Tenth Annual Conference on Airports in India Trends & Developments: Opportunities and Challenges REGIONAL AIRPORTS Learning from Experience - Planning Ahead January 28, 2016
Regional Airports: There is no widely accepted definition EU identifies them as: Large: Annual traffic between 1 million and 5 million passengers Small: Annual traffic upto 1 million passengers Our Context: Identified by characteristics as seen by our experience Small airports: Annual Traffic volume upto 400,000 passengers Are the nodes in a network of links In a identified geographical area Connectivity is important Being connected amongst themselves is inadequate Connections should also be to hub airports Have a few air carriers to connect them Less busy than larger airports Comparatively shorter flights by smaller aircraft
Connectivity: Objectives of connectivity primarily are to Support local and regional economies, e.g. through Tourism Strengthen social cohesiveness Provide an airport close to home rather than a few hundred kilometers away Measures of Connectivity: Number of airline or non-scheduled operations Number of other node airports to which an airport is linked Number/ and frequency of services linking the airports. Rather than a few flight per week, the measure needs to be at least a flight everyday. Connection to a hub airport. Hub airports are transition points through which passengers pass, and so a hub airport is important. How do air links compare with surface accessibility to other airports
Learning from experience: The Government and the Tanzanian Airports Authority, with World Bank support, has taken a pro-active long-term view in upgrading some of it s airports. Two groups of airports, 5 in one and 6 in the other, have been identified for development in the North and the South of the country. The terrains range between coastal areas, hilly areas, flat lands. The locations range from highly urbanized areas to areas which are close to built up areas but are basically clear of them, to one greenfield site with expansion capabilities. Some are constrained by terrain, and some by man made development and others have some but few constraints. To Summarize: The sites characteristics are applicable to most airports in India
The Terms of Reference: Parameters for development were defined At present: The airports serve non-scheduled and some scheduled flights Aircraft types range from 4-seater GA aircraft, to 15 seater Cessna Caravan and a few ATR operations. Design requirements defined by the Client, in brief, were: Design aircraft would be ATR 72 Operations would be dawn to dusk. ILS only at the greenfield airport. AGL to be provided. Peak hour traffic would be 150 pax./ hour. IATA Level of Service to be met. The percentage of terminal area for commercial services. Convenient adjustment to accommodate international services required Environmental & Social Impact standards to be met. ARFF, Administrative and ATC facilities were to be standardized as per TAA & ICAO requirements. Ensure all safety requirements are met.
Option A Concept Plan
Option A View of the Terrace
Option B Concept Plan REGIONAL AIRPORTS: Learning from Experience - Planning Ahead
Option B View of the Terrace REGIONAL AIRPORTS: Learning from Experience - Planning Ahead
Taking the project forward: Five options of the Terminal designs were discussed, and their key factors assessed: A modular layout Expansion capability maintained Elevations could be changed airport to airport Commonality of equipment was decided. These included: Conveyor systems FIDS & CCTV Fittings and fixtures Furniture and desks and kiosks Services and utilities Major differences are regarding: Structures - to meet soil conditions and seismic zone categorization HVAC - to meet climatic requirements To Summarize: Standardization of many aspects of the terminal design is possible
Lessons for the future: Developing a template applicable in India Client must be clear of its Objectives. The objectives must be clearly conveyed to the designers A mind set which must accept that Standardization of many aspects of the terminal design are possible. Each terminal does not have to be a stand alone, oneof-a-kind facility. Use Life Cycle costs to provide Added Value in design. Even though small, the utilities and administrative reqs. e.g. Security, do drive up operating costs. This may require one to be modest in design. Esp. as such airports are not likely to be profitable for some years ahead. Pick specifications and materials accordingly. Use renewable energy sources where practicable. KPI s for planning and operations ought to be defined. Do not overdo the specification of requirements in the Terms of Reference. Rather, insist upon discussion and flexible approach both from the client and the designer. Thank You