instance Frankfurt International Airport, Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport and London Stansted. For local access, many airports have local train lines, rapid transit, light rail lines or other mass transit systems, for instance the AirTrain JFK at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and the Silver Line T at Boston's Logan International Airport by the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). These systems are usually directly connected to the main terminals. Large airports usually have access also through freeways from which cars fed into two access roads, designed as loops, one sitting on top of the other. One level is for departing passengers and the other is for arrivals. This road concept was pioneered at Los Angeles International Airport.

History and development

The earliest airplane takeoff and landing sites were simply open, grassy fields. The plane could approach at any angle that provided a favorable wind direction. A slight improvement was the dirt-only field, which eliminated the drag from grass. However, these only functioned well in dry conditions. They would eventually be replaced by concrete surfaces that allowed all-weather landings in both daylight and at night.

Early airfields were often built for the purpose of entertainment. These aerodromes consisted of a grassy field, with a hangar for storage and servicing of airplanes, and observation stands for visitors.

Qantas AVRO 504K replica, first plane flown by Qantas, Kingsford Smith International Airport

The title of "world's oldest airport" is disputed, but College Park Airport in Maryland, USA, established in 1909 by Wilbur Wright, is generally agreed to be the world's oldest continually operating airfield^[1], although it presently serves only general aviation traffic. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport opened on September 16, 1916 as a military airfield, but only accepted civil aircraft from December 17, 1920, allowing Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia — which started operations in January 1920 — to claim to be the world's oldest continually operating commercial airport.^[2].

The first known usage of the term "airport" appeared in a newspaper article in 1919, in reference to Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey.^[3]

Increased aircraft traffic during World War I led to the construction of regular landing fields. Airplanes had to approach these from certain directions. This led to the development of aids for directing the approach and landing slope.

Following the war, some of these military airfields added commercial facilities for handling passenger traffic. One of the earliest such fields was Le Bourget, near Paris. The first international airport to open was the Croydon Airport, in South London [3]. In 1922, the first permanent airport and commercial terminal solely for commercial aviation was built at Königsberg, Germany. The airports of this era used a paved "apron", which permitted night flying as well as landing heavier airplanes.

The first lighting used on an airport was during the later part of the 1920s; in the 1930s approach lighting came into use. These indicated the proper direction and angle of descent. The colors and flash intervals of these lights became standardized under the ICAO. In the 1940s, the slope-line approach system was introduced. This consisted of two rows of lights that formed a funnel indicating an aircraft's position on the glideslope. Additional lights indicated incorrect altitude and direction.

Following World War II, airport design began to become more sophisticated. Passenger buildings were being grouped together in an island, with runways arranged in groups about the terminal. This arrangement permitted expansion of the facilities. But it also meant that passengers had to travel further to reach their plane.

An improvement in the landing field was the introduction of grooves in the concrete surface. These ran perpendicular to the direction of the landing aircraft and served to draw off excess water in rainy conditions that could build up in front of the plane's wheels.

Airport construction boomed during the 1960s with the increase in jet aircraft traffic. Runways were extended out to 3 km (9800 ft). The fields were constructed out of reinforced concrete using a slip-form machine that produces a continual slab with no disruptions along the length.

Modern landing fields are thickest in the area where the plane touches down in order to support the force of the landing gear touching down. Runways are constructed as smooth and level as possible using measuring devices to correct for variations in height.

Airport designation and naming

Location signs - yellow on black background. Identifies the runway or taxiway currently on or entering.

Direction/Runway Exit signs - black on yellow. Identifies the intersecting taxiways the aircraft is approaching, with an arrow indicating the direction to turn.

Other - Many airports use conventional traffic signs such as stop and yield signs throughout the airport.

Mandatory instruction signs

Mandatory instruction signs are white on red. They show entrances to runways or critical areas. Vehicles and aircraft are required to stop at these signs until the control tower gives clearance to proceed.

Runway signs - White on a red. These signs simply identify a runway intersection ahead.
Frequency Change signs - Usually a stop sign and an instruction to change to another frequency. These signs are used at airports with different areas of ground control.
Holding Position signs - A single solid yellow bar across a taxiway indicates a position where ground control may require a stop. If two solid yellow bars and two dashed yellow bars are encountered, this indicates a holding position for a runway intersection ahead; runway holding lines must never be crossed without permission. At some airports, a line of red lights across a taxiway is used during low visibility operations to indicate holding positions.

Lighting

Many airports have lighting that help guide planes using the runways and taxiways at night or in rain or fog.

On runways, green lights indicate the beginning of the runway for landing, while red lights indicate the end of the runway. Runway edge lighting consists of white lights spaced out on both sides of the runway, indicating the edge. Some airports have more complicated lighting on the runways including lights that run down the centerline of the runway and lights that help indicate the approach (an Approach Lighting System, or ALS). Low-traffic airports may use Pilot Controlled Lighting to save electricity and staffing costs.

Along taxiways, blue lights indicate the taxiway's edge, and some airports have embedded green lights that indicate the centerline.

Weather observations

See also: Automated airport weather station

Weather observations at the airport are crucial to safe take-offs and landings. Thus, most airports with significant air traffic have some form of weather observing program. In the United States and Canada, the vast majority of airports, large and small, have some form of automated airport weather station, whether an AWOS, ASOS or AWSS. Most larger airports also have human observers to provide additional observations to supplement the automated station. These weather observations are available over the radio, through ATIS or via the ATC.

Planes take-off and land into the wind in order to achieve maximum performance. Because pilots need instantaneous information during landing, a windsock is also kept in view of the runway.

Safety management

Air safety is an important concern in the operation of an airport, and almost every airfield includes equipment and procedures for handling emergency situations. Commercial airfields include one or more emergency vehicles and their crew that are specially equipped for dealing with airfield accidents, crew and passenger extractions, and the hazards of highly flammable airplane fuel. The crews are also trained to deal with situations such as bomb threats, hijacking, and terrorist activities.

Potential airfield hazards to aircraft include debris, nesting birds, and environmental conditions such as ice or snow. The fields must be kept clear of debris using cleaning equipment so that loose material doesn't become a projectile and enter an engine duct. In adverse weather conditions, ice and snow clearing equipment can be used to improve traction on the landing strip. For waiting aircraft, equipment is used to spray special deicing fluids on the wings.

NASA air safety experiment (CID project)

Many airports are built near open fields or wetlands. These tend to attract bird populations, which can pose a hazard to aircraft in the form of bird strikes. Airport crews often need to discourage birds from taking up residence.

Some airports are located next to parks, golf courses, or other low-density uses of land. Other airports are located near densely-populated urban or suburban areas. In the 1980's, a conflict arose in San José, California, when a plane attempting to land at Reid-Hillview Airport (built in the 1930's) collided with a Macy's department Store at the Eastridge shopping mall. Many local residents tried to get the airport shut down, even though it had been there for fifty years: their neighborhoods (and the mall) were about a decade old.^{[citation needed]}

Depending on their configuration, an airport can have sections of their pavement where collisions between airplanes on the ground can tend to occur. Records are kept of any incursions where airplanes or vehicles are in an inappropriate location, allowing these "hot spots" to be identified. These locations then undergo special attention by transportation authorities (such as the FAA in the US) and airport administrators in order to reduce accidents.

During the 1980s, a phenomenon known as microburst became a growing concern due to accidents caused by microburst wind shear. (For example, see Delta Air Lines Flight 191.) was developed as an aid to safety during landing, giving two to five minutes warning to aircraft in the vicinity of the field of a microburst event.

Some airfields now have a special surface known as soft concrete at the end of the runway that behaves somewhat like styrofoam, bringing the plane to a relatively rapid halt as the material disintegrates. These surfaces are useful when the runway is located next to a body of water or other hazard, and prevent the planes from overrunning the end of the field.

Airport ground crew

An aircraft tow tractor taxiing in/pushing back a KLM boeing 777

The United States uses the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD), published in seven volumes.

In Canada, a single publication, the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) provides equivalent information.

In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the equivalent information is found in Pooley's Flight Guide, a publication compiled with the assistance of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Pooley's also contains information on some continental European airports that are close to Great Britain.

The most comprehensive, consumer/business directory of commercial airports in the world (primarily for airports as businesses, rather than for pilots) is organized by the trade group Airports Council International.

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