S.A Adisasmita
AIRPORT LOCATION: THEORY AND ANALYSIS
Sakti Adji Adisasmita
Lecturer in Faculty of Engineering, Transport Engineering Division
Civil Engineering Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
Jl. Kakatua II/21, Makassar - 90133, Indonesia
+628179842957, +62411 580505
adjisasmita@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
As a theory, location is the effects of space on the organization of economic activities.
The main stages in determining the airport location is to determine the size of land required; the
evaluation of factors that influence the airport location; the study of the possible alternatives
area which can be built; survey/inspection location; environmental studies; evaluation of the
locations that are considered potential; preparation of an outline plan, cost and revenue
estimates; evaluation and final selection; and report and recommendations.
The purpose of this study were to select the optimal location of airports and feasible in
terms of economical, technical, land use, air transport operational and the environment aspects,
and also preparing a strategy analysis, forecast growth in short, medium and long terms in
facing the challenges ahead. The study was conducted by collecting primary and secondary
data. The data was based on field survey; interviews; discussions with airport authority, official
government, etc; and also from various agencies.
Analytical tools used were: (1) scoring method (lykert scale), (2) formulas of NPV, BCR,
EIRR, FIRR, (3) aviation operation safety zone and noise zoning area management viewed
from land use plan, (4) regression analysis, and (5) analysis of environmental aspect (noise, air
pollution, etc.). The findings and recommendations were: optimal airport location should
provide: (1) a positive benefit/value on high score in technical aspect viewed from the
topography, soil structure, hydrology and geology/physiography; land use; accessibility;
infrastructure; availability of land; and distance to/from airport, (2) NPV>0, BCR>1, EIRR,
and FIRR is higher than the cost of capital, viewed from economic and financial aspects, (3)
limited obstacles related to Aviation Operation Safety Zone and Noise Zone Contour viewed
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from land use plan (4) good forecasting analysis viewed from airport operational aspect, and
(5) minimum of airport construction impact on pre-construction, construction and postconstruction viewed from environmental aspect.
Keywords: Airport Location, Aviation Operation Safety Zone, Noise Zone Contour
BACKGROUND
In the reform era (1998) in Indonesia, centralized system was replaced by a
decentralized system, the government introduced a system of regional autonomy, which
authorizes local governments to regulate and manage their own government in accordance with
the aspirations of the local area.
In an effort to improve relations between the air transportation system of the
region/area, many municipalities/regencies in Indonesia wants to build airports. Airport
development requires substantial funds, such that the construction of the airport is working
well, in terms of effective and efficient, the analysis required a detailed feasibility study and
longterm masterplan, in order to obtain the optimal airport location in the context of effective
and efficient of airport system.
Factors that must be considered and taken into account in determining the airport
location, primarily in terms of (1) physical/technical aspect, (2) economic/fiancial and social
aspect, (3) operational aspect, (4) regional planning and development aspect, and
environmental aspects. Construction of the airports should be placed in appropriate locations in
accordance with their capacity in order to provide optimal results.
AIRPORT CONCEPT
According to Annex 14 from ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the
airport is a defined of an area on land or water (including any buildings, installations and
equipment) intended in whole or part for the arrival, departure and movement of passengers
and aircrafts. The airport covers layout, mostly built for runways, taxiways, aprons, hangars,
and others are provided for the passenger terminal building, cargo terminal, and other
supporting facilities [4,5,6,9].
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Airport system planning purposes including (1) airport system development to meet the
needs of today's flight and the future and to develop the desired pattern of growth in the region,
(2) the development of the aviation world to fulfill its role in the transport system (multi mode)
to help achieve the goals of transportation system plan and the overall development plans, (3)
protection and improvement of the environment through the placement and expansion of
facilities that aviation sector do not damage the environment and ecology, (4) airport programs
can be developed according to the needs of airport systems for short-term and long-term, (5) the
implementation of land use plans and space, which is often limited, (6) the development of
long-term financial plans and setting priorities for financing airports, and (7) establishment of
mechanisms for the implementation of the airport system design including the required
cooperation among government and agencies, the involvement of the interests of aviation and
non-aviation, both public and private, and the suitability of standards and criteria of legislation
[1,2,4].
AIRPORT LOCATION
Airport location will be affected by factors (1) type of surrounding areas development,
(2) atmospheric conditions and meteorology, (3) easy to be reached by land transport, (4) the
availability of land for expansion, (5) availability of other airport and space in the area, (6)
barriers around airport location, (7) economic cost of construction, (8) availability of utilities,
and (9) proximity with request aeronautics.
The development type of the surrounding area is very important factor, because the
activities of airports, especially in terms of noise, often an objection from residents around the
airport, such that the study on the land use around the airport nowadays and the future is
important. Airport locations adjacent to the residential areas, schools and hospitals should be
avoided wherever possible. Noise is very important factor when anticipated operations using jet
aircraft. Since the introduction of jet aircraft, the public protest against aircraft noise increased
rapidly [4,7,8].
Conditions such as atmospheric and meteorological, i.e. fog and smoke will reduce the
visibility and the capacity of air traffic of airports. Fog has a tendency to dwell in areas, where
the wind is weak. Deficiency of wind can be caused by the surrounding topography.
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Easy to be reached by land transport indicated by the time taken from place of origin to
the final destination for air transport passenger and freight is a major concern. In many ways,
the time on the ground is much longer than the time in the air, with the introduction of jet
aircraft, the time difference becomes much greater. For travel up to 400 miles between major
metropolitan cities, time on land can reach twice in travel time in the air.
Availability of land for expansion is needed because of the increasing size of aircraft
and the volume of traffic, the runway should be extended, terminal facility should be expanded
and should be provided additional supporting facilities, and land availability should be enough
to accommodate the new facilities [7,8].
The existence of other airports and the availability of space in which airports should be
located far enough from each other to keep the aircraft will land at the airport was not disturbed
by aircraft movements at other airports. So the minimum distance between the two airports is
highly dependent on the volume and type of air traffic and whether the airport is equipped with
tools that can operate in conditions of poor visibility.
Barriers to surrounding should be watched and airport location should be chosen such
that if the airport development has no obstacle, or if there is, the obstruction can be removed.
The airport had to be protected by strict regulations and restrictions on the tall buildings in the
area around the airport and the region in line with the runway.
Economic and financial feasibility are needed to analyze the costs and benefits whether
viable or not to be built or developed.
Availability of utilities, including water, natural gas or oil, electricity and fuel for
aircraft and ground vehicles in large numbers. In siting the airport location, provision for these
tools must be considered, most of the utilities transported to the airport by truck, rail, ship or
pipeline.
With the aeronautics request for short-haul flights operations, travel time on the ground
is very important. Aircraft passenger is more interested in door-to-door time of the total time in
the air. Placing an airport, with a considerable distance from the center of the housing area. Big
airport needs spacious layout, and built far from the city center (around 40-60 kilometers
outside the city, even further more), located far from residential areas, cause the noise level is
very high [4,9].
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AIRPORT FEASIBILITY STUDY
Determination of the optimal airport location should be feasible and meets the stages of
data collection and policy, forecasts, consideration of new technologies, system requirements,
alternative systems, and the implementation of development plans [4,6].
Data collection and policy, including (1) type of flights that will be served, commercial
and general aviation, helicopters, military, (2) maximum aviation routes that will be served, (3)
environmental effects that will arise, (4) land use and transportation planning from the
government, (5) economic factors, and (6) source of funds for design and construction.
Forecasting, covering traffic; routes to/from the area to be built/developed for airport, including
passenger, aircraft [number, type and route (O-D) for all types of aviation, freight, and mail].
Consideration of new technology, including aircraft and airport facilities (especially for air
navigation system). System requirements, including aircraft specifications, capacity and
analysis of facility needs (flight, terminal, road, utility, and air navigation facilities). Alternative
systems, including alternative studies, and use of system selection. Implementation of the
development plan should refered to the government policy, environmental considerations,
overall
project
implementation
schedule,
financing,
land
acquisition,
development
implementation schedule, and design-bid-implementation-operational [6,9].
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The case study was in North Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.
North Mamuju Regency is one part of West Sulawesi Province who have vision for achieving
self development and leading sector in West Sulawesi based on the development of agriculture,
plantation, marine, tourism, forestry, and petroleum resources. The total area of North Mamuju
Regency is 3,043,75 km2, and the administration of government divided into 4 (four) district,
and 33 (thirty three) villages [10].
The data collection consists of primary and secondary data, primary data obtained
through a survey by using a questionnaire, interview, and observations, secondary data
collected from statistic central bureau, department of transport, and so on.
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Figure 1 Map of Indonesia and Airport Location in North
Mamuju Regency
Analytical tools used were: (1) scoring method (Lykert scale), (2) formulas of NPV,
BCR, EIRR, and FIRR, (3) aviation operation safety zone and noise zoning area management
viewed from land use plan, (4) regression analysis, and (5) analysis of environmental aspect
(noise, air pollution, etc.).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
To determine the optimal location, strategic and appropriate for airport location, it will
be analyzed and reviewed in terms of technical, air transport, economic and financial,
operational, regional development plan, and the environmental aspects [3], which will be
explained as follows.
Technical Aspect
The technical criteria including soil bearing capacity, soil surface conditions, average
slope of land surface, distance from the city center, infrastructure and utility networks. To
analyse this aspect, it needed primary data from each site of alternative locations, with conduct
field surveys (soil investigations, measurements of topography, and others). Each alternative of
airport locations has advantages and disadvantages that can be improved, such that meet the
operational requirements. The asssessment of each location used scoring method (lykert scale)
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to determine the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each alternative of airport
locations.
To improve the quality and objectivity in selection of airport location is given the
percentage of overall weight amounted to 100%, where soil bearing capacity is 20%, soil
surface conditions is 20%, average slope of soil surface is 20%, distance from the city center is
20%, and infrastructure and utility networks is 20%. Beside weights, also given scoring 1 to 5,
according to the level of ease and difficulty. Weights and scoring of each alternative locations
presented in Table 1, and alternative locations in Figure 1.
Table 1 Weight and Score of Each Alternative Locations
Airport Location Criteria
No
1
2
3
4
5
Technical Aspect
Soil bearing capacity
Soil surface conditions
Average slope of soil
surface
Distance from the city
center
Infrastructure and utility
networks
Weight
(100%)
20%
20%
20%
Assessment
Alternative Alternative
Location 1 Location 2
1
5
2
4
4
4
Assessment Results
Alternative Alternative
Location 1 Location 2
25
125
50
100
100
100
20%
5
1
125
25
20%
2
2
50
50
350
400
Pedongga
District;
Total
Alternative
Location
1:
Coordinates: 1 º 18' 33.6446 "S and 119 º 20'
11.8752" E, elevation 9 m; land use: most of the land
is untapped. Soil surface conditions: mostly a watery
ALTERNATIVE 1
swamp land to a depth of 2-8 m.
Alternative
Location
2:
Tikke
Raya
District;
Coordinates: 1 º 19' 50.4953"S and 119 º 21'
ALTERNATIVE 2
17.4026"E, elevation 12 m; land use: most of the land
is oil fields and settlements; soil surface conditions:
sandy clay, with elevations between 12m-22m.
Figure 1 Alternative Locations
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Based on the technical aspect assessment results, alternative location 2 is better than
alternative location 1, but this aspect is not the only determinant of the selecting the location
criteria, there are still aspects of air transport, econoic and financial, operational, regional
development
plan,
and
environmental
aspects,
which
needs
further
examined.
Runway orientation is NNW-SSE 15-33 (using microsoft excel wind analysis software
program), presented in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Runway Orientation
Air Transport Aspect
Potential aviation routes in Pasangkayu, North Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi
Province, can be viewed in Figure 3 below and Table 2.
Balikpapan
Figure 3 Flight Routes
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Table 2 Aviation Routes and Aircraft Type
No
Route
Aircraft Type
1
2
3
4
5
6
Pasangkayu (North Mamuju – Makassar)
Pasangkayu (North Mamuju – Mamuju)
Pasangkayu (North Mamuju – Palu)
Pasangkayu (North Mamuju – Gorontalo)
Pasangkayu (North Mamuju – Manado)
Pasangkayu (North Mamuju – Balikpapan)
ATR-42
ATR-42
Cassa 212, Twin Otter
Cassa 212, Twin Otter
Cassa 212, Twin Otter
Cassa 212, Twin Otter
Economic and Financial Aspect
In economic and financial aspect will be showed the forecasting movements of
passaenger and aircraft; cost; airport revenue; bcr, npv, and irr. See Figure 3 and 4.
Figure 4 Forecasting on Passenger Movement
P
a
s
s
Pass
Mov
Year
Figure 5 Forecasting on Aircraft Movement
A
i
r
c
r
a
f
t
C-212
B737
Mix
Year
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Benefit/Cost ratio (B/C) or profitability index (PI) is to measure where the larger, costs
incurred compared with revenue (output) obtained. Costs incurred denoted by C (cost), while
revenue is denoted by B (benefit). Investment can be done if the B/C > 1, because revenue is
greater than the cost (input). In this study, B/C = 8.372 > 1.
Net Present Value (NPV) is the difference between total revenue to total cost, if the net
present value (NPV) > 0, then the investments is acceptable. In this study, NPV = 1.66 > 0.
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the value of the return on investment, calculated at the
net present value (NPV) is equal to zero (0), means that the discount rate used, so the IRR is the
discount rate to achieve NPV = 0, or revenue = expenditure (cost) or internal rate of return
(IRR) is greater than the cost of borrowing for capital (opportunity cost of capital) or IRR >
OCC. In this study, IRR = 15.0225% > interest rate 13%.
Construction cost for airport location selected is quite expensive, cause near from the
housing area, such that requiring land acquisition cost. Eventhough the costruction cost quite
expensive but the location is strategic next to the beach, such that environmental impact can be
reduce.
Operational Aspect
Technical Operational criteria consists of airspace conditions, usability factor, ceiling,
visibility, and distance to the nearest airport. Provision of air space primarily associated with air
traffic management. These activities related to the organization of air space and the
classification of air space and air traffic flow management.
In terms of operational feasibility viewed from airspace, there is no significant problems
in North Mamuju Airport. North Mamuju Airport ATZ (Aerodrome Traffic Zone) beyond the
CTR (Control Zone) Palu Airport (the nearest airport with a distance of 130 km). Ceiling is the
height of clouds, below 20,000 feet which includes more than half of the sky. Visibility is
visibility distance at the certain time. Both of these is a temporary nature that does not affect the
airport operational feasibility study.
Based on the analysis of air traffic analysis (aircraft, passenger, and freight movements),
economic aspect and air traffic forecasting (10 to 15 years ahead), the critical aircraft is planned
for C-212, DHC6 (runway length and width are 800 m and 1200 m respectively), and Boeing
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737-400 (runway length of 1200m-1800, and runway width of 30 m; taxiway length and width
are 170 m and 15 m respectively; and apron length and width are 85 m and 60 m respectively).
Landside facilities including passenger and cargo terminals, access to/from the airport, and
building supporting airport operations. In addition, it is also needed a communication facility
equipment, navigation, surveillance, flight landing equipment, flight operations safety area and
noise zone analysis, and aeronautical meteorological services.
Figure 6 Flight Operation Safety Area and Noise Zone Contour
Regional Development Plan Aspect
In the province of West Sulawesi there is a Tampa Padang Airport, which strongly
supports the accessibility to such national lines to and from Makassar, Balikpapan, Manado,
Gorontalo, the development directed to the large aircraft services. The potential national
flight path, which is develop from Tampa Padang Airport is a direct path to/from Makassar,
Palu, Gorontalo, Manado, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, and Palangkaraya. See the following
figure below.
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Figure 7 Aviation Routes
To support the Tampa Padang Airport, required alternative airports, such that it is
planned to built airports in North Mamuju and Polewali Mandar Regencies for
domestic/national flight routes, local/inter-district flights routes and the airport utilization can
be more effective if they are supported by the accessibility of the infrastructure in North
Mamuju and Polewali Mandar Regencies, and to improve the economy of North Mamuju and
Polewali Mandar. The regional development plan of North Mamuju and Polewali Mandar
must be integrated with the integrated transport system, which brings together air, sea, and
land terminals.
Environmental Aspect
Construction of an airport would have a negative impact and positive benefits to the
environment components, i.e. physical-chemical environment, biological and social-economic,
cultural and public health. Before conducting the activities in North Mamuju Airport, at preconstruction, construction and post-construction, the assessment will be conducted prior to the
Environmental Impact Analysis, including preparation of Environmental Management Plan
(EMP) and Environmental Monitoring Plan (RPL). The important impact of the assessment
factors include the number of people affected, the area of impact, duration of impact, intensity
of impact, number of environmental components that will be affected, nature of cumulative
impacts, and turned or irreversibility of impact.
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If the above factors associated with the development activities at North Mamuju
Airport, then the expected significant impacts that will arise are (1) pre-construction phase (at
this stage, a variety of activities will be done, such as land acquisition, mobilization of
equipment and manpower, then the impacts are conflict of interest arises between sectors, civil
unrest and negative public perception, social conflict, and noise, air pollution and dust); (2)
construction phase (at this stage, the physical construction activities will be done, such as
construction of runways, taxiways, apron, terminal, communication and air navigation
systems, then the impacts are noise, air pollution, changes in water quality, labor issues, land
transport disruptions, damage to road infrastructure, disruption to flora and fauna ), (3) postconstruction phase (at this stage, airport operation activities will have an impact such as
changes in water quality, noise, air quality changes, changes in land use, transportation issues,
and changes in social, economic and cultural patterns).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
To achieve the effectiveness and efficiency in airport location, technical, air transport,
economic and financial, operational, regional development plan, and environmental aspects
shoul be considered. It can be can be stated that the optimal location is an alternative 2 (Tikke
Raya District) viewed from these aspects mentioned above. Eventhough there is no obstacle
around airport location elected, but government, and airport planner should give attention to the
regional development plan (land use) in and around airport to anticipate the growth of housing
area next to the airport, and the environmental impact in the near future.
REFERENCES
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Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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[3] ______________ (2011). Team Leader. North Mamuju Airport Feasibility Study Project.
Transport Agency, North Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi Province,
Indonesia.
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[4] Ashford, N., & Wright, P.H. (1992). Airport Engineering (3rd ed). New York: A WileyInterscience Publication.
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