The importance of air cargo facilities in a modern airport
When considering the way an airport works, one of the first things you consider is the passengers. This is completely understandable, after all, without passengers there is little need for airports, and they are the most visible aspects of transport. This means that air cargo facilities are one of the most understated, yet vital, elements of any airport’s operations. Read on to learn more about the importance of air cargo facilities in a modern airport, and why they play such a key role.
The importance of air cargo
Air cargo is one of the most important things airports handle. Good air cargo handling means that the passengers receive their goods in a timely manner, whilst cargo flights that exclusively transport goods around the world, from Andorra to Qatar, get all of their goods to the destination in time for their clients. These features mean that air cargo is at the core of a successful airport operation.
Documentation and control
Of course, one of the most important aspects of transporting air cargo isn’t having space for the cargo or the apron space for disembarking, but the documentation and control of goods. This documentation tells the receiving airport what is in every shipment and the purpose of shipping. To resolve this difficulty, airports put significant teams in charge of reading through documentation and ensuring that everything is safe. This helps process the goods whilst keeping everyone at the airport safe and secure throughout the goods management process.
The cargo terminal
In addition to having a team in place to resolve difficulties with documentation, airports have a significant amount of space dedicated to ensuring that there is enough capacity for all of the necessary cargo. This cargo terminal is a key part of the functionality of an airport, holding all of the cargo an airport receives until the right courier or recipient picks it up. Cargo terminals have a significant amount of specific technology in place, with highly mechanised cargo terminals using conveyors, container stacks and more to move goods quickly and store them in an efficient manner. Where documentation is a strong start, a highly-tailored terminal means the airport fulfils all of its cargo needs.
Flow-Through Cargo
Another concern for a lot of different airports is the specific needs of flow-through cargo. This is cargo that enters the airport on a plane only to leave the country again, with the airport as a simple fuel stop along the way. In these cases, processing the cargo has a unique challenge. Documentation is minimal, but the airport requires temporary storage for all of the cargo when taking the cargo off the plan is necessary. This requires another terminal, adding another challenge to the air cargo side of an airport. Controlling the flow of cargo is essential, as flow-through cargo being in the wrong place risks losing some of the precious passenger goods.
If you’re considering air cargo facilities for an airport, get in touch with the Bayanat Engineering team today. We support airport operations across the world and play a key role in ensuring that you have all the cargo transport and management equipment your airport needs.
Dubai Airshow 2022, Dubai, UAE
Meeting with QCAA and The International Civil Aviation Organization Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano, Doha, Qatar
Mukaynis Meteorological Centre Inauguration, Qatar
World ATM Congress, Madrid, Spain
Economically sustainable and environmentally responsible aviation
The aviation industry has made significant progress by way of promoting a more environmentally responsible and sustainable outlook. Yet plans to reduce the aviation industry’s environmental footprint are continually under discussion, with more solutions being proposed and enacted on a regular basis. This means that there’s always something more airlines can do to improve their ‘green’ standards.
This post explores some of the ways aviation companies are promoting a more economically sustainable and environmentally responsible climate.
1. Reduced CO2 emissions and green aviation fuel
Aeroplanes can reduce CO2 emissions through the use of clean fuels that decrease the number of pollutants entering the atmosphere. For instance, electrofuels – such as power-to-liquid – are considered potential sources of zero or low carbon fuels. Their effectiveness depends on the amount of CO2 emissions released to produce them, yet this amount is always less than those released by aircraft currently.
What’s more, the use of zero-emissions aircraft can allow the aviation industry to reduce CO2 in short-haul flights. Zero emissions aircraft include those powered by hydrogen or electricity. They’re expected to come into operation by the mid-2030s. Other ways to reduce CO2 emissions include rerouting flights and changing flight paths to fly at lower altitudes.
2. Better waste management
It’s important for airlines to reduce, reuse and recycle cabin waste where possible to reduce their environmental footprint. There are several ways airlines can promote better waste management, including:
• Using compostable cups and dishes
• Introducing on-board recycling for bottles and cans
• Donating non-perishable food items
One waste management idea gaining traction is the pay-as-you-go approach. This involves travellers ordering meals prior to their flight so that they only buy what they consume. This allows airlines to reduce the amount of untouched food they throw away.
3. Improved air quality
Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter are all chemical emissions associated with airports. Yet new technological advancements are allowing the aviation industry to lower their impact on local air quality to lesser than that enacted by road traffic.
Some recommendations for aircraft looking to improve air quality include providing pre-conditioned air supplies and fixed electrical ground power at terminal gates. This allows the aircraft to switch off auxiliary power units – thereby reducing the amount of fuel they burn at terminal gates.
4. Decreased noise pollution
Research into aviation noise pollution has been extensive and has involved examining engines, engine positions, the size of fan blades and more. Yet the most effective way to decrease noise pollution involves controlling where planes land and take off. This requires airports to identify the best play for runways and increase navigation performance. This can be done by allowing aircraft to follow precisely designated tracks to avoid track spreading.
5. Corsia deal
Corsia is an UN-proposed deal designed to help the aviation industry reach its carbon-neutral goal. Corsia stands for ‘Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.’ It requires airlines to purchase emissions reduction offsets from other industries to compensate for any increase in their carbon emissions past 2020 levels. Instead of doing this, they can opt for Corsia eligible, low-carbon fuels.
There are several ways that the aviation industry can promote an economically sustainable and environmentally responsible climate, and advancements are still underway. For more information, contact us today.
Radars: The use of L-bands
Today, we see radars everywhere. It is an essential component of surveillance systems across many industries. But to understand its use, we need to first explain what a radar is. It is a technology that detects presence, distance, direction and velocity of objects, by sending out radio waves and receiving their reflection from the detected body.
The radar uses are therefore vast and spread out throughout different industries.
In military use, there is an array of various radars. The surface movement and the primary surveillance radars have a function of sensing objects in the vicinity, notably under obscure weather conditions. The secondary surveillance radars work in a similar manner, but are airborne, which allows them to transmit the detected signals to the detectors on the ground.
In the oil and gas industry, they can be used to scan the ground for irregularities that determine the presence of oil and gas fields and act as a part of the communication system of the sector.
Air traffic management is yet another domain that heavily relies on radars. Just like in the military, the radars are used in aviation to detect planes and coordinate timely responses with the airborne and ground-based crafts. Used in conjunction with the multi-lateration systems (MLAT/WAM, these radars allow for safer circulation of aircrafts and vehicles.
As we will see later, radars can also be used in meteorology. A special L-band type is often employed in this sector.
The L-band
First of all, L-band is a range of frequencies. These operate at 1-2 Ghz of the radio spectrum and possess a wavelength of 30-15 cm. It is thanks to its low frequency, that L-band is so frequently used in radars and other technology, such as radio, telecommunications and global positioning systems (GPS).
The radars that operate with L-bands, are specifically used in the meteorological field. For instance, the clear air turbulence studies employ these radars to measure the fluid motion of air masses in absence of visual clues. When clear air-turbulence occurs in the range of commercial flights or any other aircrafts, it could be dangerous for comfort or even safety. It is therefore essential to monitor it via radars with L-bands specific frequency range.
However, the use of the L-band radars isn’t purely limited to meteorology. They could be found in low-Earth orbit satellites, helping monitor the state of equipment from far away locations. They are also used in military equipment.
Other types of radars use or have formerly employed other forms of frequency ranges, such as the C-band or the now obsolete D-band. This is because various frequencies serve various purposes and are employed according to their field of necessity.
The role of information communication technologies in airports
When operating an airport, making the most of the infrastructure’s potential is key. This means having the right technical infrastructure in place and the right processes all working in tandem to maximise efficiency all across the airport. This is where having the right information communication technologies is key. Learn more about some of the important information communication technologies in an airport and how it contributes to making the airport experience better for everyone.
Structure Cabling System
One of the most important, yet underrated, parts of an airport’s computing systems is the cabling and hardware connecting everything. Data needs to be transmitted across the airport at high speeds, which means that data and power cables carrying the information are laid under the runways and across the terminals to ensure that everyone has up to date knowledge at all times. Before implementing any specific solutions, ensuring that a structure cabling system is in place ensures that you have a strong foundation in place to build from.
Computer Network Equipment
Whilst having the essential cabling in place is a benefit for an airport, Computer Network Equipment is the tool that airports use to make full use of the cabling available. Computer network equipment refers to the equipment that airports use when networking both internally and externally. For example, the routers that an airport uses are part of a CNE offering. Strong CNE means that an airport makes the most of the structured cabling system it’s built on.
Data Communication Hardware
Transferring the data itself is the next step in the process, and requires a selection of specialist hardware. For example, airports handle a significant amount of data at all times, requiring specialist servers with incredibly fast read and write speeds to keep up with the demands of the role. In addition to this, a significant amount of storage is necessary, with terabytes of data flowing through the airport. The airport holds an incredible amount of data, and having enough of the right data communication hardware makes this process as simple as possible.
Internet-of-Things solutions
The Internet-of-Things, or IoT, is becoming an even more prevalent concept in the world of business. This refers to smart devices having connections to the internet and supporting customers in new and unique ways. Using IoT solutions for tasks such as ticket pickup and luggage handling means saving time for employees to deal with more difficult issues. Further improvements involving the cloud mean that these systems are even more efficient, using cloud computing as a means of making airports more effective by the day.
Information security
With all of the sensitive information flying through airports, having a strong degree of information security is key. This means that passengers pass through without fear of cyberattacks accessing their personal data. Not only does this prevent legislative issues for the airport, but people feel more secure with the layers of information security a reputable airport has to offer.
Bayanat Engineering Qatar
If you’re interested in finding out how computer systems work in airports such as Qatar’s Hamad International Airport, get in touch with Bayanat Engineering to learn about the range of systems available.
Cloud Seeding
From the dawn of time, various civilizations sought to predict weather, but never truly to change it. Would you be surprised that in today’s day and age, marked by technology and innovation, humankind gets another attempt at it.
No, it isn’t any esoteric or tribal practice. “Cloud seeding” is a way to modify the amount of precipitation, by dispersing specific substances into the air that alter the cloud formation processes. These could be related to cloud condensation or ice particles. And though, to this day, the practice has shown varying effectiveness, while its risk to health remains undetermined, it is already a helper in various industries and sectors, including water challenge solutions, environmental protection and aeronautics, just to name a few.
In Weather control
Doesn’t everyone love good weather? For many countries around the world, this may be a rather rare occurrence. Some are now trying to implement cloud seeding technology to improve their natural meteorological conditions.
The United Arab Emirates are already using the system to create fake rain. Just like the other countries of the Arabian Peninsula, its temperatures could rise up to 50°C in Summer, while the natural precipitation remains extremely low, less than 100 mm of rainfall per year on average. Cloud seeding becomes an innovative and promising solution that could definitely improve the quality of life. The country’s goal, since the beginning of their investments in the 9 rain-making projects in 2017, is to increase the existing rainfall by another 100 mm.
In Aeronautics
Let us take the example of the aviation industry to better illustrate the importance of cloud seeding. It is a fact that good weather conditions are directly likely to a smoother flight. With fog and strong rains being in the way of the aircraft, the visibility may drastically reduce. A factor which may become a safety concern.
Of course, airports and other air hubs are equipped with specialized lighting and signage to increase visibility in unfavorable weather conditions during takeoff and landing. However, once the plane is in the air and far from the ground, the terrestrial solutions no longer serve their purpose.
This is why specialized cannons and airplanes are employed by the airports and air hubs to shoot out and diffuse microparticles into the air.
Cannons affect clouds that are typically closer to the ground. As for the aircrafts, these are used on much higher altitudes thanks to their airborne dispersal and ability to gain height.
Thanks to this developing but promising technology, fog could be turned into rain, for better visibility. It could also improve safety by decreasing the number of hail particles and turning them into raindrops.
Finally, it all comes back to the start. In other words, to weather predictions. If you can alter it, you can predict it better! And accurate weather forecasts are essential to good traffic management. Perhaps the next time you pass through rainy weather conditions on a commercial flight, it will have been modified by the innovative technique of cloud seeding.