Applying simulation in a consulting environment - tips from airport planners
Airport design is, by far, the largest practice area fo TransSolutions. This is a unique area, with man differences from typical simulation in manufacturing o logistics. Passengers and bags arrive at the airport by the pla load. At the busiest airports the arrivals and departures a coordinated, so that several flights arrive within a sho time. Then, after a short time on the ground the aircraft a depart again. A large number of passengers move throu the facility during the peak period between the fligh arrivals and the departures. After that, the facility will b empty until the next bank of arriving flights. The termina facilities must be sized to handle these waves of passeng throughout the day. Space within the terminal building is at a premium Most travelers are aware of the ticket counters, ga lounges, corridors and shops in the public areas. Hidd behind the scenes are the various offices, control room and break areas for the airport and airline employees. T baggage system and various maintenance functions take most of the space on the ramp level below the passen areas. The usual question asked by the architects is: “will th facility, as designed, satisfy the needs of the tena airlines?” This involves comparing the “performance” o the facility to minimum acceptable standards. A typica example is that all passengers connecting from an arrivi flight to a departing flight must be able to reach the departure gate within 30 minutes of arrival. Anothe