Analysis of Passenger Delays at Airport Terminals

Although supportive numerical data have not been collected, specific consideration has been given to the operation of Toronto International Airport to show the procedure of analysis in detail. The following conclusions are arrived at: unavoidable delays to departing passengers arise from the safety time they allow for variance in airport access and from the time they must allow for their baggage to be moved onto the aircraft. Involuntary delays to arriving passengers arise in waiting for their baggage and possibly in final customs. Airlines might help avoid excessive delays by: (1) not duplicating the passenger's safety times allowed for variance in airport access time; (2) giving priority egress to passengers without checked baggage; and (3) speeding up baggage handling. Improved scheduling of aircraft and faster, more reliable airport access, rather than improved terminal operations hold the main keys to faster overall air travel.