Building Dimensions and Configuration
There are no hard and fast rules regarding the dimensions and configurations of air cargo buildings. Over the past 40 years, general approaches have been adopted depending on the specific user group. However, in the final analysis, the configuration of the building will depend on the operational characteristics of the user. For instance, multi-tenant airline and freight forwarder buildings have tended to be long, narrow structures having one of the long dimensions facing an airside apron or aircraft ramp. These buildings are in the range of 100-150 feet deep and may be up to 1,000 feet long, depending on the general airport configuration and the availability of land. There are no "rules" regarding configuration of air cargo buildings.
Aircraft Handstand Positions
It is important to realize early in the master-planning process the importance of ramp frontage. This may be compared to waterfront real estate. It is a limited commodity and must be used very efficiently. Hence, those buildings which are dedicated to all-cargo, integrated carriers or any other operator with dedicated fleets of aircraft should take precedence to other operators when frontage is scarce. These users will want to maximize their frontage onto ramp areas. Conversely, airline, cargo operations, and freight forwarders handling belly freight need very little ramp frontage, but rely heavily on efficient airside access roads to the terminal.
Equipment Staging Areas
There is often debate on the amount of equipment staging area that should be provided adjacent to the building. Once again, the requirement is highly dependent on the operational characteristics of the users. However, there is the tendency for "Murphy's Law" to prevail, whereby tenants will occupy every square foot that is allocated to them and in the end, need more. There is a basic operational problem with airside equipment staging zones in that they tend to become collection areas for obsolete or broken down equipment, as well as shipping debris that may create FOD. This becomes a supervision problem. Nevertheless, it is a design consideration.