Automating the Process of Terminal Area Node-Link Model Generation

Currently, few detailed airport surface models for air transportation system simulation and analysis exist, because the models are complex to develop and maintain. An improved method of generating detailed models is needed to expand the set of detailed airport surface and terminal airspace models. In this paper, an efficient means to automate the procedures to develop airport surface node-link graph models is proposed. Node-link graphs were created by connecting the centroids of the polygons from geographic information system data. A principal axis-based algorithm was formulated to identify and divide complex polygons. The graph was further improved by adjusting node positions, using the known centerlines from rectangular polygons and removing redundant nodes and links. The procedures were tested on 79 United States airports and proved to be robust, accurate, and efficient.