Future aircraft turnaround operations considering post-pandemic requirements.

Area of Science:

• Aviation Operations
• Public Health
• Industrial Engineering

Background:

• Air transportation is vital for global mobility, demanding stringent safety and security.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates redesigning aircraft ground operations, particularly passenger boarding and cabin sanitation.
• Physical distancing and enhanced disinfection present significant challenges to standard operating procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of physical distancing during passenger boarding and enhanced cabin disinfection on aircraft turnaround times.
• To analyze process alterations using microscopic approaches for efficient operational design.
• To identify strategies for mitigating increased turnaround times in post-pandemic air travel.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of pre-pandemic aircraft turnaround times with modified processes.
• Microscopic process modeling to assess individual passenger interactions and step-wise adaptations.
• Evaluation of operational strategies including seat allocation and apron positions.

Main Results:

• Applying physical distancing during boarding more than doubles boarding times.
• Mandatory cabin disinfection extends the critical path of aircraft turnaround.
• Pre-pandemic turnaround times are unachievable with current seat loads and new procedures without modifications.

Conclusions:

• Modified aircraft ground operations, including boarding and disinfection, significantly increase turnaround times.
• Strategies such as allocating empty middle seats and utilizing apron positions can restore pre-pandemic turnaround times without extra cleaning staff.
• Terminal operations require 10-20% more ground time depending on personnel allocation.