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AviPLAN | A Powerful software for airside planning, design and operations professionals
AviPLAN®, with renowned market-leading technology at its core, delivers a unique feature-set tailored to meet the specific challenges faced by today’s airside planning, design and operations professionals. Analyse aircraft and support vehicle movements on airport aprons and taxiways, plan complex docking scenarios with multiple passenger boarding bridge -lead-in-line- airplane combinations, assess jet blast impacts and safety clearances, simulate complex pushback manoeuvres and more.
From Vision to Reality! ConnX: the perfect mix for sustainable urban mobility
Unique hybrid solution from LEITNER combines ropeways with autonomous driverless transport and promotes the use of e-mobility in public transport
Just warming up
If they’re above or below a certain latitude, airports have always had to face freezing winter storms and all the challenges they bring. Naturally, solutions from de-icing chemicals to snow ploughs have been around for decades. But each comes with its own set of problems, something also true of many heated pavement systems. Yet with the development of an elegant new approach, might these problems be consigned to the past? Andrea Valentino learns more from Dr Matthew Brynick at the FAA William J Hughes Technical Center and Halil Ceylan, a professor at Iowa State University.
Across the pond
The return of transatlantic routes has helped boost the recovery of air travel in the second half of 2021, as a number of airlines aim to capitalise on easing travel restrictions. However, much remains to be done to fully unlock these routes and bring about the return to pre-Covid numbers. Abi Millar speaks to Thomas Reynaert, managing director at Airlines for Europe (A4E), and other industry experts, to find out more about what the return of transatlantic flights means to the industry and passengers.
Adapt to survive
The UK’s largest airport has lost £3.4bn in revenue since the beginning of the pandemic and passenger numbers are still down by 60% compared with pre-Covid-19 figures – yet, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye remains optimistic for the future of his airport and the industry. Elly Earls finds out why Heathrow Airport is focusing on recruitment and reducing carbon emissions, and why now is the time for the UK air travel industry to pull together and adapt for the future.
Frictionless travel
Designed with the future of seamless travel in mind, Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport is scheduled to begin operation in 2026. Andrew Barnett speaks to Tom McCormack, the project’s chief technology officer, about the work under way to create a digitalised and sustainable 21st-century airport.
See the light
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s certainly been the case over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, as airports around the world have worked to implement new technologies to address the new-found challenges that have arisen. The adoption of UVC light as a disinfectant has been taken up by a number of airport operators, looking for a way to best protect their staff and passengers from possible sources of infection. Nicholas Kenny speaks with Sami Kiiskinen, vice-president of airport development at Finavia, to learn more.
The sky’s the limit
Drones are a potential game changer for airport operations, capable of carrying out all manner of tasks faster than any ground-based human team. Nicholas Kenny hears from Paul Diestelkamp, head of business development and solutions at Air Navigation Solutions, and Myron Keehn, vice-president of air service and business development at Edmonton International Airport, about the challenges airports face in integrating this technology, and how can they build an effective operating framework for the future.
Remote control
Air traffic control towers have long been synonymous with the airports they serve, playing a crucial role in keeping flying safe and efficient for a century or more. But with the benefits of new technologies, are their days numbered? Andrea Valentino talks to Andy Taylor, chief solutions officer at air navigation service provider NATS, and Conor Mullan, managing director of air traffic consultancy Think Research, to understand the rise of digital towers, how they’re especially useful in airports without much room to expand – and how the future might belong to a partnership between old and new forms of air traffic control.
Clear the air
In December 2018, Gatwick Airport experienced two days of disruption over reported drone sightings in its airspace. While some doubts remain over the validity of these reports, airports have become increasingly aware of the threat drones present to disrupt their operations. Nicholas Kenny speaks to a range of industry experts to hear how anti-drone technology is being implemented to protect airspaces.