Key challenges
Rising demands: As one of Australia's busiest airports, the client faced escalating passenger numbers and air cargo volumes. This growth was expected to persist during the planning period.
Cargo processing challenges: A significant portion of air cargo volume travels as passenger airline belly freight. The efficient and timely processing of air cargo is vital for the airport's viability and customer satisfaction.
Space limitations: Due to terminal expansions, the available space for air cargo is constrained, posing a challenge to the seamless processing of freight.
Our approach
TMX navigated the challenges at the airport through a series of strategic actions, including:
- Using future volume forecasts by freight type to determine the number of ULDs per likely terminal location as well as establish peak cargo handling requirements.
- Determining a preferred operating model through a series of consultations with airport representatives.
- Gathering international benchmark productivity information to determine dwell time and space requirements.
- Developing a number of solution scenarios and assessing them against relevant qualitative and quantitative criteria.
- Based on the preferred operating model and transport capacity modelling, TMX found that the original designated freight location was not feasible due to its distance to passenger aircraft terminal bays.
- Proposed an alternative location which, based on productivity modelling, transport capacity modelling, land availability, and motorway access, was found to be preferable.
The results
TMX’s freight master plan delivered strategic options and recommendations for the client, including:
- Defined suite of strategic opportunities and initiatives covering three terminal precincts and a freight apron, with a scope encompassing all ground handling activities, excluding fueling.
- Recommendations specified to enable the next steps in detailed concept designs.
- Identification of valuable quick-win opportunities relevant to space optimization and associated identification of latent capacities.
- An implementation approach and sequence for recommendations.