MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING OF AIRPORT GATE CAPACITY: A MICROCOMPUTER-BASED GATE ASSIGNMENT SIMULATION MODEL

A major issue facing airport authorities and airlines today concerns the availability of airport gate capacity. This paper outlines the problem and argues the valuable contribution that could be made by computer modelling techniques in the search for efficient solutions. The role of microcomputer technology as a highly attractive medium for developing such models is also examined. As an example application, the paper presents a description of a microcomputer‐based model developed recently by the author as a planning and operational tool for simulating the assignment of gates to aircraft and evaluating the effectiveness of operational options to improve the gate utilization. This is the first of a series of papers planned to report on a set of microcomputer‐based models currently under development which will form an integrated package of tools for use in the planning and operational management of airport landside capacity. The other models simulate the assignment of apron Passenger Transfer Vehicles (PTVs)...