Unit 2

• All airports have a common basic operational structure with landside, airside, and terminal areas
• The landside of an airport includes access roads, ground transportation access, parking areas, car rental businesses, traveler drop-off points, restaurants, stores, currency exchanges, and flight check-in
• The airside of an airport has controlled access and includes runways, taxiways, and aprons leading to the terminal building
• The airport terminal is divided into arrival and departure sections, providing facilities like stores, bars, restaurants, banks, currency exchange services, and travel insurance vendors
• Cabin crew at their home airline base report to the crew report center, which may be airside or landside
• Passenger processing during departure includes stages like check-in/baggage drop-off, security checkpoint, government controls (for international flights), and pre-boarding checks
• Passengers can check-in at the airport, online through the Internet, or through web check-in on the airline's website
• Reading a boarding pass is crucial for cabin crew to ensure passengers are on the correct flight, date, and class of service
• Security screening at airports involves various equipment like radioscopic (X-ray) equipment, explosive trace detectors, passenger walk-through metal detectors, hand-held detectors, manual searches, and full-body scanners
• Check-in agents ask security and safety questions to prevent hazardous materials from being carried on board, both in passengers' hand luggage and checked bags
• Outbound international passengers may be required to go through an inspection of travel documents before leaving the country
• Commercial facilities beyond the security screening point are available at large airports
• The departure gate is where the airline assembles all passengers for a particular flight, and it is from here that passengers board the aircraft
• Pre-boarding is available for passengers traveling with small children and infants, passengers with disabilities, any passenger who may need assistance, and passengers traveling with assistance or emotional support animals
• Boarding is usually done by row number, starting from the rear seats to reduce congestion in the cabin and give everyone time to find their seats and stow their carry-on luggage
• The boarding check is the final step in the processing of departing passengers, where personnel at gates verify each boarding pass either manually or with a special boarding pass scanner
• There are several boarding options depending on the airport and the type of aircraft, including a passenger jet bridge, boarding stairs, and a walk from the exit door to the aircraft
• Baggage reclaim halls at large airports have a number of baggage carousels/belts, and display screens show flight number, routing, and the baggage carousel/belt number
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport, processing more than 107 million passengers in 2018
• The arrivals hall is where members of the public wait to meet friends, loved ones, and business colleagues, offering various concessions catering to passengers' needs on arrival in a foreign country
• The use of codes as designations of cities, airports, airlines, and flights is crucial in the airline industry for effective communication and error-free operations
• Airports are identified through unique three-letter codes to simplify airline operations indicating airport points of origin and destination
• IATA administers the assignment of new airport codes and changes to existing codes
• Airport codes can be abbreviated forms of the airport's name, like HRE for Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe
• In large metropolitan areas, airport codes are often named after the airport itself instead of the city it serves, with another code reserved for the city itself
• Examples of city-airport code pairs:

  • Chicago (CHI) - O'Hare (ORD), Midway (MOW)
  • Milan (MIL) - Malpensa (MXP), Linate (LIN), Orio al Serio (BGY)
  • Montreal (YMQ) - Trudeau (YUL), Mirabel (YMX), Saint-Hubert (YHU)
  • Moscow (MOW) - Sheremetyevo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME), Vnukovo (VKO)
  • New York City (NYC) - John F. Kennedy (JFK), La Guardia (LGA), Newark Liberty (EWR)
• Airport names can be based on actual locations, prominent national celebrities, famous persons, or aviation history figures
• Security screening at airports includes rules like:

  • Removal of laptop computers and mobile phones from baggage
  • Presentation of toiletry items and liquids in containers of 100 ml or less in resealable transparent plastic bags
  • Removal of outer clothing, shoes, metal objects, and coins from the body
  • Additional screening methods like millimeter wave imaging technology and X-ray machines for baggage
• Security regulations prohibit carrying sharp objects like scissors, nail files, and open razors on board, but safety/disposable razors are usually allowed
• During security checks, cabin crew should show their airline ID, dispose of excess liquids, remove electronic devices and outer clothing, and comply with security procedures
• Airport security procedures:

  • Place items from your bag on a separate tray
  • Remove sealed plastic bag containing liquids and place it in the tray
  • Remove outer clothing, belt, and all metal objects, including coins from pockets, placing them in another tray
  • You may need to remove shoes depending on the security requirements
  • Pass bags and trays containing removed items along the conveyor belt and into the X-ray machine
  • Wait for the security agent to signal you to proceed through the metal detector or body scanner
  • If requested, you may need to stop for a physical search or a security agent may check your body for concealed items

  
• The 24-hour clock is commonly used in aviation to avoid confusion between morning and afternoon hours
• The 24-hour clock divides the day into 24 hours, numbered from 00 to 23, and is also known as "military time" or "international standard notation of time"
• Daylight Saving Time (DST) advances the clocks by one hour during the summer to make better use of daylight hours
• Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) was formalized in 1963 as a replacement for GMT and is known to be 100% accurate, used in aviation and other fields
• The International Date Line is an imaginary line opposite the Prime Meridian where each new calendar day begins, causing the date to change as you travel east or west across it
• Web check-in allows passengers to check-in through the airline's website, choose their boarding pass format, and enter details like meal options and baggage quantities
• Security screening at the airport includes checks on passengers and carry-on baggage for potentially hazardous items or materials
• Security screening equipment includes radioscopic (X-ray) equipment, explosive trace detectors, walk-through metal detectors, hand-held detectors, manual searches, and full-body scanners
• Departure Gate: designated area where the airline assembles all passengers for a particular flight