Airport: From an aircraft "harbor" to a hub for multi-dimensional transportation

The airport, a special space connecting heaven and earth, has long surpassed the single attribute of "a place for aircraft to take off and land" and has become a comprehensive hub integrating transportation, commerce, culture and technology. It is not only a window for the city to open up to the outside world, but also carries people's yearning for the distant and the mark of the development of the times.
1. The core composition and functional system of the airport
The flight area: the "lifeline" of air traffic
As the core area for aircraft take-off, landing and taxiing, the design of the flight area is directly related to safety and efficiency:
Runway system: divided into 4F (can take off and land super-large aircraft such as A380, runway length ≥ 3600 meters), 4E (suitable for Boeing 777, length 3000-3600 meters), etc., and the direction is mostly consistent with the local dominant wind direction (such as the runway of Beijing Capital Airport along the northeast-southwest direction to reduce the impact of crosswinds). The runway surface is made of special asphalt or concrete, which can withstand the huge impact of aircraft take-off and landing, and has good anti-skid and drainage properties.
Taxiways and aprons: Taxiways are like the "ground channels" of airports, connecting runways and terminals. Light signs are required to guide aircraft. Aprons are divided into passenger aprons (close to the terminal, convenient for passengers to get on and off), cargo aprons (independent areas, supporting cargo facilities), and maintenance aprons (for aircraft maintenance). Large airports can have hundreds of parking spaces, and intelligent scheduling systems are required to avoid congestion.
Navigational aids: including runway lights (illuminating the runway at night or in low visibility, such as approach lighting systems that can extend hundreds of meters outside the runway), blind landing systems (helping aircraft land accurately in bad weather), and clear air protection areas (prohibiting the construction of high-rise buildings within a certain range at both ends of the runway to ensure flight safety).
Terminal area: the "main battlefield" of passenger experience
The terminal area is the core of passenger activities, and its design revolves around "convenience, comfort and efficiency":
Terminal: According to the layout, it is divided into centralized type (such as the "five-finger corridor" design of Beijing Daxing Airport, which shortens the walking distance of passengers) and decentralized type (such as Shanghai Pudong Airport T1 and T2 terminals, which are connected by the MRT system). The internal functional divisions are clear: the departure floor has check-in counters (manual + self-service) and security check channels (equipped with intelligent equipment such as facial recognition and baggage CT machines); the arrival floor has baggage claim areas, exits, and transportation transfer points; the mezzanine is mostly catering and shopping areas, forming an "airport business ecosystem".
Ground transportation center: the "link" connecting the terminal and the city, including taxi waiting areas, bus/subway stations, long-distance bus stations, parking lots, etc. Large airports also have high-speed rail/intercity rail stations (such as Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport, realizing seamless transfer of "air-rail intermodal transport").
Cargo area and supporting facilities
In addition to passenger transport, the airport is also an important part of the logistics hub:
Cargo station: equipped with automated sorting system, cold chain warehouse (transport fresh food, medicine), international cargo area with customs inspection and quarantine area, which can quickly handle cross-border packages;
Security facilities: including tower (air traffic control center, 24-hour monitoring of flight dynamics), oil depot (storage of aviation fuel, transported to aircraft through pipelines or refueling trucks), maintenance plant (repair of aircraft engines, avionics systems, etc.), meteorological station (providing real-time weather data, providing a basis for flight scheduling).
2. Airport's technological empowerment and innovative practice
Smart airport: digital reshape travel experience
Technology is making airports more "smart":
Full-process self-service: from self-service check-in (swiping ID card/face to print boarding pass), self-service baggage check-in (scanning code to weigh, labeling), to self-service security check (face recognition to compare identity), self-service boarding (swiping mobile phone QR code to pass the gate), no human intervention is required throughout the process, and the process from entering the airport to boarding can be completed in as fast as 30 minutes.
Big data and AI scheduling: By analyzing historical flight data, weather forecasts, and passenger flow, the AI system can optimize the number of check-in counters open, security channel allocation, and even predict the risk of flight delays and automatically push rebooking suggestions. For example, the "smart brain" of Shenzhen Bao'an Airport has increased the flight regularity rate to more than 85%.
Unmanned operation: drones inspect runways (detect cracks and foreign objects), unmanned vehicles transport luggage (travel in the cargo area), and robot customer service (answer passengers' inquiries), reducing labor costs while improving efficiency.
Green airport: a practical example of sustainable development
Airports are becoming practitioners of environmental protection concepts:
Clean energy application: Beijing Daxing Airport has laid 110,000 square meters of solar panels on the roof, with an annual power generation of 160 million kWh, meeting 10% of the airport's electricity demand; Frankfurt Airport uses biodiesel to refuel aircraft to reduce carbon emissions.
Energy-saving and recycling design: The terminal uses natural lighting (large glass curtain walls + skylights) and ventilation systems (reducing the use of air conditioning). The rainwater recycling system collects rainwater for green irrigation, and the abandoned runway materials are processed and reused for road construction.
Ecological protection linkage: Bird protection areas are designated around the airport, and the risk of bird strikes is reduced by planting plants that birds don’t like and setting up sonic bird repellents; Amsterdam Schiphol Airport even raises bees in the surrounding wetlands to protect biodiversity and provide honey for airport restaurants.
3. Cultural Expression and Urban Imprint of Airports
Terminals: Architectural Art Conveys Regional Culture
The terminals of many airports are themselves "inhabitable works of art" and carry the cultural symbols of the city:
Integration of regional elements into the design: The "Phoenix Spreading Wings" shape of Beijing Daxing Airport not only symbolizes auspiciousness, but also coincides with the atmosphere of Beijing's "imperial capital"; the roof of Xi'an Xianyang Airport T3 Terminal adopts the bracket structure of the Tang Dynasty palace, and the wall is decorated with terracotta warriors and horses, showing the heritage of the ancient capital; the ceiling of Kunming Changshui Airport imitates the terrace curve of "Colorful Yunnan", and the sunlight shines through like the changing light and shadow in the mountains.
Cultural Space and Exhibition: The "Transit Art Gallery" of Shanghai Pudong Airport regularly holds calligraphy, painting and photography exhibitions, allowing passengers to experience artistic influence during the transfer interval; Dubai International Airport has an Arab Cultural Museum, which displays traditional costumes and handicrafts, becoming a window for spreading regional culture.
Airport business: from "just-need consumption" to "experience economy"
The airport has become a unique business scene:
Brand gathering place: The international terminal brings together global luxury brands and duty-free shops, with prices 10%-30% lower than those in the city, becoming a "shopping paradise"; domestic airports introduce local brands (such as the Shu embroidery shop at Chengdu Airport and the Longjing tea shop at Hangzhou Airport) to let passengers take away the city memories.
Immersive experience service: Some airports have parent-child parks (for families with children to kill time), SPA halls (for long-distance transfer passengers to relax), capsule hotels (mini guest rooms charged by the hour), and even small cinemas and bookstores, so that waiting is no longer boring.
IV. The social significance and future trends of airports
The "engine" of urban development
The airport has a significant driving effect on the regional economy:
Airport economic zone: an industrial cluster formed around the airport, including logistics parks (attracting express delivery company headquarters), science and technology parks (gathering high-tech industries such as aviation manufacturing and biomedicine), and business districts (facilitating the headquarters of multinational companies). For example, Zhengzhou Aviation Port Area, relying on Xinzheng Airport, has become an important global smartphone production base.
Employment and livelihood: A large airport can directly drive the employment of tens of thousands of people (pilots, flight attendants, ground staff, etc.), indirectly create related jobs in catering, retail, transportation, etc., and provide more convenient travel options for urban residents (for example, from Lhasa Gonggar Airport, it takes only 5 hours to reach Beijing, which greatly shortens the distance between the border and the interior).
Imagination space for future airports
With the development of technology, airports will evolve towards more efficient, environmentally friendly and humane directions:
Vertical take-off and landing and low-altitude transportation: "Air taxi" stations adapted to electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) will be integrated into airports to achieve short-distance and fast connections with the city center;
Zero-carbon airport goal: Through 100% use of renewable energy, carbon capture technology, and electric aircraft, airports in the future may achieve "net zero emissions";
Personalized service upgrade: Based on passenger portraits (such as preferred catering and seat types), airports can provide customized services - from recommending suitable rest areas to automatically pushing information about nearby dessert shops to low-glycemic passengers.

From the roar of the first flight in the morning to the last runway light going out late at night, the 24-hour operation of the airport hides countless stories: the expectation of the return of wanderers, the ambition of entrepreneurs, the joy of family reunion... It is not only a transportation hub, but also a "micro-society" that condenses human emotions and the rhythm of the times. It always connects every corner of the world with an open attitude.
Topics of parking lots
Airports: From aircraft "harbor" to the connecting hub of three-dimensional transportation
Airports, as the core parking area before and after aircraft takeoff and landing, are the key nodes connecting the air and the ground in the airport system. It not only undertakes the basic functions of aircraft parking, maintenance, loading and unloading, but also becomes an important window to show the airport's operational capabilities in efficiency, safety and intelligent upgrades.
1. Basic classification and functional positioning of parking lots
Division by service object
Airports can be divided into different exclusive areas according to the type of flights served and functional requirements:
Passenger aircraft apron: adjacent to the terminal building, it is the "front line" for passengers to get on and off the plane. According to the distance from the terminal, it is divided into "bridge stands" (directly connected to the terminal through a boarding bridge, passengers do not need to walk outside, suitable for mainstream flights at large airports) and "remote stands" (requires a shuttle bus to and from the terminal, mostly used for feeder flights or overflow parking during peak hours). For example, the passenger apron of Terminal T3 of Beijing Capital Airport has more than 80 bridge stands, which can accommodate different aircraft types such as A380 and Boeing 787 at the same time.
Cargo apron: Independent of the passenger aircraft area, equipped with large cargo loading and unloading equipment (such as container forklifts and conveyor belts), with a cargo channel on the ground connected to the bonded warehouse. The cargo apron of Shanghai Pudong Airport has an annual throughput of more than 4 million tons and can accommodate super-large cargo aircraft such as An-124. It is an important global aviation logistics hub.
General aviation apron: Serving small aircraft such as private aircraft, medical rescue aircraft, agricultural operation aircraft, etc., it has a small area but flexible layout, and is often equipped with simple refueling and maintenance facilities. It is often seen in feeder airports or general aviation bases.
Division by parking method
The layout of the parking area needs to be designed according to the size of the aircraft and the scheduling requirements. Common forms include:
Linear parking: The aircraft are lined up along the terminal building, which is suitable for small airports or bridge parking positions. The advantage is that passengers can get on and off the plane conveniently, but the disadvantage is that it takes up a lot of space;
Finger-type parking: The terminal building extends multiple "finger corridors", and the aircraft are parked on both sides of the finger corridors, such as the "five-finger corridor" design of Beijing Daxing Airport, which makes the walking distance from the farthest parking position to the center of the terminal building no more than 600 meters, greatly improving efficiency;
Satellite terminal parking: The main building and the satellite terminal are connected by the MRT system, and the satellite terminal is surrounded by parking positions, which is suitable for super-large airports (such as the satellite terminal of Shanghai Pudong Airport, which has added nearly 100 parking positions, alleviating the parking pressure during peak hours).
2. Core facilities and safety assurance of the parking area
Hardware facilities: the "skeleton" that supports efficient operation
Every detail of the parking area is designed for aircraft safety and efficient service:
Parking position marking: white lines are used on the ground to mark the parking position boundaries, marking the aircraft model restrictions (such as "B777-300" and "A330"), taxiing direction arrows and wheel chock placement points. Pilots can park accurately through ground markings;
Ground support equipment: including boarding bridges (retractable and adjustable, adapted to the height of cabin doors of different aircraft models), passenger elevators (for passengers on and off the aircraft at remote positions), luggage carts (connecting aircraft and terminal baggage systems), refueling trucks (refueling aircraft through hoses, and large airports use underground pipelines to directly supply oil), power supply trucks (provide electricity after the aircraft engine is turned off), air conditioning trucks (maintain cabin temperature), etc. These equipment must be docked within 10 minutes after the aircraft docks.
Drainage and anti-skid system: The ground of the parking area is made of special concrete with anti-skid textures engraved on the surface, and invisible drainage ditches are set to ensure that there is no water accumulation on rainy days to prevent the aircraft from slipping when taxiing.
Safety control: Building a solid risk defense line
The parking area is a high-risk area, and safety control is implemented throughout:
Access to personnel and vehicles: Only staff with airport passes and authorized vehicles can enter. Vehicles must be equipped with GPS positioning and speed limit devices (generally limited to 25 km/h, reduced to 5 km/h when approaching the aircraft) to avoid collisions with aircraft or equipment;
Flight dispatch coordination: The tower communicates with the ground control center in real time, and displays the parking time, parking position and support process of each aircraft on the electronic screen (such as "10:00-10:40 Flight CA123 will park at No. 23 position, and refueling, cleaning, and luggage loading and unloading must be completed") to ensure seamless connection of all links;
Emergency response plan: Equipped with fire rescue vehicles (can reach any position within 3 minutes) and medical emergency stations, regular drills on the handling process of emergencies such as aircraft oil leaks and fires. For example, if a fuel leak occurs when the aircraft is docked, ground personnel must immediately lay oil-absorbing felt and activate the emergency plan.
3. Intelligent upgrade and efficiency innovation of the parking area
Digital scheduling: make every minute precisely controllable
Technology is reshaping the operation mode of the parking area:
Intelligent parking space allocation system: Through AI algorithms, the flight type, passenger flow, and ground equipment status are analyzed to automatically allocate the best parking space. For example, during peak hours, wide-body aircraft are preferentially allocated to the bridge parking space to reduce the pressure on the shuttle bus; late flights are concentrated in the parking space near the maintenance area to facilitate night maintenance.
IoT equipment linkage: After the aircraft is docked, the ground equipment (such as boarding bridges and luggage carts) sense the position of the aircraft through sensors and automatically adjust the docking angle; data such as the amount of fuel and the number of luggage are uploaded to the system in real time. Managers can monitor the progress of the entire process through the large monitoring screen to avoid manual communication errors.
Drone inspection: After the daily flight ends, the drone carries a high-definition camera and a thermal imager to inspect the ground of the parking area to detect whether there are cracks, foreign objects or traces of fuel leakage. The efficiency is more than 3 times higher than that of manual inspections, and it can cover corner areas.
Green parking lot: the practice of low-carbon operation
The concept of environmental protection is increasingly prominent in the construction of parking lots:
Application of alternative energy: Replace traditional fuel power supply vehicles and air-conditioning vehicles with electric models to reduce exhaust emissions; some airports install ground power supply and air-conditioning interfaces at parking positions, and directly connect the aircraft to the power grid and central air conditioning after docking, and turn off the engine (each aircraft can reduce carbon emissions by about 1.5 tons per hour).
Rainwater recycling and greening: Ecological green belts are set up around the parking lot to absorb noise and use vegetation to purify rainwater. The recycled rainwater is used for ground cleaning and greening irrigation; environmentally friendly paint is used for ground signs to reduce volatile pollution.
Photovoltaic roof pilot: Build photovoltaic roofs above some remote positions to charge electric ground equipment and provide shade for waiting shuttle buses, realizing the "power generation - power consumption" closed loop.