Jet bridge

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Stearns Airport Equipment brand PBBs at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, USA

A jetway bridge taking Airbus A320at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Santa Marta, Colombia

A jet bridge (also termed jetway,[1] gangway, aerobridge/airbridge, air jetty, portal, skybridge or
its official industry name passenger boarding bridge (PBB)) is an enclosed, movable
connector which most commonly extends from an airport terminal gate to an airplane, and in some
instances from a port to a boat or ship, allowing passengers to board and disembark without going
outside or being exposed to the elements.[2] Depending on building design, sill heights, fueling
positions, and operational requirements, a jet bridge may be fixed or movable, swinging radially
and/or extending in length.[2] The jetway was invented by Frank Der Yuen.[3][4]

A jetway bridge in Hyderabad International Airport (VOHS)

 Three ThyssenKrupp Airport Systems jet bridges feeding an Airbus A380 at Frankfurt
Airport in Frankfurt, Germany.

Video of jet bridge being moved to an American Airlines plane at Toronto Pearson International
Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Contents

 1History
 2Advantages
 3Disadvantages
 4Use at small airports
 5Use and appearance
o 5.1Marketing
 6Gallery
 7See also
 8References
 9External links

History[edit]
Before the introduction of jet bridges, passengers normally boarded an aircraft by walking along the
ground-level ramp and climbing a set of movable stairs, or up airstairs on aircraft so equipped.
Mobile staircases or "ramp stairs" are employed at many airports around the world, particularly
smaller airports and terminals supporting low cost carriers.
United Airlines tested an early prototype "Air Dock" in 1954.[5] The first operational "Aero-
Gangplank", as it was dubbed by inventor Lockheed Air Terminal, was installed by United at
Chicago's O'Hare Airport in 1958.[6][7]
Advantages[edit]
Jet bridges provide all-weather dry access to aircraft and enhance the security of terminal
operations. They are often permanently attached at one end by a pivot (or rotunda) to the terminal
building and have the ability to swing left or right. The cabin, at the end of the loading bridge, may be
raised or lowered, extended or retracted, and may pivot, to accommodate aircraft of different
sizes.[2] These motions are controlled by an operator's station in the cab. The cab is provided with an
accordion-like canopy, which allows the bridge to dock with aircraft with differing shapes, and
provide a nearly weather-proof seal. Additionally, many models offer leveling devices for the portion
of the floor that makes contact with the aircraft; this allows passengers to slowly transition from level
aircraft floor to sloping jet bridge floor. As such, jet bridges provide enhanced access to aircraft for
passengers with many types of disabilitiesand mobility impairments, as they may board and
disembark without climbing stairs or using a specialized wheelchair lift.
Some airports with international gates have two or three bridges for larger aircraft with multiple
entrances. In theory, this allows for faster disembarking of larger aircraft, though it is quite common,
especially on aircraft such as Boeing 747s and Boeing 777s, to use one bridge for only passengers
in first class and/or business class, while the other bridge is for the use of passengers in economy
class. The Airbus A380 is unique in that both of its double decks have outside doors; so that two or
more loading bridges are possible, a jetbridge for each deck having the advantage being faster
aircraft loading (in parallel). Such connectors are being constructed at Boston's Logan Airport, Kuala
Lumpur International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Johannesburg
International Airport and in the new international terminal at Calgary International Airport. Faster
loading can lead to lower airport charges, less delays and more passenger throughput for the airport,
all factors which impact an airline's bottom line.
Though loading bridges are usually permanently attached at their terminal-building end, leaving only
the cab free to move, this is not always the case. Those at Melbourne Airport's international terminal
are — and at Hong Kong's old Kai Tak Airport were — anchored in the middle and movable at either
end to permit the terminal building-end to be raised or lowered to connect with either the departures
level or the arrivals level of the terminal building.

Disadvantages[edit]
Loading bridges restrict aircraft parking to spots immediately adjacent to the terminal. Thus, airports
use mobile staircases to facilitate disembarking at hardstands (remote parking positions).
Loading bridges may pose hazards to aircraft if handled improperly. If the bridge is not retracted fully
before departure, it may contact protruding parts of the taxiing aircraft (e.g., a pitot tube), requiring
repair and delays. Furthermore, during cold weather, the loading bridge may become frozen to the
aircraft. In this case, when the jet bridge retracts, it could damage the aircraft if that area has not
been properly de-iced.
When regional jets are used, jet bridges have another disadvantage, since they allow only one
aircraft to park at the gate at a time. Several airlines have removed jet bridges at regional jet gates at
airports such as Atlanta which are short on gates. When having passengers disembark on the
tarmac or the ramp, airlines can fit two or more regional jets per gate. In many other places
like Beijing Capital Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, a gate for large aircraft can be used
to accommodate two smaller aircraft like Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s.
Several incidents of jet bridges collapsing include Sydney,[8][9] Hong Kong, Seattle, Los Angeles and
Islamabad.[10]https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/378674-jetway-collapse-at-islamabad-airport-
injures-one

Use at small airports[edit]

Jet bridges are occasionally used at smaller, single-story airports. This is accomplished by a flight of
stairs and, in some instances, a wheelchair lift. In this scenario, a passenger proceeds through the
gate and then up a flight of stairs to meet the height of the jet bridge. An example of this can be
found at South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Indiana. Alternatively, a ramp can be used
in the terminal building to bring the passengers from the waiting area to the height of the jet bridge.
For example, Sawyer International Airport, located near Marquette, Michigan in Michigan's Upper
Peninsula, has jet bridges that can load passengers onto smaller passenger aircraft such as
the Saab 340 turboprop. The Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport at Ithaca, New York has two gates
using this approach. This can be done to attract larger airlines that require use of a jet bridge to the
airport, as well as to make disembarking smaller planes easier for disabled people and to improve
the disembarking process in bad weather.

Use and appearance[edit]

Airbridges seen here at London Heathrow's Terminal 5

At the airport terminal, the bridge is connected to a portal (called a "gate") in the terminal wall behind
the gate desk. Once airplane boarding starts, passengers hand their boarding passes to the gate's
attendant, who lets them pass through.
Inside, the bridge looks like a narrow, lighted hallway in an office building, without doors. Loading
bridges usually have no windows, but glass walls are becoming more common. The walls are
normally painted in accordance with airline standards, generally with relaxing colours. Some bridges
have advertisements on interior or exterior walls. The floor is generally uneven with many bumps,
creating a hazard for wheelchairs and individuals with mobility issues.
By using a retractable tunnel design, loading bridges may retract and extend varying lengths. Some
airports use fixed walkways to effectively extend the reach of a loading bridge. The fixed walkway
extends out from the terminal building and connects to the loading bridge rotunda. Occasionally,
fixed bridges lead to multiple loading bridges. There are some jetways (such as several older
bridges on the north terminal at Edmonton International Airport) that sit directly on the ground, as
opposed to supports. These jetways are often used by small airlines or airplanes that are sometimes
too low for conventional jetways (such as the Dash 8 and CRJ).
The cab of the loading bridge is raised and lowered to dock with aircraft of differing sill heights. The
height of the cab is matched to the height of the aircraft door sill height. This often results in a slope
along the length of the loading bridge.
Controls in older systems contain a large number of individual motor control buttons, with efficient
operation requiring a high degree of operator skill and experience. Modern control consoles are
much simpler, with only a few buttons, a graphic display console, and a single multi-axis joystick,
with an overall appearance similar to that of a video game console in a video arcade.
Marketing[edit]
Marketing space on jetways was uncommon until the early 2000s when HSBC launched their
campaign "The World's Local Bank.:[11]
A jetway bridge at Hat Yai International Airport, Thailand.

Peter Stringham, head of marketing for HSBC worldwide,[12] worked closely with Lowe's, the Group's
global agency, in developing the campaign which required a single global platform. Stringham
noticed jetways were a global medium which had not been tapped.[13]
HSBC thus bought the rights to jetways across major localities in 81 countries and
territories.[14] Hence, the vast majority of advertising on jetways globally display HSBC
advertising.[citation needed]

Gallery[edit]


Adaptation of airport equipment for all-weather ship access, Kobe, Japan

Interior of a modern ThyssenKrupp Airport Systems' glass walled bridge at Incheon Airport

Glass walled bridge at Adelaide Airport


Another similar bridge at Adelaide Airport

Marks on the ground next to a jet bridge

Jetway at Bilbao Airportin Spain, design by Santiago Calatrava

Jetway at Orlando International with ramp equipment below.

A short fixed bridge connected to a loading bridge at Sea-Tac Airport

Note outboard gantry and driving wheels on a modern ThyssenKruppAirport Systems' PBB at Incheon
Airport
 

Control console

Jetway in Turkmenbashi Airport

Oslo Airport viewed from inside a jet bridge. Passenger planes from Norwegian Air Shuttle and Scandinavian
Airlines are parked on the airport apron. Distorted panorama photo 2015.

See also[edit]
 Aircraft bridge
 Covered bridge
 Ground support equipment
 Mobile lounge
 Moveable bridges for a list of other moveable bridge types

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Justia/trademarks The term Jetway is a registered trademark
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c Gesell, Laurence E. (1992). The Administration of Public Airports. Chandler,
Arizona: Coast Aire. pp. 114&ndash, 115. ISBN 0-9606874-7-5.
3. Jump up^ Burl Burlingame (2013). I'll Fly to Hawaii — A century of Aviation. Pacific Monograph.
p. 135. ISBN 9780962922763.
4. Jump up^ US 3046908, Der Yuen Frank, "Apparatus for facilitating the loading and unloading of
passengers and cargo", published Jul 31, 1962
5. Jump up^ Baskas, Harriet (25 February 2016). "A short history of the much-maligned jet
bridge". USA Today. Retrieved 1 March2016.
6. Jump up^ "Briefings... (pg. 58)". Flying Magazine (Vol. 62, No. 6). Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. Google.
June 1, 1958. Retrieved 13 August2018.
7. Jump up^ "Airport's Mobile Covered Bridge". Life Magazine (Vol. 44, No. 16). Time-Life Publishing.
April 21, 1958.
8. Jump up^ "Investigations begin into collapse of Sydney airport walkway". 2001-02-01. Archived
from the original on 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
9. Jump up^ "NSW: Singapore Airlines jet damaged when aerobridge collapses". 2001-02-01.
Retrieved 2013-01-09.
10. Jump up^ "2 injured when jet bridge collapses at LA airport". Associated Press. 2011-08-25.
Retrieved 2013-01-09.