Airport Simulation Software

Airports

"Your support staff at Simio has been excellent in assisting me throughout this [passenger flow] project." Mike Lazzaroni, Architect AIBC
Senior Planning Analyst, Engineering Projects
Vancouver Airport Authority

Limited Resources. Tight Deadlines. You need the right answers fast.

Get the answers with Simio.

According to the latest report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), signs of a stabilizing economy are materializing as passenger and cargo volumes begin to creep upward again. But ridership isn't the only thing changing. Fuel costs are rising, prices are dropping -- all while airport authorities and their partners must do their best to find ways of operating at lower costs and ways of focusing their investments to get the biggest bang for the buck.

So how do prepare for the increase in passenger and cargo volume while operating under such tight cost constraints?

How can groundside, terminal and airside sectors work together to not only accommodate the increased volume but also meet and exceed key performance indicators?

The answer is Simio Simulation Software.

With Simio, airports have the power to use simulation as a way of testing ideas on improving individual systems and get a larger perspective on how those adjustments will affect the entire organization. Single sectors can focus on utilizing existing resources to meet goals and communicate those plans to their peers to ensure a fluid process. Groundside, terminal and airside sectors can model their systems accurately, make adjustments in a 3d environment, choose an effective course of action objectively, and communicate their ideas for the improvement of the entire system.

Simio gives you a sense of situational awareness made possible only with simulation.

  • Model your system quickly and accurately using customizable objects in a code-free environment.
  • Test your ideas without compromise in a straightforward, 3d environment.
  • Improve system performance with the kind of objective data only made possible with simulation.
  • Avoid critical risks made obvious with Simio.
  • Meet and exceed key performance indicators by test your ideas to maximize existing resources under difficult budget constraints.

The Customer Experience is a Shared Responsibility

No one entity is directly responsible for the overall user experience – it takes a cooperative effort from groundside, terminal and airside sectors. From the time the customer steps out of the cab, checks in their bags, grabs a quick lunch, passes through security, rides the escalator and boards the plane, he or she has come into contact with three distinct bodies with distinct goals that all impact the customer experience.

While all are responsible for the customer experience, all also have key performance goals to meet. Any individual change from one party in an effort to meet a goal can have a large impact on the whole process. One sector’s adjustment to meet a key performance indicator can wreak havoc on another division’s process down the line.

With simulation, such critical snags become glaringly apparent long before the plan is implemented. Users can make adjustments to not only meet their own goals but also attribute to the improved performance of the entire system. Large scale risk is avoided. Success – both big and small – is realized.

Simulation Defined

Simulation is the process of creating an abstract representation (a model) to represent important aspects of the real world. Just as flight simulators have long been used to help expose pilots and designers to both routine and unexpected circumstances, simulation models can help you explore the behavior of your system under specified situations. Your simulation model can be used to explore changes and alternatives in a low risk environment.

Cost savings and/or cost avoidance in a typical simulation project are often 10 to 20 times the initial investment within four to six months of initial use.

What is a good simulation application?

Systems where it is too expensive or risky to do live tests. Simulation provides an inexpensive, risk-free way to test changes ranging from a "simple" revision to an existing production line to emulation of a new control system or redesign of an entire supply chain.

Large or complex systems for which change is being considered. A "best guess" is usually a poor substitute for an objective analysis. Simulation can accurately predict their behavior under changed conditions and reduce the risk of making a poor decision.

Systems where predicting process variability is important. A spreadsheet analysis cannot capture the dynamic aspects of a system, aspects which can have a major impact on system performance. Simulation can help you understand how various components interact with each other and how they affect overall system performance.

Systems where you have incomplete data. Simulation cannot invent data where it does not exist, but simulation does well at determining sensitivity to unknowns. A high-level model can help you explore alternatives. A more detailed model can help you identify the most important missing data.

Systems where you need to communicate ideas. Development of a simulation helps participants better understand the system. Modern 3D animation and other tools promote communication and understanding across a wide audience.

Case Study


AECOM's de-icing facilities simulation buit in Simio. Click here to read the entire case study.

“The ability to test the planned facilities under various conditions enabled us to understand the different tradeoffs and deliver designs well suited to our customers’ needs which can be expanded as traffic increases. Our de-icing simulator has now found its place among our standard analysis tools. Simio® was worth our investment.”

Louis Roy, AECOM Senior Airport Planner
Click here to read the case Study

Simio in Action

A montage of models created in hours using Simio Simulation Software.