Within an airport there are many levels of stakeholders with varying degrees of responsibility. Whether it is the operations team, airlines, retailers, airport management or investors; everyone needs to clearly understand how their actions and decisions affect the airport holistically.

We work with saturated and constrained airports throughout the world to create simple and clear capacity models for effective decision making. We model or simulate at the level of detail that is appropriate for the audience, that Big Data can support and we aim to provide appropriate analysis and forecasts based on realistic assumptions and processes.

WHY MODELLING AND SIMULATION?

Future proofing an airport is becoming increasingly important, with IATA predicting 8.2 billion air passengers by 2037 (IATA 2018). How can your airport cope with such an influx? What are the pressure points and bottlenecks? Modelling this rise in capacity can be used to plan airport investment and future proofing.

Our in-house modelling tool, TransvisionAiR™ has the ability to combine the movement of aircraft, passengers, baggage, transit vehicles and ground support equipment in a single model, allowing the whole airport, from kerbside to airspace, to be modelled. We create simple clear scenario models, highlighting the pinch points and bottlenecks that could already exist or be created when forecasting future passenger growth.

With our experienced in-house simulation engineer team and bespoke software, we can replicate an airport’s activity and use it to create a calibration simulation. Using these assumptions we can then run future scenarios, changes to infrastructure, balance of future airline products, the introduction of new automated technology, and so on, through the simulation to see how these changes, however minor, will affect the airport holistically and in terms of capacity planning.

OUR VARIETY OF SIMULATION OUTPUTS

Our team determines the most effective methodology to communicate and solve the problem using an appropriate level of modelling. This may be a simple pivot graph, 2D bespoke model or fully 3D Virtual Reality. Take a look at some of simulations here

High-level decisions can be made quickly and efficiently with our traffic light diagrams. Used to maximum effect during our End to End Airport Capacity Assessment in collaboration with NATS at Bristol Airport, these traffic light diagrams follow the passenger journey, highlighting areas through the recognizable system of red, amber, green. This was extremely beneficial to airport management, allowing them to spot areas where capacity was constrained, at the present time and through forecasted growth.

It may be more appropriate to use a 2D or 3D modelling to present airport capacity scenario models. We can provide clients with fully realized 3D simulation with Virtual Reality to bring the terminal to life. These visual simulations engage stakeholders, accurately showing the physical space and experience of a passenger journey.  Numbers don’t necessarily create the trust that can be provided by demonstrating our gaming level 3D discrete Terminal simulations, incorporating VR. In London Heathrow T3 T4 and Bristol Airport we used VR to engage stakeholders for rapid acceptance of automation proposals. This created trust and enhanced stakeholder management.

IATA MODELLING

IATA standards are a priority for AiQ Consulting. We believe that by using IATA standards our clients can not only visualise how their future airport will comply with the guidance, but it also allows us to highlight capacity and operational efficiency improvements. Our IATA Tool, using the new LoS requirements as outlined in the ADRM edition v5 published in 2014, has sections covering processes from check-in desks and security lanes to emigration.

We can tell airports the optimum space required per passenger at all processes and optimum waiting time per passenger at each process, a valuable device in order to understand how your airport is working and what can be done to improve it.

WHAT’S BEST FOR YOUR AIRPORT

Our bespoke simulations enable us to recommend and demonstrate the best simulation for your airport, rapidly adapting to stakeholder needs. Whether you need discrete, dynamic or static simulations, capacity allocation, or just a spreadsheet, AiQ Consulting will work with your airport to provide the most beneficial solution.

AiQ Consulting has been delivering intelligent airport consultancy including capacity planning solutions for many years. As the iQ in Airports, our reputation for creating and delivering cost effective, efficient capacity planning is worldwide. Take a look at our case studies for further information or contact us today to arrange a meeting.

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