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Projecte llegit

Títol: Challenges and Operational Improvement at Luxembourg Airport

Estudiants que han llegit aquest projecte:

Director/a: KULJANIN, JOVANA

Departament: FIS

Títol: Challenges and Operational Improvement at Luxembourg Airport

Data inici oferta: 28-01-2026     Data finalització oferta: 28-09-2026


Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    GR ENG SIST AEROESP
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: EETAC
 
Segon director/a (UPC): PONS PRATS, JORDI
 
Paraules clau:
Luxembour airport, Terminal problem, Operational efficiency
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
Luxembourg Airport (LUX) plays a key strategic role in European aviation, serving both passenger and cargo traffic while acting as the main hub for Luxair. However, in recent years the airport has faced growing capacity and operational efficiency challenges, particularly in relation to its passenger terminal infrastructure. One of the main issues is the constrained terminal layout, which limits circulation space, security screening capacity, and commercial services. The reduced size of the terminal directly contributes to congestion, inefficient passenger processing, and long waiting times.
In parallel with terminal constraints, Luxembourg Airport is undergoing a significant fleet transition, particularly within Luxair. The airline is progressively replacing its Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft with Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. This transition is driven by the need for higher seating capacity, improved fuel efficiency, and better operational performance. However, this shift exposes another structural limitation: the airport has a limited number of fingers, while relying heavily on remote stands.

The objective is to align terminal infrastructure with fleet evolution and traffic growth, ensuring sustainable development and improved passenger experience in the long term.
 
Overview (resum en anglès):
This thesis evaluates the landside capacity of Luxembourg Airport (LUX/ELLX) and proposes a conceptual architectural and operational redesign to accommodate the current traffic of the airport. While the airport's airside infrastructure poses no immediate restrictions, a capacity assessment utilizing the IATA Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM) 9th Edition identifies the passenger terminal building as the primary operational bottleneck. Operating under a calculated Peak Hour Passenger (PHP) demand of 1,488 passengers and targeting an IATA Level of Service (LoS) C, the analysis isolates severe spatial and processing deficits across the check-in, security screening, passport control, and baggage reclaim subsystems.

To address these vulnerabilities, a conceptual redesign for the airport is developed. The proposed layout introduces a parallel, double-island check-in configuration and outlines the strategic relocation of the entire Baggage Handling System (BHS) to the Level -3 railway station. This structural optimization frees up critical floor space on Level 0, enabling the terminal to expand its security checkpoint to 11 screening channels (including dedicated Fast Track lanes) and enlarge passenger circulation and passport control zones within existing physical boundaries.

A sustainability evaluation demonstrates that the expansion safeguards Luxembourg Airport's role as an indispensable economic asset, which contributes 13% to national GDP and supports 90,000 jobs. Furthermore, the project aligns with the airport's validated roadmap to progress from Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) Level 4+ to Level 5 (Net Zero) status by 2030 via ground support equipment electrification, renewable energy integration, and regional sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investments. Ultimately, this thesis establishes a phased, flexible infrastructure framework to maintain the airport's low-stress passenger experience and secure long-term operational resilience. Future work directions highlight the necessity of transitioning to dynamic micro-simulation models, evaluating automated passenger processing technologies, and conducting detailed financial feasibility and social impact assessments.

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