Passenger terminals in airports with highly seasonal demand

Abstract

Passenger buildings in regional airports with highly seasonal demand are subject to operational constraints that require different design approaches from those typically applied to busy airports. Passenger traffic is shaped by organised tourist flows that exhibit special behavioural patterns affecting peak design hour and dwell time, and hence dimensioning and cost structure. This paper approaches the typical peak design hour via a new method based on the clustering of hourly passenger volumes. It goes on to propose a design based on flexible buffer spaces placed before and after check-in facilities as an efficient planning alternative for airports.