CHAPTER 8 Aprons and terminal building
8.1 Aprons
Aircraft parking positions, also called aircraft gates, are typically located in the nonmovement area of
an airport near or adjacent to the terminal area. The function of an apron is to accommodate aircraft
during the loading and unloading of passengers and/or cargo.
8.1.1 Apron Design Characteristics
Aprons and associated taxilanes should be designed based o the design aircraft and/or the combination
of aircraft that will use the facility. Each apron type requires the evaluation of several characteristics,
such as capacity, layout, efficiency, flexibility, and hangar locations.
a- CapacityThe amount of apron area varies from airport to airport; depending on the demand, peak hour
operations, and aircraft fleet. The number of terminal gates and the way it was estimated is explained
in section 6.7 and Table 6-13.
b- Apron ConceptsProper planning helps determine the best applicable terminal passenger apron for an airport depending
on the available space, the number of gates required, and future expansion. Airport planners and
designers may adopt a combination of several of the apron concepts as airport passenger activities
grow.
Three apron concepts, as described in Table 8-1, were adopted at Al-Auja Airport to accommodate
capacity, as well as the airport's construction process and expansion over three phases.