Improvement of existing airport - Airport site selection

Airport size - Airport obstructions

Clear zone - Turning zone - Zoning laws
AIRPORT PLANNING
 Airport plan has satisfy local needs of airport and also it should fit into
the overall development of the entire region, state or country.
 Airport planning mainly concerned with 3 aspects
 Adequate process to metropolitan area
 Securing sufficient airspace for aircraft access
 Sufficient land for ground operations
IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING AIRPORT
 Improvement of existing airport can be carried out on following
considerations
Capacity of existing airport
Improving the existing capacity
Traffic forecast
Planning a new airport
Capacity Of Existing Airport
 To make sure whether the existing airport can handle the anticipated air
traffic w.r.to
o Adequacy of apron and servicing facility
o Adequacy of terminal building for passenger and cargo
o Capacity of runway and taxiway at peak hour
o Suitable approaches
Improving The Existing Capacity
 The possible methods to improve the present capacity of airport include
various criteria such as
 Construction of new runway
 High speed exit taxiways
 Improving traffic control devices
 Rearranging the plan of terminal building and loading apron
Traffic Forecast
 Future volume of traffic including new aircrafts likely to visit the airport
should be studied
 It should be calculated such traffic can be accommodated by
improvements in existing airport
 Period of traffic forecast may be 15 to 20 years
Planning A New Airport
 If the above 3 considerations are not favourable for improvement of
existing airport, proposal for new airport has to be made.
AIRPORT SITE SELECTION
 Selection of site for new airport is based on certain criteria to determine
the location and size.
 Same considerations are applicable for expansion of airport
 Data and details are studied from various airport surveys before site
selection.
FACTORS INFLUENCE LOCATION OF AN AIRPORT
 Atmospheric and meteorological  Presence of other airport
conditions  Regional plan
 Availability of land for expansion  Soil characteristics
 Availability of utilities  Surrounding obstructions
 Development of the surrounding  Topography
area  Use of airport
 Economy of construction
 Ground accessibility


Atmospheric and meteorological
Availability of utilities
conditions

 Presence of fog, haze, smoke reduces the  Airport has to be provided with utilities
visibility like water, electric power, telephone,
sewer etc
 Poor visibility lowers traffic capacity
 Airports located far away from available
 Detailed analysis of weather records of
sewers, sewage disposal plant has to be
site will help recommending the site
constructed
 Wind data should be studied so that the
site shall be located on wind direction.
Availability of land for expansion
 It is necessary to acquire land in advance
or to be able to acquire sufficient land in
the future for expanding the airport
 As the volume of traffic increases it is
necessary to lengthen the runway, and to
expand terminal facility.
Development of surrounding area
 Study of development of surrounding
area is very important
 Airport activity (Noise) is objectionable
to neighbor to airport
 Proximity of airport site to the
residential areas, schools, hospitals
should be avoided
Economy of construction
 If alternative sites are available and
equally well suited, site which is more
economical to construct should be given
preference
 Waterlogged areas or reclaimed lands are
costly to develop.
 Uneven terrain requires more grading
than even terrain
 Availability of local materials
Ground accessibility
 Location of airport should have shortest
ground access time
 With the introduction of jet aircrafts the
air time is reduced
 The location of airport at a considerable
distance from the centre of population
may cause inconvenience to the users
 All the modes of transport should be
considered for easy ground access
Presence of other airport
 Airports should be located at a sufficient
distance apart.
 To prevent the aircraft which are
manoeuvring for landing at one airport
from interfering with movements of
aircraft at other airports.
 The minimum distance between airports
depend on volume and type of air traffic,
operating facility, etc
Use of airport
 Site is decided by the use of airport (civil
/ military)
 In case of an emergency like war, civil
airports will be taken over by military.
 Therefore airport site has to grant
natural protection.
Regional plan
 Airport site should be selected such a
way that it fits in region plan
 Such airport will form an integral part of
the national airport network
Soil characteristics
 Favourable soil reduces the cost of
grading and the drainage
 The area should be as far as possible be
self drained
 A valley site requires less grading but
there are possibilities of flood
 An elevated site provides better drainage
and visibility
Surrounding obstructions
 Site should be clear of obstructions
 If existing it should be possible to clear
them easily
 Obstructions like tree, sloping ground
buildings, grid /cell phone towers, etc
has to be removed
Topography
 A raised ground is considered to be an
ideal site for airport
 It gives better visibility due to less fog
 It permits natural drainage
 Approach and turning zones are less
obstructed
AIRPORT SIZE
 4 factors affect size of an airport
 Elevation - Site above sea level influences runway requirements and
performance varies with altitude due to temperature and density of air
 Meteorological conditions – wind and temperature influence size of
airport, wind direction and velocity determines the number of runways,
temperature influence runway length. Temperature increases air density
decreases, hence aircraft require larger run to take off
 Aircraft performance characteristics – knowledge of this determines the
run way length. Aircraft requiring long run for take off and land decides
the runway length and Airport size is determined by aircraft
manufacturers, airlines, and other users of airport
 Traffic volume – volume of air traffic at airport influence number of
runway required, taxiways and ramp area.
Airport obstructions
 Airport obstructions considered for safe navigation are
1. Imaginary surfaces
2. Objects with actual height
Imaginary surfaces
 Established surfaces in relation to airport and to runway above which no
obstruction should project
 Size of imaginary surface depend on category of runway and type of
approach.
 Types of imaginary surfaces are
1. Approach surface
2. Conical surface
3. Horizontal surface
4. Take off and climb surface
5. Transitional surface
Objects with actual heights
 Any object which exceeds limiting height above the ground is considered
as an obstruction.
I. Any object within 4.5 km distance from the runway end is considered as
an obstruction, if height is more than 30 m above ground.
II. Any object located beyond a distance of 4.5 km from the runway end, if
its height above 30m increase by more than 7.5 m for each additional 1.5
km distance from runway end
III. Any object which projects above the minimum approach flight altitude
or which height exceeds 150 m above the ground is also considered as
obstruction
Clear Zone
 The innermost portion of the approach zone and it is to be provided at
the end of runways
 It should be a level area except for fences, ditches, other minor
obstructions, all the major obstructions should be removed
 The length of clear zone is determined by the distance required to reach a
height of 30 m from the approach surface.
Turning Zone
 The area of airport other than approach area and it is intended for turning
operations of the aircraft in case of emergency (engine failure, troubles
faced while take off)
 Aircraft operates at low height in the turning zone and its necessary that
the area should be free from any obstructions
 Any object located within a distance of 4.5 km from airport reference
point is considered as an obstruction, if its height exceeds 51 m above the
ground
 Any object located beyond a distance of 4.5 km from airport reference
point is considered as an obstruction, if its height exceeds 51 m plus 30 m
for each additional 1.5 km distance from the ARP
Zoning Laws
 These laws are implemented as soon as the final selection of the airport
site is made
 Airports are involved in two types of zoning
1. Height zoning – aimed to protect the approaches to the airport from
obstruction. It regulates the heights of structures on land surrounding
the airport
2. Land use zoning – the closely related uses include terminal building,
parking, aprons, runways, taxiways, and maintenance facilities. Non
aviation uses relate to the commercial, industrial and recreational
activities. This zoning do not interfere with aircraft operations.