Sydney Airport Research Articles

Forecasting daily rainfall in a humid subtropical area: an innovative machine learning approach

ABSTRACT Hydrological modeling is one of the most complicated tasks in sustainable water resources management, particularly in terms of predicting rainfall. Predicting rainfall is critical to build a sustainable society in terms of hydropower operations, agricultural planning, and flood control. In this study, a hybrid model based on the integration of k-nearest neighbor (KNN), XGBoost (XGB), decision tree (DCT), and Random Forest (RF) has been developed and implemented for forecasting daily rainfall for the first time at Sydney airport, Australia. Daily rainfall, temperature, evaporation, and humidity have been selected as input parameters. Three statistical measurements, namely, root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) have been utilized in order to check the accuracy of the proposed model. A sensitivity analysis was conducted, and the results indicated that for the purpose of prediction, the temperature, humidity, and evaporation were highly sensitive to the rainfall data. According to the results, the developed hybrid model was capable of predicting daily rainfall with high performance for both training and testing parts with RMSE = 0.124, R2 = 0.999, MAE = 0.007, NRMSE = 0.04 and RMSE = 1.246, R2 = 0.991, MAE = 0.109, NRMSE = 0.339, respectively.

Managing noise and vibration on mega projects in Australia

The last decade has seen the emergence of the mega project in Australia, including Sydney Metro, WestConnex, Western Sydney Airport, Cross River Rail, Melbourne Metro, and North East Link Project. These projects provide challenges in the management of noise and vibration due to site constraints, proximity to sensitive receivers and condensed project timelines. While the environmental noise and vibration regulation of these projects can differ from state to state, the design process remains largely the same. This paper looks at noise and vibration design and management on some of Australia’s biggest infrastructure projects. Design considerations include physical mitigation measures such as acoustics sheds, noise barriers, temporary noise barriers or enclosures, and ventilation mitigation. Management measures and development of ongoing management tools are described. Finally, this paper reflects upon the overall noise and vibration outcomes in terms of impacts on the affected communities compared with cost of mitigation.

Non-Stationary Precipitation Frequency Estimates for Resilient Infrastructure Design in a Changing Climate: A Case Study in Sydney

The intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curve is a commonly utilized tool for estimating extreme rainfall events that are used for many purposes including flood analysis. Extreme rainfall events are expected to become more intense under the changing climate, and there is a need to account for non-stationarity IDF curves to mitigate an underestimation of the risks associated with extreme rainfall events. Sydney, Australia, has recently started experiencing flooding under climate change and more intense rainfall events. This study evaluated the impact of climate change on altering the precipitation frequency estimates (PFs) used in generating IDF curves at Sydney Airport. Seven general circulation models (GCMs) were obtained, and the best models in terms of providing the extreme series were selected. The ensemble of the best models was used for comparing the projected 24 h PFs in 2031–2060 with historical values provided by Australian Rainfall and Runoff (ARR). The historical PFs consistently underestimate the projected 24 h PFs for all return periods. The projected 24 h 100 yr rainfall events are increased by 9% to 41% for the least and worst-case scenario compared to ARR historical PFs. These findings highlight the need for incorporating the impact of climate change on PFs and IDF curves in Sydney toward building a more prepared and resilient community. The findings of this study can also aid other communities in adapting the same framework for developing more robust and adaptive approaches to reducing extreme rainfall events’ repercussions under changing climates.

Wastewater Treatment and Recycling of Western Sydney Airport

The topic of this thesis is wastewater treatment and recycling of Western Sydney Airport. Due to the airports’ increasing demand for water and the limitation of total water resources, it is necessary to design a wastewater treatment and recycling system for Western Sydney Airport. There are two primary types of wastewater generated by an airport: wastewater generated by passengers and wastewater generated by the operation and maintenance of the airport. The treatment of these two types of wastewater should be designed separately since these two types of wastewater have different pollutants. The primary pollutants of wastewater generated by passengers are similar to domestic wastewater, which contains organic pollutants, the primary pollutants of wastewater generated by the operation and maintenance of the airport are nitrogen and carbon compounds. By designing a wastewater treatment and recycling system, the water consumption of the airport can be reduced significantly.

The Impact of Passenger Characteristics on Use of Self-Service Technologies for Check-In Process: A Case Study of Sydney Airport

Due to the severe global competition in the aviation industry, airports give top priority to passenger services. Therefore, a study of characteristics associated with passenger services is one of the most important measurements in the aviation industry. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of passenger characteristics on the use of self-service technology (SST) for the check-in process at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. A survey was conducted online amid the COVID-19 pandemic for data collection. Based on the collected responses, this study analyzed the sociological and demographic characteristics of the passengers and situational factors related to characteristics of SST usage. T-test and Chi-square test were used to gain an understanding of the impact of these characteristics in the context of SST usage. With these analyses, this study was able to show the impact of passengers’ sociological and demographic characteristics such as level of education, flying experience, and age on the use of SST. In addition, this study showed the impact of situational factors related to characteristics such as better signage to locate the service, better corporation by staff members, less crowd or waiting time, and less processing time on the use of SST. Further, the results obtained in this study showed that traveling frequency impacts the passenger processing time at self-service kiosks, and that the use of a self-service kiosk impacts passenger arrival time at the airport. The findings in this study could potentially help airports in improving passenger experience and SST usage.

Impact of the deferral of Sydney's second international airport on the city’s urban development. Retrospective investigation using cellular automata modeling

Airports serve as more than simply ports of entry and exit for air travel. They have a significant impact on the configuration and functions of the cities they serve. As such, the timing of their construction is a key factor for cities to consider. The second Sydney airport is currently under construction in the west of the city at Badgerys Creek. This project was previously considered on two occasions: in 1971 and 1986. Primarily through modeling, this study explores the impacts on Sydney’s urban development, and subsequently other aspects of the city, that could have resulted if the airport had been built on one of these dates instead of 2014. The results indicate that the earliest date of construction for the airport presents the greatest potential for inducing urban development in its vicinity and improving accessibility, but also the greatest risk of being ineffective. In turn, the latest date provides the least potential for urban reconfiguration and accessibility gains but the lowest risk of being ineffective. It is clear that timing is an important factor to consider when planning the construction of an airport, however it should be considered in conjunction with the broader picture.

Achieving Carbon Neutral Airport Operations By 2025: The Case of Sydney Airport, Australia

Abstract Using a qualitative instrumental case study research design, this study examines the strategies and carbon reduction measures implemented by Sydney Airport to achieve their goal of being a carbon neutral airport by 2025. The study period was from 2013 to 2019. The qualitative data was analyzed using document analysis. Sydney Airport has implemented a wide range of carbon reduction measures that underpin its strategy to become a carbon neutral airport. Sydney Airport’s annual emissions intensity per passenger declined in each year examined in study. Sydney Airport has participated in the Airports Council International Airport Carbon Accreditation Program since 2014 and currently holds Accreditation Level 3: Optimization. Sydney Airport’s goal is to be awarded Accreditation Level 3+: Carbon Neutrality by 2025. Sydney Airport has a carbon offsets agreement in place with a not-for-profit organization.

Control of COVID-19 in Australia through quarantine: the role of special health accommodation (SHA) in New South Wales, Australia

BackgroundThe first COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Australia on 25 January 2020. Initial epidiemiology showed that the majority of cases were in returned travellers from overseas. One aspect of Public Health response was to introduce compulsory 14 day quarantine for all travellers returning to New South Wales (NSW) by air or sea in Special Health Accommodation (SHA). We aim to outline the establishment of a specialised health quarantine accommodation service in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and describe the first month of COVID-19 screening.MethodsThe SHA was established with a comprehensive governance structure, remote clinical management through Royal Prince Alfred Virtual Hospital (rpavirtual) and site management with health care workers, NSW Police and accommodation staff.ResultsFrom 29 March to 29 April 2020, 373 returning travellers were admitted to the SHA from Sydney Airport. 88 (26.1%) of those swabbed were positive for SARS-CoV 2. The day of diagnosis of COVID-19 varied from Day 1 to Day 13, with 63.6% (n = 56) of these in the first week of quarantine. 50% of the people in the SHA were referred to rpavirtual for ongoing clinical management. Seven people required admission to hospital for ongoing clinical care.ConclusionThe Public Health response to COVID-19 in Australia included early and increased case detection through testing, tracing of contacts of confirmed cases, social distancing and prohibition of gatherings. In addition to these measures, the introduction of mandated quarantine for travellers to Australia was integral to the successful containment of COVID-19 in NSW and Australia through the prevention of transmission locally and interstate from returning travellers.

Healthy settings in an airport planning context: Lessons from the Sydney experience

Abstract Issue Airports provide infrastructure for an industry situated between economic development and environmental detriment. In Western Sydney, a new international airport is being built in an area of sustained population growth. To proactively address the transformation created by the airport, a research hub in South Western Sydney began in 2015 to prepare a health promotion and protection agenda surrounding the airport. Description The concept of an airport that proactively addresses social determinants of health (equity) was introduced, and has been met with in-principle positive support from aviation-related stakeholders. However, follow through with demonstrated commitment has been limited. An exploration of the policy domain of the Western Sydney airport region was undertaken to identify the organisations involved and the control they exert over key determinants of health (equity) and their interrelationship. The intent was to gauge urban health professionals' ability to influence change within the airport planning and development process. Results The analysis shows that power within airport planning is spread widely vertically and horizontally. Despite having a centralised planning organisation, decision making authority is dispersed across multiple levels of public and private governance within the wider airport region. Organisations are bound by (or defer to) higher level regulatory guidelines or legislation for technical aspects of airport planning. Those with more flexible influence lack incentive to engage with broader public health activities. Lessons Lobbying for better public health outcomes has bypassed the complex planning system within airport development settings. Opportunities exist to influence planning through formal and non-formal structures for specific “wins”. However, thinking outside a health box may provide the biggest opportunity for change yet, as shown by the successful legal blocking of the Heathrow runway expansion by climate change activists. Key messages Airports as major urban infrastructure sit under complex organisational structures both in their development and management. Public health responses need to be more targeted and innovative in advocacy and engagement.

A note on optimization modelling of piecewise linear delay costing in the airline industry

We present a mathematical model in an integer programming (I.P.) framework for non-linear delay costing in the airline industry. We prove the correctness of the model mathematically. Time is discretized into intervals of, for example, 15 minutes. We assume that the cost increases with increase in the number of intervals of delay in a piecewise linear manner. Computational results with data obtained from Sydney airport (Australia) show that the integer programming non-linear cost model runs much slower than the linear cost model; hence fast heuristics need to be developed to implement non-linear costing, which is more accurate than linear costing. We present a greedy heuristic that produces a solution only slightly worse than the ones produced by the I.P. models, but in much shorter time.

Evaluation of Regional Air Quality Models over Sydney and Australia: Part 1—Meteorological Model Comparison

The ability of meteorological models to accurately characterise regional meteorology plays a crucial role in the performance of photochemical simulations of air pollution. As part of the research funded by the Australian government’s Department of the Environment Clean Air and Urban Landscape hub, this study set out to complete an intercomparison of air quality models over the Sydney region. This intercomparison would test existing modelling capabilities, identify any problems and provide the necessary validation of models in the region. The first component of the intercomparison study was to assess the ability of the models to reproduce meteorological observations, since it is a significant driver of air quality. To evaluate the meteorological component of these air quality modelling systems, seven different simulations based on varying configurations of inputs, integrations and physical parameterizations of two meteorological models (the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and Conformal Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM)) were examined. The modelling was conducted for three periods coinciding with comprehensive air quality measurement campaigns (the Sydney Particle Studies (SPS) 1 and 2 and the Measurement of Urban, Marine and Biogenic Air (MUMBA)). The analysis focuses on meteorological variables (temperature, mixing ratio of water, wind (via wind speed and zonal wind components), precipitation and planetary boundary layer height), that are relevant to air quality. The surface meteorology simulations were evaluated against observations from seven Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Automatic Weather Stations through composite diurnal plots, Taylor plots and paired mean bias plots. Simulated vertical profiles of temperature, mixing ratio of water and wind (via wind speed and zonal wind components) were assessed through comparison with radiosonde data from the Sydney Airport BoM site. The statistical comparisons with observations identified systematic overestimations of wind speeds that were more pronounced overnight. The temperature was well simulated, with biases generally between ±2 °C and the largest biases seen overnight (up to 4 °C). The models tend to have a drier lower atmosphere than observed, implying that better representations of soil moisture and surface moisture fluxes would improve the subsequent air quality simulations. On average the models captured local-scale meteorological features, like the sea breeze, which is a critical feature driving ozone formation in the Sydney Basin. The overall performance and model biases were generally within the recommended benchmark values (e.g., ±1 °C mean bias in temperature, ±1 g/kg mean bias of water vapour mixing ratio and ±1.5 m s−1 mean bias of wind speed) except at either end of the scale, where the bias tends to be larger. The model biases reported here are similar to those seen in other model intercomparisons.

Social computing in currency exchange

Human communication has evolved over the last decades thanks to rapid technological advances. It has provided us with new ways of communicating with one another and made many aspects of social interaction easier. Social computing is an important area in computer science concerned with the use of computational systems for social purposes. This paper focuses on the use of social computing to simplify the process of currency exchange at airports where services have to be provided to people of all nationalities. This is a complex social scenario in which the buyer and seller must reach an agreement without speaking the same language, and in these cases, the probability of not understanding all the aspects of the transaction is high. The proposed system improves interaction between users and ensures a fast and secure operation. A multi-agent system is the base of the developed software; MAS is an important and commonly used tool in social computing. A case study was conducted with the proposed system at Sydney airport, with a Spanish currency exchange company (Global Exchange) which provides service to travelers from all continents. The Net Promoter Score metric was used to evaluate the developed system, and a score of 29.81 was obtained, indicating that customers were highly satisfied with the performance of the system. Moreover, thanks to the system, there was an increase of 34% in currency exchange operations, and the time it takes to provide service to a customer reduced by 73.67% on average.

Does privatisation drive innovation? Business model innovation through stakeholder viewpoints: the case of Sydney Airport 10 years post-privatisation

AbstractBroad economic and social reform, rapid technological change and increasing global competition have meant that organisations must consider all aspects of their business model in order to successfully create and capture ongoing customer value. In this study it is proposed that business model innovation must always consider and incorporate the symbiotic and interdependent relationship that stakeholders have with an organisation. One particular aspect of economic reform, privatisation, has become an important driver of economic growth in many economies, particularly when linked with the rapid growth of air travel. Privatisation of an airport can generate a radical change in the overall business model for the airport owner and the various stakeholders involved in the operation of the airport. Sydney Airport has restructured its overarching business model to meet the demands of stakeholders. Using feedback from key stakeholders, this research examines the generally accepted view that airport privatisation leads to an improvement in airport performance. Chesbrough's Business Model Framework provides a lens to assist the analysis of Sydney Airport operations before and after privatisation, and provides valuable insights into the impact of privatisation on business model innovation.

Airport arrivals screening during pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in New South Wales, Australia

To examine the effectiveness of airport screening in New South Wales during pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza. Analysis of data collected at clinics held at Sydney Airport, and of all notified cases of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, between 28 April 2009 and 18 June 2009. Case detection rate per 100,000 passengers screened, sensitivity, positive predictive value and specificity of airport screening. The proportion of all cases in the period detected at airport clinics was compared with the proportion detected in emergency departments and general practice. Of an estimated 625,147 passenger arrivals at Sydney Airport during the period, 5845 (0.93%) were identified as being symptomatic or febrile, and three of 5845 were subsequently confirmed to have influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, resulting in a detection rate of 0.05 per 10,000 screened (95% CI, 0.02-1.14 per 10,000). Forty-five patients with overseas-acquired influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in NSW would have probably passed through the airport during this time, giving airport screening a sensitivity of 6.67% (95% CI, 1.40%-18.27%). Positive predictive value was 0.05% (95% CI, 0.02%-0.15%) and specificity 99.10% (95% CI, 99.00%-100.00%). Of the 557 confirmed cases across NSW during the period, 290 (52.1%) were detected at emergency departments and 135 (24.2%) at general practices, compared with three (0.5%) detected at the airport. Airport screening was ineffective in detecting cases of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in NSW. Its future use should be carefully considered against potentially more effective interventions, such as contact tracing in the community.

Detecting trends that are nonlinear and asymmetric on diurnal and seasonal time scales

Trends in climate time series are often nonlinear and temporally-asymmetric, i.e. the trend is different for different seasons and/or hours of the day. Here a method is developed that allows the nonlinearity and temporal asymmetry of a trend to be investigated simultaneously. First, nonlinear trend components are extracted from a univariate time series, by adapting a nonparametric dimension-reduction method. Then, the nonlinear trend components are substituted into a regression model in which the periodic mean component and the periodic variation in the amplitude of the nonlinear trend are modeled using harmonic functions of the seasonal and diurnal periods. Third, trend patterns in the positive and negative anomalies are investigated, by extending the nonlinear trend model using indicator variables. Fourth, a non-local inferential test is developed to test the statistical significance of the trend patterns. The nonlinear trend model is applied to a simulated time series, as well as to long-term high-resolution temperature records from five Southern Hemisphere sites: Lucas Heights, Sydney Airport, Cape Grim, Macquarie Island and Law Dome. Our method should be generally useful for identifying the effect of both climate-related factors and observation/site-related factors on seasonal and diurnal trends in meteorological data series.

Does screening keep Ebola out of USA?

On Oct 8 2014, the U.S. government announced that five airports across the United States will start screening passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries in West Africa to prevent the Ebola to spread to USA. However, we doubt the utility of airport screening. First, the sensitivity of airport screening is a product of the sensitivity of fever for detecting Ebola cases which in turn is a product of the sensitivity of the infrared thermo-scanners in detecting fever. Fever is not a specific indicator of Ebola disease and relying on it will lead to many false positives. Previous studies have already demonstrated that reliance on fever alone is unlikely to be feasible as an entry screening measure [1]. An Australia study shown that airport screening was ineffective in detecting cases of influenza A (H1N1) in 2009 [2]. The study found that among 625,147 passenger arrivals at Sydney Airport during the period, 5845 (0.93%) were identified as being symptomatic or febrile, and three of 5845 were subsequently confirmed to have H1N1, resulting in a detection rate of 0.05 per 10,000 screened (95% CI, 0.02-1.14 per 10,000). Likewise, Canada introduced various measures to screen airplane passengers at selected airports for symptoms and signs of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). In spite of intensive screening, no SARS cases were detected [3]. Similarly, there were 1.84 million arrivals into Australia during the study period, and 794 were referred for screening to the staff. Of these, the findings in four travellers were consistent with the World Health Organization case definition for SARS, and they were referred by the Chief Quarantine Officers to designated hospitals for further investigation. None of these four people was confirmed to have SARS. One person reported as a probable SARS case acknowledged being symptomatic on arrival, but had been missed by border

Why is multiscale exposure modeling essential to determine the burden of disease of pollution in Australia

Background Spatialized emission inventory are available for close to 300 point sources and 100 substances in Australia. To use these data to prioritize possible actions, it is essential to understand the spatial distribution of intakes and health impacts. Aims We aim a) to parameterize Pangea - a multiscale model of fate and exposure that determines spatially distribute exposures, and b) to apply the model to analyze population intakes for emission sources across Australia. Methods We first build multi-scale multi-media grids refined around each source and high population density area. Concentrations and multi-pathways exposures are calculated for test substances. We then analyze overall intakes as well as intake fractions for four source-to-receptor patterns: outback Alice Springs, suburban Sydney, Sydney and an offshore platform NW from Australia. Results Depending on source location, cumulated intake fractions of benzene vary from 2ppm in Alice Springs to 23 ppm at Sydney airport. For Alice Springs, 10% of the intake is local, 20% is at 2300 km - Sydney and Melbourne, the rest at more than 3000 km, in particular in highly populated Indonesia which is under dominant wind direction. For an emission 150km West of Sydney, 70% of the 5ppm taken in occur in Sydney. This proportion rises to 90% for emission at Sydney airport. The offshore platform has most of its impact in Indonesia. In contrast, benzo[a]pyrene impacts are primarily associated to deposition on local fields and subsequent bioconcentration in food, with highest impacts in regions of high agriculture production intensity. Maps of resulting concentrations, intake and burden of disease will be presented. Conclusions The multiscale approach models accurately spatial distribution of intake fraction while limiting calculation time. Prioritization schemes for intervention need to consider both emission sources and exposed receptors to take full advantage of spatialized emission inventories.

Investigation of a Boeing 747 wing main landing gear trunnion failure

A loud noise was heard from the vicinity of the port wing landing gear during pushback of a Boeing 747-300 from the terminal at Sydney (Australia) airport. Inspection showed that one of the wing landing gear trunnion fork assemblies had failed. Detailed investigation revealed that the trunnion had failed by fatigue cracking. Deep machining grooves were found at the root of an internal radius that had not been shot-peened as required, and a chemical surface process during manufacture had resulted in shallow intergranular attack at the bottom of these grooves. It is probable that the critical cracking started from some of these grooves. In addition, the wall thickness at the failure location was significantly less than the minimum required in the drawings.Since the deep machining grooves, the lack of peening and the intergranular attack were all consequences of manufacturing, the fatigue cracking probably started shortly after the component entered service. This implies that fatigue cracking was present during all the trunnion overhauls, but was not detected by non-destructive inspections during the overhauls. Quantitative fractography was used to produce a crack growth curve based on fracture surface markings thought to represent the overhaul timings. The crack growth curve suggested that the fatigue cracking was large enough to be detected by inspection during the last overhaul, if not the one before. However, it was probably not easy to detect the cracking. This investigation therefore highlights the difficulties that can be encountered when inspection is the last (or only) line of defence against failure owing to unexpected manufacturing deficiencies.

Regionalisation of fetal medicine in Australia and New Zealand

Regionalisation of fetal medicine in <scp>A</scp>ustralia and <scp>N</scp>ew <scp>Z</scp>ealand

The human and animal health impacts of introduction and spread of an exotic strain of West Nile virus in Australia

Vector-borne diseases can have substantial impacts on human and animal health, including major epidemics. West Nile virus (WNV) is of particular international importance due to its recent emergence and impact in the Western Hemisphere. Despite the presence of a sub-type of WNV (Kunjin virus, KUN) in Australia, a potential ecological niche could be occupied by an exotic strain of WNV of the North American type. This study assesses the probability an exotic strain of WNV enters Australia via an infected mosquito in an aircraft from the United States (U.S.) landing at Sydney airport, the probability it spreads to susceptible species and the impact of the resulting outbreak on human and animal health. A release, exposure and consequence assessment were conducted using expert opinion and scientific literature to parameterise the inputs for the models (OIE, 2009). Following establishment of WNV in Australia, the spatio-temporal spread of WNV was predicted over a six year period based on the Australian human and equine populations at-risk, the known distribution of other mosquito-borne flaviviruses in Australia, climatic factors, and the spread of WNV in the U.S. following it's incursion in New York City in 1999. The impact of this spread was measured as a multiplier of human and equine demographics using the U.S. incidence and case fatality rates as a reference. For an 8 month period from September to April (considering seasonal impact on mosquito activity during the coldest months in Australia and the U.S.), and assuming WNV is endemic in the U.S., the median probability an infected mosquito is introduced is 0.17, and the median number of infected mosquitoes introduced is predicted to be zero, with a 95th percentile range of one. The overall probability of a WNV outbreak (WNV released into Australia, susceptible hosts exposed and the virus spread) occurring in the human and the horse population during this time period is estimated to be 7.0×10−6 and 3.9×10−6, respectively. These values are largely influenced by the presence of mosquitoes in aircrafts and whether the introduced infected mosquito contacts wild birds. Results of this study suggest there is a low risk of introduction and spread of an exotic strain of WNV from the U.S via aircraft, and provides an insight into the magnitude and impact of the spread among human and horse populations. The generic framework presented could be applied to assess the potential introduction of other mosquito-borne diseases (which involve a wild bird transmission cycle) via international aircraft movements.