New large aircraft gate requirement for shared space and stage construction

In the early phases of planning an airport, the evaluation of the number of aircraft gates required is one of the first steps to be taken. This paper presents an analytical methodology to evaluate the gate position requirement for a terminal accommodating a mix of aircraft that includes conventional jets, wide-bodied aircraft, and the new large aircraft. The methodology takes into consideration the shared use of gates by the wide range of aircraft sizes to improve the efficiency of terminal operations. It also allows the terminal to be built and expanded in stages so as to minimize a cost function. Significant savings are shown to be achievable with the use of space sharing and stage construction.