A method and system for parking aircraft at an airport terminal having a plurality
of passenger loading bridges is disclosed. According to the invention, a parking
space is defined at the terminal for an aircraft of a known type, such that at
least a desired clearance is maintained between the aircraft of the known type
and all other aircraft parked at the terminal. To this end, a passenger loading
bridge associated with the defined parking space is moved so as to accommodate
the known type of an aircraft at the defined parking space while maintaining the
at least a desired clearance to all other aircraft parked at the terminal. In particular,
at different instances of time for different instances of the known type of an
aircraft, the associated passenger loading bridge is moved to substantially different
locations to accommodate different defined parking spaces. A system for implementing
the method includes a database having stored therein aircraft arrival information,
a processor in communication with the database for defining the parking spaces
such that at least a minimum spacing is maintained between adjacent aircraft and,
a controller in communication with the processor, for controlling an interaction
between aircraft and passenger loading bridges and terminal operations such that
the defined aircraft parking spaces are implemented as actual parking spaces for
the aircraft.
