Research

21 pages, 3407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Rapid Exit Locations Based on Veer-Off Risk for Landing Aircraft

by Sameeraű Galagedera, Varuna Adikariwattage and H. R. Pasindu

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5134; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13095134 - 04 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2614

Rapid exit taxiways enhance runway operational capacities by means of reducing the runway occupancy times of aircraft. The selection of rapid exit taxiway locations is important to achieve the optimum runway capacity. This paper presents a methodology for locating rapid exits based on [...] Read more.

Rapid exit taxiways enhance runway operational capacities by means of reducing the runway occupancy times of aircraft. The selection of rapid exit taxiway locations is important to achieve the optimum runway capacity. This paper presents a methodology for locating rapid exits based on excursion risk. Considering the level of severity and frequency of historical runway-related accidents and emerging use of rapid exit taxiways in the future, this study explores the associated veer-off risk at rapid exits. The proposed methodology estimates veer-off risk using three successive steps such as event probability, location probability, and severity estimation. An existing logistic regression model developed for landing overrun probability estimation is adapted for the exit taxiway facility to estimate event probability. Aircraft touchdown speed, deceleration, and runway criticality factor are the important operational parameters of this model adaptation. The aircraft turn path radius and kinetic energy at the time of veer-off are used to estimate the respective location probabilities and accident severities. As the sample analysis proves, the associated veer-off risk increases when the exits are closer to the runway threshold. The paper recommends wider taxiways and larger taxiway radii to compensate for increasing veer risks. The methodology helps for planning risk-based rapid exit taxiways for varying design, operational, and weather conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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17 pages, 2686 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Runway Veer-Off Risk Analysis: An International Airport Case Study

by Paola Di Mascio, Marco Cosciotti, Raffaella Fusco and Laura Moretti

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9360; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12229360 - 11 Nov 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2826

Abstract

Runway excursions are the main risk for runway safety: operational protection areas mitigate the effects of events classified as veer-off, overrun, and undershoot. This paper presents a methodology for the quantitative risk assessment of runway veer-off in an international airport whose name will [...] Read more.

Runway excursions are the main risk for runway safety: operational protection areas mitigate the effects of events classified as veer-off, overrun, and undershoot. This paper presents a methodology for the quantitative risk assessment of runway veer-off in an international airport whose name will not be revealed for privacy reasons. The proposed methodology is based on similar principles adopted in other aviation risk analyses. The Real Level of Safety (RLS) related to the veer-off accident was calculated through the implementation of a retrospective analysis that permits to define a frequency model, a location model and a consequence model. Instead, Target Level of Safety (TLS) was defined through the risk matrix and acceptability criteria present in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Safety Management Manual. Finally, the risk of veer-off accidents in the airport under evaluation was determined by using primary data provided by the airport management body. Risk values were calculated in more than 1300 points around the runway and they were used to assess the current level of safety. The authors present a risk map that allows identifying the areas in the strip with the highest risk of a veer-off accident. The obtained results demonstrate that the developed methodology represents a useful tool to define TLS and to assess whether infrastructural and operational modification need to obtain the required level of safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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15 pages, 4116 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analytical Method for Calculating Sustainable Airport Capacity

by Paola Di Mascio, Gregorio Rappoli and Laura Moretti

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9239; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12219239 - 06 Nov 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3479

Abstract

Capacity is the attitude of an airport to manage a number of operations in a given time interval within a fixed maximum delay (and under given safety conditions). Capacity studies are commonly carried out on five levels of analysis according to the required [...] Read more.

Capacity is the attitude of an airport to manage a number of operations in a given time interval within a fixed maximum delay (and under given safety conditions). Capacity studies are commonly carried out on five levels of analysis according to the required detail in order to identify the best option that balances economic, logistic and safety issues. This study focuses on level 3 (i.e., analytical methods) developing a calculation model to assess the runway capacity. The model was calibrated by comparing the outputs of different airport configurations with those provided by the circular of the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Capacity and Delay. The model was well calibrated with maximum differences in the analyzed configurations that stood at 1 or 2 movements/hour. The runway capacity of an international airport was calculated and compared to that of the entire airside, assessed through fast time simulation, in a previous study. The analytical model provides runway capacity slightly higher than that of the entire air system, as it cannot evaluate all the critical issues present in the airport that reduce its maximum theoretical capacity. Therefore, depending on the degree of detail required, you can use the developed model or the simulation software; the use of the latter is possible when the airside infrastructure does not adequately support the runway system or in cases of advanced design level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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19 pages, 932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Airport Landside Sustainable Capacity and Level of Service of Terminal Functional Subsystems

by Paola Di Mascio, Laura Moretti and Massimiliano Piacitelli

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8784; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12218784 - 22 Oct 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3549

Abstract

The airport terminal is a complex building composed of many functional subsystems dimensioned to host passenger traffic, considering an appropriate level of service (LoS). The most widely known method to assess the LoS and design the terminal areas is the Airport Development Reference [...] Read more.

The airport terminal is a complex building composed of many functional subsystems dimensioned to host passenger traffic, considering an appropriate level of service (LoS). The most widely known method to assess the LoS and design the terminal areas is the Airport Development Reference Manual by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Based on this, a calculation tool in Microsoft Excel^® was implemented to assess the capacity and dimension of the facilities for each functional subsystem of the terminal. The tool, composed of nine correlated spreadsheets, is a useful model to design new structures, evaluate the LoS currently offered, plan interventions, and face the new rules of passenger distancing due to the COVID-19 emergency. An international airport terminal with 20 million/year including Schengen and extra-Schengen passengers was studied. The LoS of the terminal subsystems was assessed and the areas needed for each subsystem were calculated. In the analyzed case study, most subsystems (departure hall, check-in, boarding gates, baggage claim, and arrival halls) were over-designed, according to the definition of the IATA LoS. This means that available spaces for queues and holding are sufficiently large to easily face the new rules of social distancing for passengers due to the recent COVID-19 emergency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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14 pages, 1194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Impact Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils Near the Runway at the International Airport in Central Europe

by Martin Brtnický, Václav Pecina, Tivadar Baltazár, Michaela Vašinová Galiová, Ludmila Baláková, Agnieszka Bęś and Maja Radziemska

Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 7224; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12177224 - 03 Sep 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3002

Abstract

The environmental impacts of air transport and air transportation systems have become increasingly important and are heavily debated. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of soil contamination by the potentially toxic elements (Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the [...] Read more.

The environmental impacts of air transport and air transportation systems have become increasingly important and are heavily debated. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of soil contamination by the potentially toxic elements (Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the vicinity of the airport runway and to evaluate whether airport traffic has had factual toxic effects on airport vegetation. The overall assessment of soil contamination by means of the Nemerow integrated pollution index indicated slight pollution; evaluation by the geoaccumulation index evinced moderate contamination by Zn and nonexistent to moderate contamination by Cu, Ni, and Pb. A significant difference between the take-off and landing sections of the runway was not statistically confirmed. The vegetation risk assessment by means of the potential ecological risk index (RI) showed the low ecological risk, while the phytotoxicity test revealed an inhibition of up to 33.7%, with a slight inhibition of 16.7% on average, and thus low toxic effects of airport traffic on airport vegetation. The results of the linear regression model between phytotoxicity and RI manifested no relation between the two. The outcomes from other studies suggest that the range of elements and the extent of contamination can be highly variable at different airports and frequently affected by car traffic. Therefore, further research on this issue is needed for the more precise determination of the elements emitted by air traffic at airports. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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14 pages, 1169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Simultaneous Optimization Model for Airport Network Slot Allocation under Uncertain Capacity

by Donghai Wang and Qiuhong Zhao

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12145512 - 08 Jul 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2719

Abstract

Serious congestion and delay problems exist in most of the busiest airports worldwide because of imbalance between scarce airport slot resources and increasing traffic demand. Various factors, especially weather conditions, exacerbate the demand–capacity imbalance. This paper presents a robust model for simultaneous slot [...] Read more.

Serious congestion and delay problems exist in most of the busiest airports worldwide because of imbalance between scarce airport slot resources and increasing traffic demand. Various factors, especially weather conditions, exacerbate the demand–capacity imbalance. This paper presents a robust model for simultaneous slot allocation on an airport network in multiple calendar days, considering airport capacity uncertainty. The idea of robust optimization is conducive to sustainable and stable decision-making. Robustness is represented through reducing the potential scheduling conflicts in the worst case. Then the model links the strategic decisions and pre-tactical decisions in air traffic management (ATM) through the tradeoff between strategic discrepancy cost and operational congestion cost. Under the support of the Cplex solver, numerical analyses are taken to validate the characteristics and effectiveness of the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model effectively eliminates the existing and potential scheduling conflicts, and makes effective tradeoffs between airline preference and potential airport congestion risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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18 pages, 4426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Airport Capacity Efficiency by Selecting Optimal Aircraft and Airline Business Model

by Igor Štimac, Andrija Vidović, Tomislav Mihetec and Miroslav Drljača

Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 3988; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12103988 - 13 May 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6447

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of airline business models on airport infrastructure and operational capacity and answers the question how to optimize capacity in order to achieve maximum efficiency and profitability as well as how to maintain an adequate level of service quality. [...] Read more.

This paper analyses the impact of airline business models on airport infrastructure and operational capacity and answers the question how to optimize capacity in order to achieve maximum efficiency and profitability as well as how to maintain an adequate level of service quality. As part of the research, a new model was created as an integral part of the Airport Management Strategy Software (AMSS) application. The purpose of the application is to enable the airport management to review and optimize operations in terms of maximum technical and technological capacity utilization. In addition, the application can be used to fill the available slots according to the specifics of the airline’s business model without compromising the security, flexibility, and profitability of airport operations. The validation of the application was conducted at Zagreb Airport, which generated traffic of 3.4 million passengers in 2019. The result of the research is a model which, based on the calculation of the existing capacity of the airport infrastructure and ground handling equipment, enables the simulation of new airline business models and aircraft type implementation. Furthermore, the model also analyses their impact on the utilization of the airport infrastructure and equipment. The research demonstrated the interdependence between airport capacity optimization and optimal slot allocation, and the specifics of airline business models and aircraft types in their fleets. By adopting this model, airport managers can prevent mistakes that arise during negotiations with airlines, which can result in the under capacity of the infrastructure, equipment, and human resources as well as cause lower levels of security, numerous delays, reduced quality of service and, ultimately, negative financial effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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21 pages, 3789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Broad-Based Decision-Making Procedure for Runway Friction Decay Analysis in Maintenance Operations

by Salvatore Antonio Biancardo, Francesco Abbondati, Francesca Russo, Rosa Veropalumbo and Gianluca Dell’Acqua

Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3516; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12093516 - 25 Apr 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3013

Abstract

The evaluation of friction is a key factor in monitoring and controlling runway surface characteristics. For this reason, specific airport management and maintenance are required to continuously monitor the performance characteristics needed to guarantee an adequate level of safety and functionality. In this [...] Read more.

The evaluation of friction is a key factor in monitoring and controlling runway surface characteristics. For this reason, specific airport management and maintenance are required to continuously monitor the performance characteristics needed to guarantee an adequate level of safety and functionality. In this regard, the authors conducted years of experimental surveys at airports including Lamezia Terme International Airport. The surveys aimed to monitor air traffic, features of geometric infrastructure, the typological and physical/mechanical characteristics of pavement layers, and runway maintenance planning. The main objective of this study was to calibrate specific models to examine the evolution of friction decay on runways in relation to traffic loads. The reliability of the models was demonstrated in the light of the significance of the friction measurement patterns by learning algorithms and considering the traffic data by varying the geometric and performance characteristics of the aircraft. The calibrated models can be implemented into pavement management systems to predict runway friction degradation, based on aircraft loads during the lifetime of the surface layers of the pavement. It is thus possible to schedule the maintenance activities necessary to ensure the safety of landing and takeoff maneuvers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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15 pages, 828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Technical Efficiency of French Regional Airports and Low-Cost Carrier Terminals

by Seock-Jin Hong and Minjun Jeon

Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 5107; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11185107 - 18 Sep 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3079

Abstract

In France, the regional airport’s demand for services is facing challenges due to the continuous expansion of the high-speed train, high-speed line, and highway networks. This study focuses on the viability of regional airports in France through technical efficiency using data envelopment, principle [...] Read more.

In France, the regional airport’s demand for services is facing challenges due to the continuous expansion of the high-speed train, high-speed line, and highway networks. This study focuses on the viability of regional airports in France through technical efficiency using data envelopment, principle component analysis, Malmquist productivity index, and regression analysis using bootstrapping. To face the current competitive environment, the regional airports in France adopted strategies, such as the construction of low-cost carrier (LCC)-dedicated terminals (LCCTs) with lower expenses to attract more LCCs, increasing non-aeronautical revenue, and hosting regional hubs of LCCs. This is the first study that analyzes all of the French regional airports. The findings indicate that the existence of LCCTs positively affects technical efficiency on the airport’s performance, and share of LCCs at a regional airport leads to neither the efficiency nor the profit level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward Sustainability: Airport Risk Assessment)

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