Full Apron Visibility Design

Abstract

The apron area is key for an airport operation, but today it lacks automation and visibility. The industry has assigned to it a valuable exclusive spectrum under ITU AM(R)S (Aeronautical Mobile (Radiocommunication) Service) and a dedicated technology known as Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System (AeroMACS), which should be used to provide the required automation and visibility. However, this spectrum must be used wisely, and the worst decision is to allow it to be used on as required basis. The spectrum usage should provide enough capacity for all applications that can be developed over time, including video capability across the apron surface. The visibility referred here, refers not only to the visual content, but also its analytical analysis and all kinds of data that can be beneficial to the airport operation. This information must be made available to airplanes and across the entire apron area, so it can be accessed from anywhere. This accessibility requires that the wireless coverage be planned from start to support the long-term technological applications that will be developed. This will allow the incremental implementation in a consistent and coherent manner. The apron design should address the requirements of the next 20 years, so its implementation will not be disruptive over time.In this paper, we analyze the impact of video streaming and how it can be addressed in a large airport. We also analyze the usage of available spectrum in the apron and dimension the wireless facilities required to cope with this demand.The proposed plan foresees the future demand and allows for its gradual implementation over the years without disruption.We suggest that a pilot deployment be done to validate/improve the assumptions and establish the guidelines for implementing apron visibility in the airports.