Search

In the evolving landscape of airport management, leveraging public data emerges as a transformative strategy to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This paper explores the integration of data analytics in airport operations, illustrating through case studies how airports can utilise open data to optimise performance, improve passenger experience and streamline security processes. We highlight the significant benefits of adopting data-driven approaches, including increased operational transparency, improved decision making and enhanced service quality. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of public data in driving innovation and sustainability in airport management, offering actionable insights for airport authorities and stakeholders. This paper serves as a stimulus on how to benefit from the use of open data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study investigates the contributions of an airport service provider from Romania specializing in ground handling, operations, and passenger services towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recognizing the critical role of service providers in the aviation ecosystem, this research focuses on how operational practices can be optimized to support sustainability objectives. It also reveals how businesses can leverage achievements and internal policies that would fit under, and support, SDGs. The study covers the operations of an airport service provider at several airports across the country. Through a series of qualitative questionnaires and interviews with employees, the research identifies best practices and challenges in aligning airport services with the SDGs. The study underscores the importance of collaboration between service providers, airport authorities, and regulatory bodies to achieve sustainable outcomes. By providing practical recommendations and a framework for sustainable operations, this pilot study aims to guide airport service providers in contributing to the global sustainability agenda, demonstrating the potential for meaningful impact in the aviation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airfield pavements are important assets that have to secure the safe operation of an airport. On this basis, assessing and reporting the bearing capacity of an airfield runway pavement is a critical task. Recently, the Aircraft Classification Rating-Pavement Classification Rating (ACR-PCR) system has been introduced, which uses the PCR index for expressing the bearing capacity of an airfield pavement. In order to accurately determine PCR, the mechanical characteristics and the thicknesses of the individual layers of a pavement are required. For this purpose, it is not seldom that in the absence of resources dedicated to detailed pavement evaluation procedures, assumptions for the material characteristics of the pavement considering typical materials may be made, while pavement thicknesses may be derived by pavement design records. The present paper highlights the importance of using Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for accurately assessing the in-situ condition of a flexible runway pavement and determining the PCR index. In order to achieve the goal of the investigation, measurements were performed along the flexible pavement of an airport runway. In addition, the paper focuses on the impact of the variation of the thickness and of the mechanical characteristics of the asphalt concrete layers on the PCR index and on the interpretation of the results considering the acceptance of aircraft operations by airport authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores a chronological account of major aviation-related terrorist incidents, including the hijacking of aircraft and attacks such as those on September 11, 2001. These events underscore the vulnerabilities within civil aviation security and highlight the psychological impact of such attacks. This study emphasizes the need for advanced technologies and stringent national and international regulations to combat aviation terrorism. It discusses the evolution of aviation security measures, the importance of a holistic approach involving airlines, airport authorities, security forces, and governmental bodies, and the necessity of information sharing and best practices adoption. Additionally, the paper addresses the economic implications of aviation security, advocating for better data collection and analysis to optimize resource allocation and enhance overall safety. The ongoing development of aviation security strategies, driven by evolving threats and technological advancements, is critical for safeguarding passengers and ensuring the resilience of the global aviation industry against terrorist threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to uncertain factors such as weather, large-scale flight delays will occur on the ground at the airport. A reasonable and effective flight sequence can make the airport resume regular operation as soon as possible. However, limited shuttle bus resources will limit the execution of the flight sequence plan. In order to provide decision support for airport authorities, we establish an integrated optimization model for flight sequences that consider shuttle bus resources. The objective function comprehensively considers the operational losses, airline profit losses, and loss of passenger time value. Then we design a multi-chromosome genetic algorithm to solve the model according to the characteristics of the integration problem. In addition, a simulation experiment is conducted based on the data from Yunnan Kunming Changshui International Airport. The simulation experiment results show that compared with the current first-come-first-served (FCFS) strategy, the algorithm reduces the overall loss caused by delays by 7.03%. The results of the simulation example verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The final approach phase of an aircraft accounts for nearly half of all aviation incidents worldwide due to low-level wind shear, heavy downpours, runway excursions, and unsteady approaches. Adopting the missed approach (MAP) procedures may prevent a risky landing, which is usually executed in those situations, but it is safety-critical and a rare occurrence. This study employed machine learning-ensemble imbalance learning to predict MAPs under low-level wind shear conditions based on environmental and situational parameters. The models were developed using the 2017–2021 Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Pilot Reports (PIREPs). Initially, imbalance data were applied to machine learning models such as the random forest (RF), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), but these were unable to accurately predict the occurrence of MAPs. Then, these models were used as base estimators for ensemble imbalance learning methods, including the self-paced ensemble (SPE) framework, the balance cascade model, and the easy ensemble model. The SPE framework utilizing XGboost as the base estimator performed better than other frameworks in terms of recall, F1-score, balanced accuracy, and geometric mean. Afterwards, SHAP was utilized to interpret the SPE framework with XGboost as the base estimator. Results showed that low-level wind shear magnitude, runway orientation, and vertical location of low-level wind shear contributed most to MAPs. Runways 07C and 07R had the most MAPs. Most MAPs were initiated when low-level wind shear was within 500 feet of the ground. Strong tailwind triggered MAPs more than headwind. For aviation safety researchers and airport authorities, the framework proposed in this study is a valuable tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This opinion considers the decision made by the Supreme Court of Nepal in the case of Prakash Mani Sharma v The Government of Nepal which concerns the proposed construction of Nijgadh International Airport in a densely forested area of Nepal. In doing so, it considers the views of environmentalists, developers, airport authorities and the government. It also suggests what lessons can be learned from the decision, and emphasizes the importance of applying the concept of "sustainable development" to evaluating such a problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing systems sustained with the investments made require more automation and digital transformation with the continuous advancement of technology. The aviation industry is a sector that is open to more automation and digital transformation, mainly because of the intense competition and the analysis of a large variety of data. The long duration of operations in current airline processes and some process flows cause customer dissatisfaction and cost increase. In this study, the boarding process, which is one of the operational processes of airline transportation and is open to improvement, was discussed. The classical boarding process has been redesigned using Internet of Things technology a model called Boarding 4.0 was created. With Boarding 4.0, it is aimed to design a process where passengers can take their time before boarding more efficiently. In the study, the sub-processes of the Boarding 4.0 model, other processes that the sub-processes interact with, their activities, and data exchange passenger movements during the activities are explained in detail. Compared to the classical boarding process and Boarding 4.0 with the fuzzy ahp technique, it has been shown that boarding 4.0 is more advantageous and passenger movement times can be reduced during boarding. As a result of the evaluation made with the fuzzy ahp, it was determined that boarding 4.0 is more advantageous than the classical boarding process. In addition, when the total time of the sub-activities in the boarding process is calculated, boarding activities for a passenger take 50 min with the classic boarding process and 20 min with Boarding 4.0. Thus, when Boarding 4.0 is used, the passenger gains 30 min. Furthermore, when the calculation is made concerning the airport's current capacity, two passengers are hosted with the classical boarding process, while five passengers are hosted with Boarding 4.0. This acquisition is significant for airports in terms of efficient use of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airports play an important role in the economic development of countries. Efficiency analyses of airports are crucial for providing an important roadmap to airport authorities and for helping to benchmark their airports with respect to a role model. Accordingly, in this study, an integrated analysis comprising a super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) and an eigenvector centrality analysis is conducted. Additionally, a Simar–Wilson bootstrapping approach was used to identify the important factors influencing this efficiency. As a case study, the efficiencies of Turkey's 39 international airports were analyzed, and strategic recommendations were suggested. According to the results of the super-efficient DEA analysis and eigenvector centrality analysis, Istanbul Atatürk (closed as of 2019), Adana, and Diyarbakır airports are the "shining stars." These airports are operationally efficient and act as role models for other airports. Moreover, the hypothesis testing conducted based on the Simar–Wilson bootstrapping approach shows that the efficiency of airports varies by region. The efficiency of airports in the Mediterranean region, which is used as a reference, was found to be significantly higher than that of airports in Eastern Anatolia, Southeast Anatolia, Central Anatolia, and Marmara regions. There also exists a difference between the efficiencies of private and public terminal operations in the favor of public terminal operations. The efficiency of an airport is also positively influenced by the tourist population and by an increase in the gross domestic product per capita of the corresponding city. • This study proposes a super-efficient DEA and an eigenvector centrality analysis to analyze the efficiency of airports. • Simar-Wilson bootstrapping approach is also used to specify the essential environmental factors influencing this efficiency. • The efficiency of Turkey's 39 international airports is evaluated as a case study, and strategic suggestions are made. • A rational policy may be to close some inefficient regional airports and to consolidate traffic in larger airports. • Additional years of experience at an airport increase its efficiency due to the learning curve effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aviation authorities have long been impacted by fluctuations in demand, which are often caused by the aviation industry's cyclical nature. It is affected mainly by many endogenous or exogenous variables. Despite that, the airport authorities and air carrier management make significant efforts to deal with fluctuating demand. This paper analyzed the factors influencing demand at Baghdad International Airport, based on the pertinent local socio-economic data such as "population size," "GDP," and "terrorism effect," as well as system-based factors related to aviation activities and airport characteristics for the past ten years, to develop a system dynamics simulation model by which the causes of fluctuation are highlighted in order to predict the magnitude and timing of the increment or decline in an offer to minimize losses to all parties in the airport system. The simulation results demonstrated very high goodness of fit with the actual data, producing R2 values of 0.865 and 0.86 for the departing and arriving passengers, respectively. Even though Iraq's unstable political and economic situation led to the interaction between the different demand drivers, external factors have a bigger effect on the country's need for air travel, causing demand shocks that take a long time to recover from. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the total and per passenger HC, CO, NOx and CO2 emissions from aircraft landing and takeoff (LTO) cycle before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it is aimed to determine the global warming potential (GWP), environmental impacts (EIs) and enviroeconomic cost (eco-cost) of these emissions in total and per passenger. Design/methodology/approach: Analyses were carried out with the help of the International Civil Aviation Organization's Engine Emission Databank, using real flight data recorded by the airport authority. Findings: During the COVID-19 pandemic, total pollutant emissions (HC, CO, NOx and CO2) decreased between 23.7% and 30.8% compared with the pre-pandemic period. In addition, per passenger pollutant emissions increased during the pandemic. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, GWP, EI and eco-cost values decreased by 24.1%, 23.89% and 23.93%, respectively, in the pandemic. However, the per passenger GWP, EI and eco-cost values increased by about 10% compared with the pre-pandemic period. Practical implications: This study reveals the effects of COVID-19 in terms of EIs and environmental costs caused by aircraft in the LTO cycle. Originality/value: The originality of this study is to calculate the pollutant emissions caused by aircraft in the LTO cycle with real flight data and to reveal the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The novelty of this study is the determination and comparison of total and per passenger pollutant emissions, GWP, EI and eco-cost before and during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue d'Économie Régionale & urbaine is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Asian airports are keen to develop into hubs to strengthen their respective positions in the region. When a hub airport launches more routes and increases flight frequencies, its neighbouring airports might be affected by depending on them for transfers to additional destinations. To analyse the situation in Asia, this paper develops two composite indexes referred to as the Airport Transfer Dependency Index (ATDI) and Airport Transfer Dependency Degree (ATDD) based on the Gini coefficient and Hub Connectivity Performance Index (HCPI) to measure an airport's transfer dependency on other airports. The analysis focuses on the case of Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport's dependency on its neighbouring hubs for destinations to North America (NA), Europe (EU), the Middle East (ME), Africa (AF) and Oceania (OC). The results reveal that Taoyuan Airport has significant transfer dependency on Tokyo's Narita Airport for North America (NA) routes and on Hong Kong Airport for the other long-haul routes. The analysis presented in this paper could help airport authorities strengthen their weak connectivity on certain routes in order to reduce their dependence on neighbouring hubs. • Development of Airport Transfer Dependency Index, Airport Transfer Dependency Degree and Hub Connectivity Performance Index. • The analysis results help to measure and improve the degree of Airports' dependency. • Taoyuan Airport has obvious transfer dependency on Narita Airport for North American routes. • Taoyuan Airport has obvious transfer dependency on Hong Kong Airport for other long-haul routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is about multicriteria decision aiding (MCDA) for the green airports program of the Moroccan Airport Authority ONDA. The goal of the program is to develop significant amounts of renewable power at airports. In particular, ONDA wants to select airports at which large solar and wind power parks should be built. Multiple criteria, including economy, technical feasibility, and environmental concerns, must be considered simultaneously. In this study, we apply Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis (SMAA) for ranking the candidates to be developed into green airports. The analysis is conducted in phases with different sets of criteria. This study is the first application of MCDA for developing large-scale renewable energy production at airports. As a theoretical novelty, the pairwise winning indices of SMAA are used to form stochastic partial and complete rankings of the alternatives. Based on the results, two alternatives obtain the best and second-best rank in every model, and one alternative is always last, while the ranks of the remaining alternatives vary depending on the set of criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Drugs Analysis Laboratory received a 3.2-kilogram batch of seeds that had been smuggled into Israel and was subsequently seized by the authorities at the airport. A botanist inspected the seeds and identified 2.2-kilograms of this catch as seeds of the strain Cannibis sativa based on the accepted criteria described in the literature for this strain. However, one kilogram of the seeds had an additional ridge down the length of the seed, which made it difficult to visually confirm that these were indeed Cannabis seeds. These different-looking seeds were germinated in the National Drugs Analysis Laboratory, and the seedlings were tested by inspection under the microscope for cystolithic hairs. They were analyzed using the Duquenois-Levine and Fast Blue BB color tests. These are the three standard tests for positive identification of Cannabis. Seedlings were also extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry to gain additional information about the plant that had developed from the new seed variety. Seedling extracts clearly contained tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but the dominant cannabinoid was cannabichromene (CBC). Although the seeds were morphologically slightly different from the descriptions in the literature, the plants that developed from them were clearly identifiable as Cannabis plants. We concluded that there is a need to expand the morphological classification of Cannabis seeds to include both one and two ridges down the length of the seed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly laid asphalt must be adequately cool before it can be trafficked to prevent the development of costly premature damage. Selecting an appropriate traffic-opening temperature of newly laid asphalt airport runway overlay would avoid early damage – while also minimising the disruption to the airport service due to prolonged runway closure in a busy airport. This study aims to investigate the allowable traffic-opening temperature of freshly paved asphalt during nighttime construction through a series of laboratory tests with regard to asphalt rutting and interface shear failure potential. Additionally, a transient heat transfer model is developed to study the cooling response of freshly laid asphalt and, along with stress analysis, used to deduce the effect of selected critical traffic opening to traffic on airport closure. The results suggest that mixtures with polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) can be re-opened to air traffic at a considerably higher temperature (up to 80°C) than conventional traffic-opening temperature as set by many agencies (60°C). This result encourages airport authorities and agencies to be more adaptive with the traffic-opening temperature specification, particularly for asphalt with PMBs. For the cases studied, raising the critical trafficking temperature would reduce the runway/airport closure during nighttime construction by 17–114 minutes (26–63% reductions). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern aircraft can generate their optimal flight profile via a flight management computer. The optimality considers both time and fuel costs, and the pilot can set the relative weight factor called a cost index (CI). However, sometimes the flight profile should be updated during flight due to various reasons e.g. passenger boarding delay and airport congestion, and pilots often change the flight profile by changing the CI. Since CI is a relative factor, it is difficult to set the optimal CI in every situation and flight stage. This paper proposes a decision-support algorithm aimed at 1) providing pilots with information on the most appropriate range of CI or flight speed (climb/cruise/descent) and 2) clarifying the relationship between the timing of changing the flight profile and its effect. As for 1), in order to provide the appropriate range of CI or speed, a new metric of direct operating cost bound is introduced. As for 2), it is revealed that descent speed is the most effective parameter to change the flight time and fuel consumption, but the appropriate CI varies with flight phases. The results obtained in this research will help pilots change the flight profile flexibly to achieve greater efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most airports have an elevated vulnerability to aviation market fluctuations, which was emphasised during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, when most airports experienced traffic downturns in excess of 90 per cent. This led them to batten the hatches by cutting operational costs to the bone, shelving major capital programmes and shuttering swathes of terminal infrastructure. Worldwide, terminals became ghost towns, and there were rumours of airport bankruptcy. The crisis made it patently clear that airports typically had very little alternative income with which to keep the wolf from the door during such events, leading the authors to ask the question whether the airport business is not too specialised and whether it might not benefit from diversification. In considering this question, it became apparent that the airport business as we know it today might also be in danger of major disruption within the next decade. This paper argues that it might be time for airports to reassess their business model by asking the question: What business are we really in? The proposed answer might be surprising for many airport authorities who have focused on aviation as their core business for the past century. The paper offers a range of provocative thoughts and ideas aimed at encouraging airport authorities to reassess their strategic plans and innovate towards a more resilient and sustainable business model that is integrated with their surrounding communities and regions, while staying ahead of the evolution of the mobility market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction joint venture NouvLR is constructing the new light rail network in Montreal. One of the major challenges is the advance below the existing runways and taxiways of the Montreal‐Trudeau International airport and the construction of the subway station below the airport. The airport must remain under operation during the construction, and very tight requirements have been imposed regarding the tolerable surface settlements and availability of the monitoring data. The regulations regarding operations of the airport and possible presence of foreign objects in vicinity of its runways and taxiways represent an additional challenge, requiring usage of less straightforward monitoring concepts. The works for the installation of the monitoring equipment must be closely coordinated with airport operations and require a reliable schedule. The final geotechnical monitoring design has been performed in close cooperation with the contractor and in tight coordination with the airport authority. In order to allow more straightforward communication, 3D modelling and BIM‐methodology have been used to clearly represent the monitoring equipment, as well as the works required for their installation. The line‐of‐sight considerations in case of tachymeter measurements have been thus directly incorporated and dealt with. The monitoring design has to fulfil the aims of real‐time monitoring of the system behaviour during the construction and the long‐term monitoring of the newly built tunnel, demonstrating the compliance of the structure with the design. The paper is concluded by a summary of "lessons learned" regarding the issues of adverse accessibility and a challenging, high risk general environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the opportunities for developing transit tourism by examining the reasons why transit passengers participate or not in such tourism while in-transiting. The findings suggest that transit passengers need to be made aware of the opportunities for transit tourism prior to arrival at the transit destination; and availability of customised airport transit tours at the transit destination should be ensured to facilitate transit. The study concludes that transit tourism is an opportunity missed; destination marketing organisations (DMOs), airport authorities, and airline operators should devise a common communication strategy to tap into this emerging but still under-developed transit passenger segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]