Jetway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The word “jetway” is sometimes used for a high-altitude airway.
| Jetway bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Jetway at Vancouver International Airport with seldom-seen glass walls | |
| Ancestor | Tubular bridge, Skyway |
| Related | none |
| Descendant | None |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Span range | Short |
| Material | Steel |
| Movable | Yes |
| Design effort | low |
| Falsework required | No |
A Jetway, jet bridge or aerobridge/airbridge is a moveable bridge, normally enclosed, which extends from an airport terminal gate allowing passengers to board an airplane without having to go outside.
Prior to the introduction of Jetways, passengers would normally board an aircraft by walking along the ground-level tarmac and climbing a set of movable airstairs. This method of boarding is still employed at many airports around the world, but now it is mostly seen at small regional airports that only service small carriers. The first Jetway in the United States was installed at San Francisco International Airport in July 1959.
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[edit] Advantages
Jetways provide all weather dry access to aircraft and enhance the security of terminal operations. Jetways are permanently attached at one end by a pivot to the terminal building and have the ability to swing left or right, to be raised or lowered and extended or retracted, and for the aircraft end seal to pivot, in order to accommodate aircraft of different sizes and contours. These motions are controlled by an operator's station at the aircraft end of the Jetway.
Airport gates with Jetways generally have a series of lines (commonly referred to a J-Line or Jet Line) painted on the tarmac to assist in parking different types of aircraft in an appropriate position for the Jetway operator to dock with the fuselage.
Some airports with international gates, such as Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and Incheon International Airport have two jetways for larger aircraft with multiple entrances. This in theory allows for faster boarding and deboarding of larger aircraft, though it's quite common to use one jetway for only passengers in first class and business class, while the other jetway only for the use of passengers in economy class. With the arrival of the full double-deck airliners such as the Airbus A380, it's expected that each deck will have one or more jetways. Such jetways are being constructed at Singapore Changi Airport in anticipation of the A380. The upgrade of the airport has cost around $60 million.
[edit] Use and appearance
At the airport terminal, the jetway is connected to a portal (called a "gate") in the terminal wall behind the gate desk. Once airplane boarding starts, passengers hand in their flight tickets to the gate's attendant, who lets them pass through.
Inside, the jetway looks much like a narrow but lighted hallway in an office building, without the doors and windows. The walls are normally painted a relaxing colour, like light chalk blue, light chalk gray, or light chalk violet. Combined with the carpeted flooring, these colours help to create a soothing, calm environment to relax and decrease the tension that any passengers might feel about their upcoming flight.
Normally near the end of the jetway there is a sharp corner that leads to the aircraft. However there can also be a circular intersection with two or more hallways, both of which branch out to different airplanes. An attendant is always at this intersection to direct passengers to the right hall which will lead to their aircraft. Upon going into the right hall, the jetway becomes much narrower. By this time you can see the aircraft, and the jetway slants down so that it matches with the entrance. Handrails are provided for those that need assistance on the slant.
At the very end of this extra jetway, passengers walk off of the jetway mater (which helps connect the bridge to the aircraft) and onto the aircraft's threshold. There is only about four inches (4") at the most in space between the mater and aircraft, allowing enough to space to touch the skin of the aircraft (although that is not necessary at all).
[edit] Origin of name
The name "Jetway" is the registered trademark for a specific company's brand of aircraft boarding bridge. In many places, the word "jetway" has fallen into common usage to mean any bridge used to board an aircraft, regardless of manufacturer. (See genericized trademark).
[edit] Similar device
A similar device is used on rocket launch towers for the launch of manned rocket ships, in order to allow the astronauts to get the access to the spacecraft. In case of Apollo and Space Shuttle, the room before the spacecraft is called White Room.
[edit] See also
- Airstair
- Moveable bridge for a list of other movable bridge types
- Covered bridge
