I Implications of Automated People Movers for Airport Terminal Configurations

A ccording to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 800 million people are expected to board airplanes in 1999. In 1987, the 17 largest airports accounted for more than half of the air passenger enplanement in the United States.’ As airports get larger and more complex, passengers expect more help from curbside to aircraft seat. With extensive hotel, shopping, and recreational complexes spread across thousands of acres, many major airports not only serve cities, but are becoming cities in themselves. Just as in cities, the biggest challenge in large airports is how to move people on the ground. An innovative Automated People Mover (APM) system recently has become a popular way to meet this challenge. With an APM, new airport terminal configurations and existing terminal modifications that were impossible 20 years ago have become regular. Tampa International Airport was the first airport in the United States to incorporate an APM into its terminal design. Year after year, domestic and international travelers responded to the change by voting it as America’s most popular airport facility.