Long Term Traffic Forecasts and Operating Pattern for a Regional Airport

A common problem facing airport planners is to estimate the detail of the flight schedule that will be operated at an airport in future years. This is important to assess issues such as capacity requirements, noise and emission outputs and connectivity. For airline commercial analysts it is necessary to understand the competitive pressures and opportunities that will develop in different markets. This paper uses an approach adopted for the VANTAGE project, conducted for the UK Department of Trade and Industry to forecast the detail of airline operations at UK regional airports on a 10-20 year horizon. The paper considers a generalised forecast at the route level and how this can then be disaggregated into detail such as aircraft size, airline and flight schedule. The existing routes and frequencies are used as a basis. The detailed history of service to each international destination from the UK is used to model the future service. The extra frequencies created by the traffic model are then allocated to airlines and time windows using the D’Hondt method of highest averages. An example peak week schedule is presented for Aberdeen airport accompanied by a commentary on the key strategic and policy implications for the industry

Medium Range Aircraft Fuel Policy in the Light of Available Software, and Knowledge in the Industry

The rational use of fuel in aviation industry together with the improved operational safety level and productivity are common and permanent goal that all airlines in the world strive to achieve. Different environmental influences and constraints affect each of them through multiple layers of activities. The constant awareness of them and mastering equipment airline exploits make reaching those goals more viable. Croatia Airlines is the sole Croatian scheduled air carrier. Being major consumer of fuel and having in mind international sense that air transportation has Croatia Air-lines has to obey worldwide applied criteria. Paper lists environmental influences together with airline characteristics that make fuel policy so important factor. It compiles theoretical foundation together with methods used in formulating fuel policy. Operational data and its use for deriving one of the indicators related to medium range aircraft fuel consumption are listed at the end

The role of the helicopter in transportation

A general overview is presented of the role that the helicopter plays in the current aviation scene with special emphasis on its use in the airport access function. Technological problems of present-day aircraft are discussed along with some plausible solutions. The economic and regulatory aspects of commercial helicopter operations are presented. Finally six commercial operations utilizing helicopters are reviewed and conditions that enhance the success of the helicopter in the airport access function are proposed

Virtual Integration Platforms (VIP) –A Concept for Integrated and Interdisciplinary Air Transportation Research and Assessment

The paper descibes a new methodology for a holistic development of air transportation concepts. The Virtual Integration Plattform (VIP) concept is based on an IT tool chain as well as human collaborative methods to deal with complex systems. As a result the definitions of future air transportation concepts for short range "Quiet and Clean", long range "Comfortable and Clean" and individual transport "Fast and Flexible" are presente

The environmental effects of peak hour air traffic congestion: the case of London Heathrow Airport

This paper was presented for publication in the journal Research in Transportation Economics and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.retrec.2016.04.012© 2016 Elsevier Ltd.The commercial air transport sector currently faces the serious and seemingly incompatible challenge of meeting growing consumer demand for flight whilst reducing its environmental impact and meeting increasingly stringent international emissions targets. Growing demand for air travel combined with improvements in environmental performance in other industrial sectors means that commercial aviation has become a key focus for tackling climate change. The aim of this paper is to quantify the impacts of capacity-induced airport congestion using the case of London Heathrow Airport. The paper quantifies the environmental effect of airborne delays to inbound aircraft at the heavily constrained London Heathrow Airport on emissions and local air quality. The findings reveal that the additional CO2 and NOx emissions resulting from airborne delays are significant and will increase if capacity constraints on the ground are not addressed. The results are analysed in the context of Heathrow's climate change targets and current debates surrounding expansion and the challenge of reconciling environmental sustainability with aviation growth

Disrupting Complex Systems with Emerging Technologies: A Study on United States Airport Operations

The number of United States domestic commercial flight passengers are growing every year, which means the number of people checking-in, dropping off their bags, and going through TSA within airports is equally growing. With the increasing number of passengers and aging airports, there are several areas of pain points within airports where passengers hit a bottleneck due to the current systems that airports have in place. There are three main areas that we are going to reference. First the check-in process, where customers have to get their tickets, input identification information, and check-in for their flight. Second, baggage-drop off, where customers get their baggage weighed and tagged. Lastly, is Transport Security Administration (TSA). This is where consumers get their carry-on bags scanned as well as their person. In each of these areas, there are some levels of inconvenience imposed on the customer by the current system. With technological advancements being used in other industries, the goal of this thesis is to look at what existing technologies can be modified and used within airport operations to reduce the long lines that customers face every time they travel

Proposal For A Market-Based Solution to Airport Delays

With the clamor rising over airport delays and with both the Congress and the Administration considering remedies, this paper advocates the use of market mechanisms, specifically slot auctions, to promote efficient usage of airport capacity, reduce airport delays, and, more generally, promote competition.

Quiet propulsive lift for commuter airlines

The performance of STOL or RTOL aircraft and NASA's research program to provide options for future design and certification of quiet propulsive-life transports is described

Human factors of flight-deck checklists: The normal checklist

Although the aircraft checklist has long been regarded as the foundation of pilot standardization and cockpit safety, it has escaped the scrutiny of the human factors profession. The improper use, or the non-use, of the normal checklist by flight crews is often cited as the probable cause or at least a contributing factor to aircraft accidents. An attempt is made to analyze the normal checklist, its functions, format, design, length, usage, and the limitations of the humans who must interact with it. The development of the checklist from the certification of a new model to its delivery and use by the customer are discussed. The influence of the government, particularly the FAA Principle Operations Inspector, the manufacturer's philosophy, the airline's culture, and the end user, the pilot, influence the ultimate design and usage of this device. The effects of airline mergers and acquisitions on checklist usage and design are noted. In addition, the interaction between production pressures and checklist usage and checklist management are addressed. Finally, a list of design guidelines for normal checklists is provided