Favorite Airport Layout?

[Iberia A340-600]

Alright, so I'm sort of bored and have recently come to the realization that Rio de Janeiro (GIG) has to be my favorite airport layout.

The airport layout is my favorite because I love how it is set up (obviously) and the fact that it takes up most of its own island is pretty awesome. The airport also looks so green and well it's in Brazil which makes it even more awesome, right Josh M? :wink:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1158882/L/

So what's yours?

[RDU-JFK]

Hmmmm. My favorite airport layout is probably from my favorite airport--JFK. Yes, it's not efficient in how the terminal city is, but I love the layout. James Kaplan in his book "The Airport" put it perfectly in saying (a paraphrase) that in its heyday terminal city was the jeweled necklace to JFK. The old terminal styles were so unique. I also like the 2 parallel runway setup.

Other favorites:
LGA--well-designed for an area so small. Also love the terminal history despite less than stellar facilities.
MCI--The semicircular terminals are so cool! Cooler than DFW, and I love the security layout for each 3 gates--truly unique.
LAX--Also love the multiple terminal feel, ala JFK.
DCA--I love the runway configurations--really interesting.
FAY--Gotta love the old school, simplistic 1970s style regional airport design. As simple as can be--one terminal, with one runway (technically two).
TXL
SXM

[PhilDernerJr]

To me, airport layouts include several things. Everything from distance of parking lots to terminals, terminals to taxiways for short taxi times, inner layout of shops before and beyond security, utilization of land, taxiway layout that allows lots of simultaneous operations, etc.

For this, LGA is not that good. The terminal's need to be rebuilt with more beyond security, and I think that if rebuilt, that a runway layout could be designed for better operations, perhaps even parallel runways.

Kennedy is pretty good, especially considering its age. There's not desolate area that leaves planes in themiddle of nowhere in any runway usage configuration. Inter-terminal transportation is good and the airport can handle all kinds of operations with ease.

LAX is great save for the taxiway/incursion issues. It's a pretty straightforward place, but only that good because of generally consistant weather. I think it they had storms and harsh winds from varying directions, that they'd need something more than just east/west runways.

Do you thnk that "square airports" layouts like at MDW. It's impressive to have a square mile set up like that, but how efficient is it?

[SoPictureThis]

haha it is INDEED cool cuz its in Brasil! :P Actually, though, there's quite a few airports in the world on their own islands...I know Incheon is one of them. Cool concept, isnt it?

- J

[nwafan20]

Alright, I will have to say DTW, c'mon, not to many airports have 4 parallel runways that are almost always running at the same time, usually both departures and arrivals to cram in as many departures and arrivals as possible. This really minimizes delay. It is also very easy to navigate and unless you land/depart on 4L, your taxi is short (Very short if your on 4R). It also allows for many spotting locations.

It is very well sectioned off, creating an east and west side of the airport, and the terminals are mcnamara: south, Smith+Berry north. General aviation is also all on the east side of the airport.
Although I might just be biased because I got to job shadow airport ops :)


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/DTW_airport_map.png

[hiss srq]

I would have to venture to say for economics TPA is the best and certainly the easiest I have ever used. For runway layouts I would say LGA is my favorite yet not particularly economical. Again TPA takes it all around for that matter. I have never had a taxi time as a pax longer than about 8 minutes there and as a pilot 5 minites from Raytheon till I was on any runway.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

Nobody has said anything about MDW??? I think MDW has the most interesting airport layout of them all since it is all pressed into one square mile. It looks like just part of the neighborhood in Chicago. It's so weird how much they can fit into such a small space! Midway Airport is a huge airport in terms of airline operations, but tiny in terms of size.

[nwafan20]

Nobody has said anything about MDW??? I think MDW has the most interesting airport layout of them all since it is all pressed into one square mile. It looks like just part of the neighborhood in Chicago. It's so weird how much they can fit into such a small space! Midway Airport is a huge airport in terms of airline operations, but tiny in terms of size.

MDW isn't HUGE in airport ops, it is technically a secondary/reliever for ORD. It didn't even make the "top 20 airports in the US by traffic movement" list. So, no, it's not huge.

[SengaB]

Some of my most fav...not in this order though
ADW
TLH
CYMX
IND
*CGX
DFW
DEN
LAX
BKL
ATL
YIP
MDW
Just a few that come to mind for me

Senga

[Futterman]

IND


Indianapolis is by far one of the most ridiculous setups around. As it is today, the typical taxi back to the terminal on an empty day is about 15-20 minutes. When you come in to land on 23L/R, you fly past the terminal at about 200 feet. 'Nuff said.

Thankfully, they just completed construction of a new control tower and are in the midst of building a mid-field terminal.

Brian

[G-BOAD]

AMS
CPH
MCO
FRA
WAW
EPBK
CDG
ramps at Moscow
Kai-tak

edit: fix CGD to CDG

[nwafan20]

I agree, IND setup is terrible, Taxi times are ridiculous!

[SengaB]

Unless you are one of those lucky few who get to land on runway 14/32! :) Then you have the lowest taxi time.
Senga

[cancidas]

http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0702/00271AD.PDF

short taxi times (less than 5 min), quick access to rental cars (keys in hand in 15 min), and a nice short drive to Salinas (no more than 20 minutes.)

[SengaB]

I like that one Matt.
I forgot to mention I like
VNY
OAK
SFO

Senga

[ILS25L]

Goodafternoon,
New at the forum here.
Live in Belgium and admirer of commercial aircrafts.

A lot of the airports mentioned here would be nice to visit. I agree with some choices made by G-BOAD and especially AMS is great. During my last visit 3 weeks ago, I nailed this exotic but regular bird :
http://coppermine.luchtzak.be/displayim ... ?pos=-9432 (http://coppermine.luchtzak.be/displayimage.php?pos=-9432)

As I live near Brussels, my favourite airports are :
BRU my home airport
http://coppermine.luchtzak.be/thumbnails.php?album=188
AMS Amsterdam
DUS Düsseldorf (this airport has 2 spectators galleries)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1182239/L/
CORFU
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1184429/M/
CDG / LHR

Greetz, Karl

[PhilDernerJr]

Great additions, Karl! Welcome to the site!

[madcatimages]

Alright, I will have to say DTW, c'mon, not to many airports have 4 parallel runways that are almost always running at the same time, usually both departures and arrivals to cram in as many departures and arrivals as possible. This really minimizes delay. It is also very easy to navigate and unless you land/depart on 4L, your taxi is short (Very short if your on 4R). It also allows for many spotting locations.

It is very well sectioned off, creating an east and west side of the airport, and the terminals are mcnamara: south, Smith+Berry north. General aviation is also all on the east side of the airport.
Although I might just be biased because I got to job shadow airport ops :)


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/DTW_airport_map.png


Another vote for DTW.
The Mcnamara terminal Is VERY long but its simple. Also they have a tram to make things easier.

Now to me the FRA airport (terminal) setup is very confusing :?
I gues b/c its not as simple as DTW. :wink:

[Mateo]

I like the new terminal at DTW. Sure it's 4000' long, but the tram (actually a horizontal elevator) either reduces walking or makes it really easy to bag a whole ton of numbers in a very short period of time, depending on your point of view :> One DTW anomaly, though, that I have a question about. Every time I've departed DTW, we've taxiied from the Mac to 3L going south on M, and then crossing the threshold, turning around in the pad (the PP/PP2 area), and then entering the runway from the east before departing. Is there a good reason for this? Is M too close to the runway to allow operations when there's an aircraft on the taxiway?