Modelling the effects of gate planning on apron congestion

Abstract

One of the infrastructural components that limits airport capacity is the available gate capacity. In order to use existing airport infrastructure, especially gates, more efficiently, one can look at new techniques to relieve congestion. One such technique is introducing socalled gate pit-stops. By introducing gate pit-stops, aircraft will be towed to a remote parking position between arrival and departure from the gate, in order to make space for other flights in the meantime [1]. The main risk of introducing gate pit-stops in airport operations is that the additional towing movements will inevitably increase the number of apron movements, potentially interfering with other traffic on or near the apron. As such, the main challenge in introducing gate pit-stops is modelling and integrating gate and apron movements, where a tradeoff can be made between gate utilization, towing movements, turnaround times and gate flexibility. Additionally, technological innovations such as an Electric Taxi System (ETS) need to be assessed as they can have a big impact on apron operations. Therefore, the effectiveness of gate pit-stops needs to be assessed, as well as the impact of factors such as gate utilization, towing movements and turnaround times on the effectiveness of such gate pit-stops.