Heathrow Airport Research Articles

Managing climate change transition risks: another potential role for civil engineers

In addition to the physical risks of climate change, civil engineers also need to consider the transition risks involved in moving towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions. These include enhanced reporting obligations, stigmatisation of polluting industries and shifts in consumer preferences. This paper reports on a study into the potential role of civil engineers in mitigating transition risks, using London’s Heathrow airport expansion project as a case study. It concludes that while transition to a net zero economy will create a window of opportunity for civil engineers, additional skills will be needed for them to play a major role.

Place Making in Transit

Spaces of transit and transportation are often thought of as one-dimensional and as defined by their functionality and rationality, but recent literary texts challenge such preconceptions by representing those spaces as multidimensional and meaningful. In this article, we examine literature through the lens of place making, seeking to understand in what ways literary representations are involved in renegotiations of transit space. Addressing two generic spaces of transit—the underground and the airport—we analyze a body of texts generated through initiatives relating to the London Underground and Heathrow Airport respectively. Arguing that literature contributes to a processual understanding of place, we conclude that literary texts should be considered as instances of place making, and thus deserve serious consideration in research.

The organisational architecture of megaprojects

This research explores the formation and evolution of the organisational architecture in megaprojects. We introduce the Project System Organisation (PSO) conceptual framework, which charts the architecture of megaproject organising, from intra- to inter-organisational design, and ultimately to system-level design. The PSO identifies the multiple and evolving actors across the multi-level and multi-layer megaproject system and defines four roles often used to label the client in megaprojects: owner, sponsor, client, and partner. Six megaprojects that currently represent a combined investment of more than £100 Bn have been analysed through 171 interviews in the United Kingdom: High Speed One, Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, London 2012 Olympics, Crossrail, Thames Tideway Tunnel, and High Speed Two. The PSO provides a structure to design megaproject delivery models and prototype the configuration of inter-organisational relationships. We suggest designing megaprojects as dynamic production systems, decomposing and integrating the organisational boundaries of the system in the evolving architecture.

Public health information on COVID-19 for international travellers: lessons learned from a mixed-method evaluation

ObjectivesIn the containment phase of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Public Health England (PHE) delivered advice to travellers arriving at major UK ports. We aimed to rapidly evaluate the impact and effectiveness of these communication materials for passengers in the early stages of the pandemic. Study designThe study design used is the mixed-methods evaluation. MethodsA questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with passengers arriving at London Heathrow Airport on scheduled flights from China and Singapore. The survey assessed passengers’ knowledge of symptoms, actions to take, and attitudes towards PHE COVID-19 public health information; interviews explored their views of official public health information and self-isolation. ResultsOne hundred and twenty-one passengers participated in the survey and 15 in follow-up interviews. Eighty three percentage of surveyed passengers correctly identified all three COVID-19 associated symptoms listed in PHE information at that time. Most could identify the recommended actions and found the advice understandable and trustworthy. Interviews revealed that passengers shared concerns about the lack of wider official action, and that passengers’ knowledge had been acquired elsewhere as much from PHE. Respondents also noted their own agency in choosing to self-isolate, partially as a self-protective measure. ConclusionPHE COVID-19 public health information was perceived as clear and acceptable, but we found that passengers acquired knowledge from various sources and they saw the provision of information alone on arrival as an insufficient official response. Our study provides fresh insights into the importance of taking greater account of diverse information sources and of the need for public assurance in creating public health information materials to address global health threats.

Evaluation of aircraft emissions at London Heathrow Airport

A study to monitor Ultrafine Particles (UFP) at Heathrow Airport was undertaken in the autumn of 2017. The campaign followed on from a similar study in 2016, which put UFP at the airport into context with nearby measurements. The objective of the 2017 study was to undertake UFP monitoring at higher time resolution (60 second scans) and in a narrower particle size range (6–100 nm). High resolution data from the NOx, PM and Black Carbon analysers on site was also collected during the survey. Measurements were made at the runway station, LHR2 to attempt to characterise individual aircraft using the runway. Nucleation mode particles are again seen to predominantly originate from the airport, with highest concentrations associated with departing aircraft. While there is some correlation of nucleation particles with NOx and BC, these pollutants, together with PM mass and Aitken mode particles, also show strong associations with winds from off-airport directions. There is some evidence that BC emissions from landing aircraft are enriched in UV-active BC (UVPM), most likely as a result of tyre abrasion upon landing. Comparison of UFP measurements with the 2016 survey was not possible because of the differences in configuration of the SMPS for the two surveys. This observation demonstrates the importance of documenting SMPS configuration, to determine if comparison between published data is possible. Analysis of the 1 minute measurement data with associated aircraft departure information was used to group the data by aircraft type. Larger aircraft departing from the runway recorded higher measurements of nucleation particles and NOx compared to smaller aircraft, while emissions of BC, UVPM and NO2 appear to be dependent upon the age of the engine design, rather than the size of the aircraft.

Caught in a crossfire: Front-end decision-making in airport expansion programmes

This paper revisits the main factors and considerations that drive the decision to invest in major capital projects in airport infrastructure, specifically airport expansion programmes.To this end, the paper explores how governments, operators and investors have navigated the project front-end considerations (strategic assessment, business justification, option decision, investment decision) in the planning of Heathrow, Schiphol and Dublin Airport expansion programmes. Through inductive research on publicly available material, professional conference reports, planning documentation and exploratory interviews with key personnel involved in the selected projects, the study compares and contrasts the three projects and contributes to the current debates on the role that governments have into fostering economic growth whilst taking into account environmental restriction and climate change. The goal of the study is to inform the upcoming restructuring and transformation of business models in air travel as a response to the Covid-19 crisis.

London Heathrow Airport Uses Real-Time Analytics for Improving Operations

Improving airport collaborative decision making is at the heart of airport operations centers (APOCs) recently established in several major European airports. In this paper, we describe a project commissioned by Eurocontrol, the organization in charge of the safety and seamless flow of European air traffic. The project’s goal was to examine the opportunities offered by the colocation and real-time data sharing in the APOC at London’s Heathrow airport, arguably the most advanced of its type in Europe. We developed and implemented a pilot study of a real-time data-sharing and collaborative decision-making process, selected to improve the efficiency of Heathrow’s operations. In this paper, we describe the process of how we chose the subject of the pilot, namely the improvement of transfer-passenger flows through the airport, and how we helped Heathrow move from its existing legacy system for managing passenger flows to an advanced machine learning–based approach using real-time inputs. The system, which is now in operation at Heathrow, can predict which passengers are likely to miss their connecting flights, reducing the likelihood that departures will incur delays while waiting for delayed passengers. This can be done by off-loading passengers in advance, by expediting passengers through the airport, or by modifying the departure times of aircraft in advance. By aggregating estimated passenger arrival time at various points throughout the airport, the system also improves passenger experiences at the immigration and security desks by enabling modifications to staffing levels in advance of expected surges in arrivals. The nine-stage framework we present here can support the development and implementation of other real-time, data-driven systems. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed system is the first to use machine learning to model passenger flows in an airport.

Introduction: 2019 Daniel H. Wagner Prize for Excellence in the Practice of Advanced Analytics and Operations Research

Competition for the 2019 Daniel H. Wagner Prize for Excellence in the Practice of Advanced Analytics and Operations Research provided the five finalist papers featured in this special issue of the INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics (IJAA). The prestigious Wagner Prize—awarded for achievement in implemented operations research, management science, and advanced analytics—emphasizes quality and originality of mathematical models and clarity of written and oral exposition. This year’s winning application is a ride-dispatching solution that the Chinese ride service DiDi developed to match ride requests to available drivers. The model uses a Markov decision process along with machine learning to optimize the assignments, resulting in improved response rates, fulfillment rates, and driver income. The remaining papers include an optimization model that generates daily tutoring schedules for students and teachers at Hopeful Journeys, a school for children with disabilities; integer programming models to develop bus-route assignments for the Denver Public Schools; a novel pricing methodology, in the context of limited historical data, for reusable spare parts; and a machine learning approach to improve airline passenger flows through London’s Heathrow airport.

How Has Access to Heathrow Airport Influenced the UK–Russia Air Services Agreement?

Access to London Heathrow Airport has played an integral role in the development of the UK– Russia air services agreement. The entry into force of the original agreement signed in 1957 was delayed by two years due to concerns regarding the noise created by Russian aircraft at Heathrow. Since then, Russia has sought amendments to the agreement to allow Aeroflot to increase its London-Moscow frequencies, in exchange for granting UK carriers permission to operate over Siberian airspace, which is crucial for flights from Heathrow to the Far East to operate efficiently. Russia has only been willing to increase Siberian overflight rights once it has secured slots for Aeroflot at Heathrow, linking the allocation of slots with the granting of rights under the air services agreement. Russia has also sought to protect its carriers from future changes in the UK regulatory framework, such as possible changes in the system of slot allocation, as it could threaten to withdraw Siberia overflight frequencies from UK carriers if it fears that Aeroflot’s position at Heathrow would be weakened. UK, Russia, Brexit, Heathrow, Slots

Climate change and nationally significant infrastructure projects: R (on the application of Plan B Earth) v Secretary of State for Transport

In R ( on the application of Plan B Earth) v Secretary of State for Transport [2020] EWCA Civ 214, [2020] 2 WLUK 372, the Court of Appeal held that the Secretary of State had acted unlawfully by failing to take into account the UK’s commitments in the 2015 Paris Agreement when he decided to designate a policy formulated to enable the construction of a third runway at Heathrow airport as a ‘national policy statement’ under the Planning Act 2008. An appeal to the Supreme Court is pending. The outcome of that appeal should help to clarify the legal significance of the Paris Agreement and will have significant implications both for expansion at Heathrow airport, for other major infrastructure projects and for other planning and environmental litigation.

The west flyover at Stockley airport junction, London, UK

The west flyover at Stockley airport junction forms part of the ‘On network works’ of the Crossrail project. The structure is a two-span weathering steel truss 117·8 m long, curved in plan, carrying one new line from Heathrow airport to London. It passes at a highly skewed angle over five railway tracks, including the Great Western main and relief lines. The structure was launched into position at Easter 2014 and was opened to regular services at the end of December 2014. The west flyover includes the longest single span constructed on the Great Western railway since Brunel's Saltash Bridge in 1859. The trusses are formed from fabricated closed box sections. The structure was assembled on a strengthened earthworks approach ramp using extensive site welding. The launch philosophy was based on a requirement to install the superstructure while maintaining unrestricted live railway operations beneath. The launch system included roller bogies on the approach ramp with jackable, sliding stainless steel–polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) supports at the abutments and central pier. To facilitate construction of the central pier crosshead within a restricted island site between the up main and down relief lines, a permanent, bespoke, precast concrete formwork shell was developed.

The integral bridge design concept for the third runway at Heathrow, UK

The Heathrow expansion project proposals comprise major works around Heathrow airport to allow the construction of new terminal buildings and the third runway. Owing to the critical nature of uninterrupted operation of both runway and the M25 motorway, the preliminary design had to be developed to minimise maintenance operations. At over 140 m in the total length, the adoption of an integral bridge of this length is in excess of most integral bridges in the UK, particularly where full-height abutments are being utilised. The maximum predicted expansion length also lies outside the limit equilibrium method set out in PD6694-1. As such, it was agreed that a full soil–structure interaction study should be carried out to assess the impacts of the structural behaviour of the bridge and its abutments. This paper looks at the calibration work for that study, the derivation of the earth pressures behind the walls, the behaviour of the abutment and how this compares with the predictions set out in PD 6694-1.

The supply chain in a world of Covid-19

HEATHROW AIRPORT is the UK's largest port by value, with 34 per cent of the country's cargo passing through and 95 per cent usually carried in the belly-hold of passenger planes. However, since mid-March it has seen a sharp rise in cargo-only flights from roughly 50 a month to, at time of writing, 50 a day.

Economic Rents at Heathrow Airport

The Paper challenges the common supposition that (scarcity) rents at Heathrow airport accrue from airlines charging efficient clearing prices and instead suggests that because of oligopolistic practices, much of the rent at Heathrow is quasi-monopoly rent. It also suggests remedies that could be implemented in the short term before more runway capacity is added and that if Heathrow airlines matched the average load factors of those at London’s other major airport, Gatwick, average fares might be as much as 5 per cent lower.

The coronavirus outbreak: the central role of primary care in emergency preparedness and response

On the last day of 2019, a cluster of cases of a pneumonia with unknown cause were reported by the Chinese authorities to the World Health Organization (WHO), believed to be connected to a seafood market in Wuhan, China. This market was closed the following day. On 7 January 2020, a novel coronavirus was isolated, and known pathogens were ruled out.1 Coronaviruses usually cause respiratory illness ranging from the common cold to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Clinical symptoms and signs of the Wuhan coronavirus include fever, with some sufferers experiencing difficulty breathing and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates seen on chest X-ray. WHO are referring to it as ‘2019-nCov’. At the time of writing, there have been over 4,500 confirmed cases and 106 deaths, including among healthcare workers. Over 98% of these cases are within mainland China, but cases have also been confirmed in tens of other countries. There is international concern regarding the potential spread of the virus, especially given Wuhan’s status as a major domestic and international hub, its large population of 11 million, and current Chinese New Year celebrations. To curb the spread, all public transport and air travel to and from Wuhan has been stopped, with other Chinese cities following suit. International exit screening of travellers with health information dissemination has begun, including at Heathrow airport. Contacts of confirmed cases are recommended to remain under medical observation, avoiding travel within the viral incubation period of 14 days.2 Whilst the mortality and infectivity of the 2019-nCoV are still unknown,3 there is understandable interest and …

London Heathrow Airport Uses Real-Time Analytics for Improving Operations

Improving airport collaborative decision making is at the heart of airport operations centers (APOCs), recently established in several major European airports. In this paper, we describe a project commissioned by Eurocontrol, the organization in charge of the safety and seamless flow of European air traffic. The project’s goal was to examine the opportunities offered by the co-location and real-time data sharing in the APOC at London’s Heathrow airport, arguably the most advanced of its type in Europe. We developed and implemented a pilot study of a real-time data sharing and collaborative decision-making process, selected to improve the effciency of Heathrow’s operations. In Guo et al. (2019), we describe the system that we developed for Heathrow to better estimate passenger connection times, which takes advantage of the integration and data sharing that Heathrow’s APOC offers. In this paper, we describe the process of how we chose the subject of the pilot, namely the improvement of transfer-passenger flows through the airport, and how we helped Heathrow move from its existing legacy system for managing passenger flows to an advanced machine learning-based approach using real-time inputs. The system, which is now in operation at Heathrow, can predict which passengers are likely to miss their connecting flights, reducing the likelihood that departures will incur delays while waiting for delayed passengers. This can be done by offloading passengers in advance, by expediting passengers through the airport, or by modifying the departure times of aircraft in advance. By aggregating estimated passenger arrival time at various points throughout the airport, the system also improves passenger experiences at immigration and security desks, by enabling modifications to staffing levels in advance of expected surges in arrivals. The nine-stage framework we present here can support the development and implementation of other real-time data-driven systems. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed system is the first to use machine learning to model passenger flows in an airport.

Allergens – food service responsibilities

Allergens – food service responsibilities

Evaluation of ultrafine particle concentrations and size distributions at London Heathrow Airport

A study to monitor UFP at Heathrow Airport was undertaken in the autumn of 2016. The objective was to assess the context of measurements at the airport compared to measurements at “typical” traffic, background and rural locations in the south east of England. Measurements were made at two airport locations (called LHR2 and Oaks Road) at opposite ends of the airfield, to further understand the contribution of the airport to local air quality. Average concentrations showed that total particle number concentrations at the airport are typically lower than a traffic location and higher than an urban background location in London, matching the trends seen for NOx, PM10, PM2.5 and BC pollutants. However, the size distribution of the submicrometre particles at the airport is completely different to the London monitoring stations, with the airport PSD dominated by particles with a mode of 20 nm. In contrast, measurements of PN in London have a significantly larger mode of 30 nm. This study demonstrated that measurements of particle number from within the airport perimeter are dominated by the smallest particles and are closely associated with aircraft. Analysis of the operating modes at the airport showed that aircraft departing from the airport emit particles in much higher numbers than those arriving. Nucleation mode particles are commonly associated with emissions from combustion processes. However, measurement of these particles at the airport are not strongly correlated with Black Carbon. There does appear to be some correlation of nucleation mode particles with UV active BC particles (brown carbon, typically associated with biomass combustion or wood smoke) at the Heathrow airside monitoring station, LHR2. There is also modest association between nucleation mode particles and NO2. The study showed that the classical air pollutants measured at Heathrow are very similar in concentration to typical urban environments in London and south east England, but particle numbers in the sub 30 nm size range are markedly different to those measured in London.

Assessing strategic flight schedules at an airport using machine learning-based flight delay and cancellation predictions

To mitigate air traffic demand-capacity imbalances, large European airports implement strategic flight schedules, where flights are assigned arrival/departure slots several months prior to execution. We propose a generic assessment of such strategic schedules using predictions about arrival/departure flight delays and cancellations. We demonstrate our approach for strategic flight schedules in the period 2013–2018 at London Heathrow Airport. Together with the development of dedicated strategic flight schedule optimization models, our proposed approach supports an integrated strategic flight schedule assessment, where schedules are evaluated with respect to flight delays and cancellations.

News - Briefing. Transport: 3D scanning will allow Heathrow passengers to keep liquids in carry-on luggage

Passengers travelling through security at Heathrow Airport may soon be able to keep their liquids and laptops in their cabin bags thanks to the rollout of new 3D-scanning technology that can produce more detailed images than today's equipment.