UROP Project: Building Airside Simulation Model and Analyse Changi Airport System

I am involved in a Summer UROP project alongside a passionate student, Shyam, and an inspiring professor, Nuno Ribeiro, to analyse and build an airside simulation model for Changi Airport. This project is in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and is part of a larger project on Airfield Management happening at the Aviation Studies Institute to optimise airport operations for efficient airport planning and management.

To find out more about this project on SUTD's School Website, click here

Role distribution with other projects to contribute to the study of airport capacity

Background

The optimization of airport operations is critical for efficient airport planning and management. To do this it is important to understand how flight delays evolve and how different operating conditions affect airport capacity. From a planning standpoint, this information will help airport planners decide the best expansion measures that can be implemented in the long term. Whilst, from a management standpoint, this information is useful for airport operators to make better decisions on demand and air-traffic management. 

Aim and Progress

In this UROP, we aim to develop a simulation tool using CAST to mimic the airport operations at Changi Airport. We will then use this simulation model to conduct sensitivity analysis to study the impact of certain decisions made on airport operations.

Over the past month or so, our team has been working remotely to replicate the existing and the newly proposed Changi Airport network in AutoCAD.

Satellite view of the airport network that we had to replicate PHOTO: Ministry of Transport, Singapore

The designing of the airport network involved mapping out the runway, charting out the course that the flight takes in the taxiways and marking out the stands and hangars that house the aircrafts. We started by drawing each component of the airside network onto their respective distinct layers, and then, imported the initial designs onto a simulation software called CAST. In CAST, several modifications such as the removal of any unnecessary taxiway elements, junction corrections were made to create a more accurate depiction of the airside of Changi Airport. 

Example of our CAST simulation model with implemented operating rules

Another example of our CAST simulation model showing the operations for departure and arrival

Conclusion

We are now working towards making the final modifications to our designed network in CAST after which we will move on to implementing the working rules of the simulation to build the required model. Upon completion, we aim to obtain the necessary data by running several simulations using our CAST model, on which we will conduct airside capacity and flight delay analysis. Simultaneously, we are working towards designing the terminal buildings for the network.

Example of data generated (capacity analysis for departure and arrival) using our simulation tool

Example of data generated (delay analysis for departure and arrival) using our simulation tool

I would like to thank Prof.Nuno and SUTD for giving us this wonderful opportunity to explore and appreciate the significance of airport structure and systems design. I would also like to thank Shyam for being such a wonderful partner to work with! I can't wait to see the completed project! :)