Quote:
Originally Posted by golddog
Couldn't find if you'd answered this earlier, but your talking about Dulles in the "shouldn't piss you off" thread made me think of these. Worst airport for you as a pilot? As a passenger?
The layout of taxiways and ramp space makes some airports more prone to delays and that is a major irritant in this business. One configuration that results in gridlock at times is the use of alleyways, i.e. single point access to multiple gates, such as at JFK and, to a lesser extent, LGA.
Airports like ATL and IAD are laid out beautifully with easy access to all gates and runway configurations which almost eliminate the delays associated with waiting to cross active runways.
As a passenger, the airports with long slogs to the gate are irritating. IAD is a major offender in this which is sad because it was the epitome of simplicity when it first opened in the early 60s. As the airport has grown, it has gotten progressively more confusing and inconvenient to get from the check-in counter to the gate.
There are more than a few airports in Europe where the walk to the gate seems interminable, but now that it's been a few years I'd be hard pressed to tell you exactly which ones. I seem to recall long walks in Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Mumbai.
One of the best international airports, from both a pilot's perspective and that of a passenger, is Nice, France. Easy approaches and departures when flying, and simple access and short walks as a passenger. When I flew international, I often said that I could take a steady diet of nothing but trips to Nice and be very happy. (The city is great too.)