panorama ALOHA ALOHA Aircraft Design for Low-Cost Ground Handling DIPL.-ING. PHILIP KRAMMER; PROF. DR.-ING. DIETER SCHOLZ, MSME Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Department of Automotive and Aeronautical Engineering, Aero - Aircraft Design and Systems Group » Low-cost airlines (LCA) have been particularly turers’ product portfolios. It is therefore especially successful with the reduction of ground hand- important to consider and to adapt to potential ling costs. Well-known examples of LCA are customer needs already in the conceptual Southwest Airlines, Ryanair, easyJet, Air Berlin, design phase. As a result, LCA will have a keen and Germanwings. Ryanair was the first Euro- influence on the overall concept of the single- pean LCA and was established in 1985. LCA fly aisle successor aircraft. short- and medium-range aircraft, in particu- Ground handling comprises the many ser- lar the Boeing B737 and the Airbus A320. The vices to an aircraft between the time it arrives B737 was developed in the 1960s, the A320 in at a terminal gate and the time it departs from the 1980s. This explains why the requirements the gate for its next flight. Speed, efficiency, and of low-cost airlines regarding ground handling accuracy are important in ground handling ope- operations were not considered in the design of rations in order to minimise turnaround times and the B737 and A320. The manufacturers have ground handling costs. Basically, ground handling already announced successors to the B737 and activities are highly dependent on the airlines’ A320. For the first time in history, the require- favoured business model and strategy. In cont- ments of LCA can be taken into account when rast to traditional airlines, LCA use optimised and designing new aircraft. This article identifies the simpler ground handling operations in combina- differences between common and LCA-specific tion with more favourable conditions to be found ground handling operations in order to address at secondary airports. This leads to reduced turn- the requirements of an aircraft optimised for low- around times, a more efficient use of the aircraft cost ground handling. fleet, and therefore to an increase in passenger miles. By means of innovative ground handling All students who The well-positioned low-cost airline Ryanair procedures together with the outsourcing of ser- are interested in has sustained a growth rate of 27 % in car- vicing jobs, LCA are able to save up to 70% of projects related ried passengers per year. In comparison, the their ground handling costs over established air- to ALOHA and/or the fol- growth rate of conventional passenger air traf- lines ([3], p. 33). In fact, ground handling should low-up project fic amounts to up to 5 % per year. Thus, LCA be considered one of the key factors of LCA Airport 2030 are an increasingly interesting market seg- business models. Ground handling operations can are welcome to ment, and recently they have become especially be classified into different, mostly independent have a look at interesting to aircraft manufacturers and airports ground handling tasks (compare Figure 1) to be http://Arbei- tenAngeboten. (compare [1], p. 15, 29 f.). Airbus with its A320 carried out in a specific order. Common ground ProfScholz.de family and Boeing with its B737 family consi- handling operations may include the following: or to contact der their short- to medium-range aircraft to be Passenger loading bridges or mobile stairs are Prof. Scholz or the best-selling jet airliner family. Successors available for passenger (de-)boarding. Air brid- Philip Krammer directly. to the A320 and the B737 [2] are expected to ges can only be used at the forward passenger follow up as “cash cows” in the aircraft manufac- door(s) of an aircraft, which are usually loca- 60 panorama ALOHA ted on the left-hand side (LHS). If the aircraft is is it possible to refuel the airplane while pas- 1 Structuring of parked at a remote apron, ground support equip- sengers are on board. The dispenser can be the “main” ment (GSE) has to be provided on-site enabling either a fuel truck or a hydrant cart. A hydrant ground handling processes the “displaced” ground handling of the aircraft. cart taps into a central pipeline network and In such cases, no passenger loading bridge is pumps fuel from the airport fuel storage into available and mobile stairs are used instead. the aircraft tank. After refuelling, passengers As an alternative to mobile stairs, so-called air are allowed to board the aircraft. The loading or stairs might be used if available on the aircraft. unloading of baggage and cargo might still be On some single-aisle aircraft types, such as in progress at this time. the A320 and the B737, aircraft manufactures With all doors locked, a pushback is per- offer customers the option to integrate such an formed by pushback tractors. The pushback ope- air stair into the aircraft. When stairs are used, ration might not be necessary for aircraft parked airport buses might also be necessary if the at the remote apron. However, with new techno- distance from the remote apron to the terminal logies such as an autonomous pushback system, is so long that passengers would (besides wal- i.e. an electrically driven nose gear, the aircraft king) have to cross taxiways or other highly becomes independent of parking positions and secure areas of the airport. pushback tractors [6]. The loading/unloading of cargo and baggage In order to understand how LCA manage takes place simultaneously with and indepen- their ground handling and turnaround process dently of the passenger de-boarding process. If with minimum turnaround times and ground the passenger baggage is below a certain amount, handling costs, a comparison of LCA ground the use of cargo containers becomes inefficient handling with common ground handling proce- and the bulk cargo is stored unpackaged. Ground dures has been conducted. The results include support is provided by belt loaders which assist the following main differences and characteris- in loading or unloading loose baggage that is tics (compare [5]): carried to the aircraft with the help of baggage If possible, LCA park in front of and parallel carts. The baggage carts additionally require a to the terminal building. This enables “taxi in and tow tractor. Likewise, tow tractors can be used to taxi out” and eliminates the need for a pushback carry any equipment that cannot move by itself, such as mobile air condi- tioning units, air starters, lavatory carts, and other equipment that is not al- ways, or only under ab- normal circumstances, necessary for a turn- around process (e.g. if the auxiliary power unit fails). If it becomes more appropriate to store bag- gage and cargo in con- tainers or pallets, ground loaders are required in order to load the aircraft at sill height. In this case, a belt loader might be additionally necessary for the bulk cargo compart- ment. This is because a small percentage of the baggage always remains as bulk cargo, such as foldable baby carriages, bulky sports equipment, baggage from late check- in passengers, etc. Once all passen- gers are off the airplane, the refuelling process might start. Only in 1 certain circumstances 61 panorama ALOHA with a towing truck. To avoid ground handling tion in required turnaround equipment can be charges related to air bridges and mobile stairs, achieved, in general, by reducing the interfaces passengers are almost always boarded by means between the aircraft and the airport (terminal). of air stairs. In addition, the second air stair at the This automatically implies that the aircraft has to rear door is deployed to speed up the boarding become more independent of external GSE. As a and de-boarding process. The aircraft park at result, in order to reduce ground handling costs, walking distance to the terminal gate in order to the aircraft has to become more autonomous by avoid transporting passengers by bus. Onboard including an autonomous pushback system and passenger services and amenities are reduced. onboard air stairs, for example (see above and Less food and drinks cause less waste and dirt. Figure 1). Thus, cabin cleaning might not be required at In conclusion, a direct reduction in turnaround every turnaround. Because of the poor airport times can be achieved (compare Figure 2) by infrastructure often found at secondary airports, reducing the required manpower (1) and opti- cargo is rarely transported by LCA, so only bag- mising individual turnaround processes (2). A gage has to be loaded. In an ideal case, all bag- reduction in delays (i.e. an indirect reduction in gage will fit into the bulk cargo compartment and turnaround times) can be achieved by reducing only one belt loader will be required for the loa- the number of required GSE (3) and the com- ding operation. plexity of the turnaround process (2). A reduc- In most cases, LCA fly short-range routes. tion in ground handling costs can be achieved However, an aircraft is capable of carrying by reducing the number of required GSE (3) enough fuel to meet the aircraft-specific design and the required manpower (1). A reduction range (according to the reference mission) which in manpower (1) (such as no ground handling is much higher than a typical LCA short-range staff required for cargo loading, refuelling, and flight. For this reason, more fuel than neces- catering) is primarily dependent on the airline’s sary can be carried, avoiding aircraft refuelling and airport’s business model and strategy and is at every stop-over. This process (referred to as therefore no longer considered in this context. the tankering technique) saves turnaround time Furthermore, the following requirements can and compensates for the additional cost of be established: A reduction in required GSE (3) purchasing fuel at the designated destination implies a more autonomous (independent) airport.