WE BRING YOU SAFELY TO TAKE-OFF. - TCR Group

FEATURE | BOARDING BRIDGES
Regular air travellers have become so used to walking directly
from the terminal lounge onto the aircraft that the need to
walk up steps instead would be almost enough to put people off
flying. But, for airports, choosing passenger boarding bridges
has become a major and expensive exercise.
For a start, there are several different kinds of bridge to choose from.
The old fashioned bridges, such as the T-bridge (named for its shape), are
fast being overtaken by equipment such as flexible Apron Drive models.
Other types of bridges available include nose loaders, commuter
bridges and those specifically designed for the jumbo A380. The A380
bridge needs to be reinforced on the wheels and lifting frame because
the bridge must be higher than normal in order to meet the aircraft
door; the extra height requires extra strength – but also leads to extra
costs. As Grant Smith, in charge of the ramp service group at Burns &
McDonnell, points out: “Everything has to be re-designed for the A380.”
Materials used in bridge construction are changing, too, from the traditional
steel make-up to steel frame with glass panels. “Airports are using
more glass in terminals,” says Peter Reidy, managing editor at Reidy
Airport Terminal Equipment (RATE), which is the agent for CIMC Tianda
in Australia and the South Pacific.
“They are driven by the aesthetic factor: it looks nicer. Now they want
to extend the passenger experience to the bridge, even though glass adds
an average of 5 percent to the cost.”
However, US airports wishing to use glass have an extra hurdle to
overcome first. “The US National Fire Protection Association code covering
glazing specifies that glazing cannot be used within 100 feet of a
fuelling position,” Smith explains.
“As the bridge goes right to the aircraft, it is inevitably very close
to the fuelling point. An airport can get a waiver from the local fire
marshal permitting them to use glass, but some don’t want to take that
responsibility.”
Many do, though. JBT AeroTech supplies numerous glass-panelled
Changing
boarding bridge
technology
Passenger boarding bridges have changed a lot over the years and manufacturers are continuing to develop
more fl exible and nicer looking models
A gate has to be as
flexible as possible:
the more flexibility,
the greater number
of aircraft types can
be handled and the
more opportunity
for airports to attract
new business and
accommodate airline
fleet changes
bridges to US airports. But before an airport authority even gets to the
stage of choosing materials, it has to consider the design of the terminal
and apron. Where a new terminal is being built, the bridge design has to
be included in the initial plans. How many gates will be provided? What
position are they in? What types of aircraft will be using each gate? How
big and long do the bridges need to be? How do the aircraft turn in and
what is their turning space?
The fuelling point has to be considered, too. For narrow-bodied aircraft,
the fuelling point is normally on the right wing; for widebodies,
there are two, one on each wing. The position, length and shape of the
bridge cannot interfere with the fuelling process.
In some cases, an underground hydrant is used. Although often the
most efficient way to re-fuel aircraft, hydrants limit the flexibility of the
gate, as the position of the hydrant pits must be constructed in the most
appropriate place for the aircraft types that will be serviced. If a new
aircraft type is introduced, the hydrant pits may have to be moved – a
difficult task, at best.
MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY
A gate has to be as flexible as possible: the more flexibility, the greater
number of aircraft types can be handled and the more opportunity for
airports to attract new business and accommodate airline fleet changes.
An airport could, for example, provide four gates which can service narrowbodied
aircraft, at least two of which can be reconfigured for use by
regional jets, with two more designed for wide-bodied aircraft.
Sometimes narrow and widebodied aircraft can use the same bridge;
sometimes they can’t. Often a wide-bodied aircraft is higher off the
ground, with a higher door. A lower aircraft needs a longer boarding
bridge to connect terminal to door - but international safety legislation
restricts the slope of the bridge to less than 14 percent; the average is
between 8 and 10 percent.
This means that for every 8, 10 or 14 feet in length, the bridge can
8 AIRSIDE INTERNATIONAL | OCTOBER 2012 WWW.AIRSIDEINT.COM