Airport Design

The modern airport is a centre of most diversified services. Among the airport services are: flight assistance service, air traffic control – airport traffic control, air route traffic control, radio communication and weather service observation forecasting.

The airport has to maintain a number of supplementary services – rescue and security services. There must be an airport clinic, a fire brigade, special vehicles and equipment units (water trucks, catering trucks, air freight and baggage handling units, tow tractors for moving aircraft to the apron).

Other services cover maintenance, overhaul and repair of stationary and mobile equipment, the supply of electricity, water, heat and air conditioning. There is the Aircraft Maintenance Base with many maintenance specialists. There’s the fuel supply centre with underground pipelines.

The facilities include runways, air navigation aids, passenger or cargo terminal buildings. The airport offers a hotel, a post office, bank offices, restaurants, snack bars and waiting lounges.

In the terminal there’s the computer information system to provide passengers with necessary flight information.

Any terminal building also provides space for the facilities for the convenience of passengers. First of all it is a central hall where passengers may rest while waiting for their flights. There may be situated various gift shops and news-stands, a post-office department, public telephones, a first aid room, chemist’s, hairdresser’s, luggage department and currency exchange.

Passengers can make a long distance call, exchange currency, buy souvenirs and other goods at the duty-free shops.

Any international airport has two halls: arrival and departure, customs inspection, passport and health control.

The airport terminal building is designed to facilitate safe and economic transfer of passengers and cargo between aircraft and ground transport.

The configuration of runways, the main and exit taxiways is an important element which influences the capacity of an airport. Exit taxiways are quite important for clearing landing aircraft from runway rapidly.

Lack of space for loading and unloading in the terminal area will result in delays and the number of operations an airport can handle in a peak period will be limited.

Weather conditions have an effect on airport capacity as well. The capacity of an airport during poor visibility conditions is usually less than in good visibility conditions.

Besides, the number and types of navigation aids available to pilots and controllers influence airport capacity. The development of computers helps controllers in processing aircraft at a more rapid rate.

Baggage Carriage

In accordance with the international flight regulations the main part of the baggage (the checked baggage) is carried in the cargo compartment of the airplane. Besides the above mentioned articles you may take in the passenger cabin (the cabin baggage). With most of international carries however, the weight and the dimensions of the cabin baggage are strictly limited.

The baggage which is accepted by the carrier for air transportation should be properly packed and locked to avoid opening during ground handling and transportation. Baggage which is not properly packed and locked may not be accepted for air carriage. The international conditions of carriage allow each passenger to carry free of charge baggage to a certain weight of number of pieces, i.e. the so-called baggage allowance.

The following articles may be taken into passenger cabin as free hand baggage: lady’s handbag, purse or toilet bag provided they do not contain article which should be transported in the aircraft baggage compartment (camera; umbrella; overcoat).

The free baggage allowance is entered in your tickets when issued and you are to pay additional excess baggage for any kilograms in excess. It should be kept in mind that all other baggage except the above mentioned must be weighed, no matter whether it is carried in the passenger cabin or checked for transportation in the cargo compartment. These include big ladies’ bags, travel or sport bags, boxes, tape recorders, large cameras, briefcases.