Revolutionary Underground Airport Terminal Design Proposed by Boom CEO
Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, has recently proposed a radical reimagining of airport design. This innovative concept could revolutionize aviation infrastructure by positioning passenger terminals underground, while maintaining aircraft operations above ground.
During a conversation with economist Tyler Cowen at the Progress Conference, Scholl shared his vision:
“You should put the terminals underground. Airside is above ground. Terminals are below ground. Imagine a design with two runways – an arrival runway and departure runway. Traffic flows from arrival runway to departure runway. You don’t need tugs. You can delete a whole bunch of airport infrastructure.”
Scholl’s concept involves jetways functioning as escalators that emerge from the underground terminals. This would allow aircraft to taxi directly from arrival to departure runways, eliminating the need for complex ground support equipment. The underground terminals would feature skylights to maintain natural lighting, while providing a more efficient passenger flow system.
With a background at Amazon and Groupon, and as a pilot himself, the Boom executive believes this crossbar switch-inspired design could resolve many of the issues plaguing modern airports. The result would be a more streamlined travel experience for passengers.
Source: General Aviation News