Airport terminal facts for kids
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An airport terminal is a special building at an airport. It's where passengers go to get on and off aircraft (airplanes). Inside the terminal, you can buy tickets, drop off or pick up your luggage, and go through security checks.
Sometimes, the parts of the terminal that connect directly to the airplanes through gates are called concourses. But often, people use "terminal" and "concourse" to mean the same thing.
Small airports usually have just one terminal building. This building handles everything, like tickets, security, and getting to the planes. Larger airports can have many terminals or concourses. Some big airports have one main terminal connected to several concourses by walkways, sky-bridges, or even underground tunnels, like Denver International Airport. Other large airports, like New York's LaGuardia Airport, have multiple terminals, each with its own concourses.
Most airport terminals are built in a simple way. However, some are very grand, like Baghdad International Airport. Others are seen as amazing pieces of architecture, such as Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris. A few terminals are even designed to show off the local culture. For example, the terminal at Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico looks like a traditional Pueblo building.
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How Are Airport Terminals Designed?
Many early airport terminals were built in the 1930s and 1940s. This was when air travel started to become popular. These buildings often had an Art Deco style. Back then, passengers would walk directly from the terminal onto the tarmac (the paved area where planes park). They might also take a bus to their aircraft. This simple design is still common at smaller airports today. Even some larger airports use "bus gates" for planes parked further away from the main terminal.
Pier Design
A pier design uses a long, narrow building. Airplanes park on both sides of this building. One end of the pier connects to the area where you buy tickets and pick up luggage. Piers can handle many aircraft and are easy to design. However, you might have a long walk from the check-in counter to your gate. At Kansai International Airport in Japan, this walk can be about half a mile! Many large international airports use piers. These include London Heathrow Airport, Frankfurt Airport, and Hong Kong International Airport.
Satellite Terminals
A satellite terminal is a building that stands alone, not directly connected to the main airport buildings. Airplanes can park all around it. The first airport to use a satellite terminal was London Gatwick Airport. Passengers walked through an underground tunnel to get to the satellite from the main terminal.
Later, Tampa International Airport was the first to use an automatic people mover (like a small train) to connect the main terminal with a satellite. Other airports with satellite terminals include Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Terminal 1) and Orlando International Airport. Some, like Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, have two satellite terminals connected by an automatic people mover system.
Semicircular Terminals
Some airports use a semicircular (half-circle) terminal design. Airplanes park on the curved side, and cars and roads are on the straight side. This design can mean long walks for passengers changing planes. But it greatly shortens the time it takes to get from check-in to your plane. Airports with this design include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Incheon International Airport in Seoul, and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Other Designs
Another unique terminal design is the mobile lounge. With this, passengers board a large vehicle at the gate. This vehicle then drives them directly to their aircraft and docks with it. Washington Dulles International Airport has used this design.
Some airports use a mix of different layouts. For example, San Francisco International Airport uses both a pier-semicircular layout and a pier layout.
Common-Use Terminals
In a common-use terminal, airlines share things like check-in counters, gates, and computer systems. This means that any airline can use these counters and gates as needed. It helps airports use their space more efficiently.
Airport Records
Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates has the largest single terminal building in the world. Terminal 3 opened in 2008 and is huge, covering over 1,500,000 square meters. It can handle more than 43 million passengers!
Other very large single terminals include those at Beijing Capital International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Getting Around (Ground Transportation)
Many small and medium-sized airports have a simple one-way road loop. This road is used by cars and buses to drop off and pick up passengers.
Large international airports often have two separate one-way roads: one for people arriving and one for people departing. They might also have direct train connections to the city center, using regional rail, light rail, or even a subway. The biggest airports usually connect directly to major freeways. You will also find car rental agencies and taxi companies at the terminals. Hong Kong International Airport even has ferry piers to connect with places across the border.
Terminal Zones
Airport terminals are usually divided into different zones:
- Pre-Security: This is the area before you go through security.
* Check-in counters (where you get your boarding pass and drop off luggage) * Shops and restaurants
- Post-Security: This is the area after you have passed through security.
* Duty-free shops (where you can buy things without paying certain taxes) * More shops and restaurants * Airport lounges (special waiting areas for certain passengers) * Airport customs (where officials check goods coming into the country) * Baggage claim (where you pick up your luggage after a flight)
Images for kids
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Renovated airport entrance of Simón Bolívar International Airport
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Terminal Five at Heathrow Airport
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Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Main Terminal Concourse
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Baggage conveyor belt at Chennai International Airport terminal
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The TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport was built in 1962 and was used as Trans World Airlines's terminal until 2001. It was connected to the JetBlue Terminal 5 in 2008, and converted into the TWA Hotel in 2019.
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Aerial view of the Beijing Capital International Airport with Terminal 3 (orange roof) across the foreground; Terminals 2 (blue and white roof) and 1 (orange roof) in the upper right
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Departure area of Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Terminal 3, Indonesia
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Shanghai Pudong International Airport Satellite Concourse S1 one of the largest satellite terminals in the world.
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Aerial view of Terminal 1 and 2 of Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Airport
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Airside inside Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Terminal 1 early in the morning
See also
In Spanish: Terminal aeroportuaria para niños
