Development and application of an airport terminal simulation model - A case study of CKS Airport

Technology advancement, terminal user behavior and changes of service characteristics of terminal facilities all have great impact on airport terminal operations. Consequently, the adequacy of traditional airport terminal planning concepts and standards have recently been challenged and are worth being explored. To investigate the associated impact of environmental changes on terminal operations, a simulation model which takes into consideration air travel patterns, facility operational characteristics, flight delays, passenger behavior and needs, etc, is developed and verified. The simulation logic and results show that the model works well for the case of CKS (Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport, Taipei) operations. Also, the exploration demonstrates that passenger arrival patterns, numbers of group passengers, flight delays and load factors all have very significant influences on terminal space requirements. This result strongly suggests that local characteristics should not be neglected in planning terminal operations.