Designing the Terminal

Abstract

The airport terminal provides the connection between the aircraft and the vehicles for ground transport. This function is difficult to perform well: the different size and length of stay of the air and ground vehicles imply quite dissimilar amounts of space on the airside and landside of the terminal. Typically, the stands for stationing the aircraft must occupy a much longer distance than the curb needed for the loading and unloading of cars, buses or other such vehicles. How to balance these conflicting requirements on opposite sides of the same building, is the essential question of terminal design. Until recently, this may not have been either a major or an important problem. Things are different now.