Aircraft gate parking and servicing method

摘要

An improved aircraft gate parking and servicing method is provided, wherein an aircraft is maneuvered into an airport terminal gate and parked in an optimum orientation at an angle that facilitates maximum access to aircraft front and rear doors. Boarding bridges are designed to facilitate connection to doors located rear of an aircraft wing without extending over the aircraft wing to maximize efficiency of passenger transfer. Passenger transfer and servicing of the aircraft may occur concurrently before the aircraft is maneuvered out of its optimum orientation in the parking space and driven to a takeoff runway for departure. Required safety margins are maintained at all times during aircraft maneuvers into and out of the optimum parking orientation. Stairs may be provided to simultaneously access aircraft doors not connected to boarding bridges. In a preferred embodiment, aircraft are moved to an optimum parking location by engines-off electric taxi systems.

主权项

1. A method for improving aircraft gate parking and servicing comprising:
a. at an airport terminal with a plurality of gate parking areas, each of the plurality of gate parking area having a width defined to include safety margins between adjacent gate parking areas when aircraft are parked in a nose-in orientation at the adjacent gate parking areas, moving an aircraft into a selected gate parking area in a nose-in orientation with a longest axis of the aircraft perpendicular to the airport terminal; b. turning said aircraft from the nose-in orientation to park completely within said defined width of said selected gate parking area in an optimum parking orientation relative to said terminal with the longest axis of the aircraft positioned at an optimum parking angle selected to facilitate access to doors of said aircraft rear of a wing of said aircraft on a terminal side of said aircraft and so that a clearance distance between the aircraft nose and a wing of an aircraft parked in an adjacent gate parking area is greater than the defined safety margins; c. connecting dual flexibly extendible passenger loading bridges extendible from a single airport terminal access point directly to a forward door and a rear door on the terminal side of said aircraft by extending a first passenger loading bridge to the forward door and extending a second passenger loading bridge around and toward the rear of the aircraft wing without extending over an aircraft wing to reach said rear door; d. transferring unloading and loading passengers simultaneously through the forward and rear doors and the loading bridges between said aircraft and said airport terminal to unload and load said aircraft concurrently while gate services are being provided to said aircraft; and e. when said aircraft has been cleared for departure, maneuvering said aircraft out of said optimum parking orientation by turning the aircraft from the optimum parking angle to the nose-in orientation completely within the defined width of said selected gate parking area and moving said aircraft in a reverse direction out of said selected gate parking area.