A review of aircraft turnaround operations and simulations
Introduction
The aviation industry will be challenged by an annual 4.6–4.9% growth in passenger traffic in the next 20 years [1], [2]. It is imperative that advancements in ground operations, specifically process reliability and passenger comfort, are developed to deal with increasing congestion at major hub airports. Current research mostly focuses on aircraft efficiency in terms of reduced carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and noise emissions. This trend is due to ambitious goals promoted by national and international regulators, such as NASA Advanced Air Vehicle Program [3], Air Transport Action Group [4] and the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe (ACARE) [5]. However, the implementation of current research in fulfillment of the goals proposed by these regulators would require significant operational efficiency improvements, a topic which is often not addressed. The ACARE work group proposed a reduction of turnaround times by 40% in 2050 using novel handling concepts as well as actual arrival and departure times to be within one minute of scheduled times [6], [7]. Especially, regional and short-to-medium haul flights are of concern as they account for the major share of global air traffic.
An efficient aircraft turnaround is an essential component of airline success, especially for regional and short-haul operations. The current ground operational procedures are highly optimized for available infrastructure and aircraft types. Further improvements can be made by refining process execution, providing better predictability for each step improving on-time performance and by reducing additional planned buffer times. In short-haul operations, passenger egress and ingress together with refueling, cleaning, and catering, are on the critical path which determines the total turnaround time. Reducing passenger boarding and disembarking time would simultaneously shorten turnaround time and free up airport capacity. Turnaround time and punctuality are not on the same level of criticality for long-haul operations since delays can be absorbed during the longer flight time and airport curfew hours can determine scheduled arrival and departure times.
The review presented here is based on the research of Schmidt et al. [8], [9], [10], [11]. After an introduction of ground operations, focusing on the aircraft turnaround and passenger processes, the key challenges for current aircraft operators are highlighted. These comprise, amongst others, airport capacity constraints, schedule disruptions and the increasing cost pressure for aviation stakeholders. A summary of existing modeling and simulation frameworks gives insight into state-of-the-art assessment capabilities when it concerns advanced concepts. Afterwards, a review of conducted studies and conceptual work focusing on the turnaround shows pathways for potential process optimization. Initial results using an agent-based passenger flow simulation are presented for promising aircraft cabin modifications. This paper concludes with a recapitulation of the current research in ground operations and proposes future research goals.
Section snippets
Overview of current aircraft ground operations
Airports have been repeatedly challenged, in terms of their operations, by the introduction of new aircraft throughout the history of aviation. Some of those aircraft were revolutionary for their time, such as the Boeing 747 (B474), Concorde and recently, the Airbus A380. Before the B747 and Concorde entered service, a thorough understanding of the terminal-related functions, ground handling characteristics and operational economics was necessary for the determination of aircraft servicing so
Current ground-operational challenges for aircraft operators
Ground operational processes are the connecting element between aircraft en-route operations and airport infrastructure, resulting in various dependencies like airport capacity constraints, aircraft type diversity and schedule disruptions. In the following, key challenges for current aircraft operators are highlighted including prolonged passenger process times, airport capacity constraints, schedule disruptions, reduced aircraft utilization and the increasing cost pressure for aviation
Review of existing modeling and simulation frameworks for aircraft ground operation
A holistic performance assessment is aspired to during the early stages of conceptual aircraft design projects to claim the required resources for further development in terms of their technology readiness level. This section provides an overview of existing aircraft turnaround modeling approaches, as well as, simulations for passenger egress and ingress.
Review of ground operation research projects and conceptual studies
Recent research projects and conceptual studies are targeting an evolution of the ground operation processes towards improved time efficiency, increased predictability, and reduced disruptions. The targeted time frame spans from short-term concepts (<10 years) to long-term disruptive solutions (>30 years). The section first summarizes studies which focus on the aircraft turnaround event before pathways for improved passenger processes are explored. The presented study results were produced
Recapitulation
The ground operational processes are the connecting element between aircraft en-route operations and airport infrastructure. Aircraft operators are challenged by prolonged passenger process times, airport capacity constraints, schedule disruptions, reduced aircraft utilization and the increasing cost pressure. Therefore, industry and research organizations are looking for solutions to enable competitive aircraft operations for all involved stakeholders.
The assessment of novel ground operational
Outlook
The review of concepts dealing with aircraft ground operation showed several promising approaches to increase the current efficiencies, however, the variety and concept maturity is manageable. During the development of ideas and concepts, researchers should rethink the current practice when it concerns the aircraft ground operation and target a seamless passenger journey. Future research should focus on the further elaboration of these concepts in terms of their operational robustness,
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Munich Aerospace e.V. for their support and Christoph Schinwald, Philipp Heinemann and Kay Plötner for fruitful discussions and valuable advice.
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2022, Aerospace Science and TechnologyCitation Excerpt :For instance efficiency improvement of the propulsion system, by boundary layer ingestion [1] or high bypass ratio fans [2], or cleaner energy sources with the utilization of bio fuels [3]. Operational improvements such as advanced flight traffic control [4], trajectory optimization [5] and efficient turnaround times [6] can support more sustainable aviation. Further, the use of advanced materials for weight reduction [7], or improvement of aerodynamic efficiency [8] reduces consequently the in-flight emission of aircraft.
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Scholarship recipient, Munich Aerospace e.V.