Theairport apron,apron,flight line, orramp is the area of anairport whereaircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled, boarded, or maintained.[1][2][3] Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than therunway ortaxiway. However, the apron is not usually open to the general public, and a permit may be required to gain access. An apron's designated areas for aircraft parking are calledaircraft stands.[4]
By extension, the termapron is also used to identify the air traffic control (ATC) position responsible for coordinating movement on this surface at busier airports.[citation needed] When the aerodrome control tower does not have control over the apron, the use of the apron may be controlled by an apron management service[5][6] (also known as apron control or apron advisory) to provide coordination between the users. Apron control allocates aircraft parking stands (gates) and communicates this information totower or ground control and toairline handling agents; it also authorises vehicle movements where they could conflict with taxiing aircraft such as outside of painted road markings.[7] The authority responsible for the aprons is also responsible for relaying to ATC information about the apron conditions such as water, snow, construction or maintenance works on or adjacent to the apron, temporary hazards such as birds or parked vehicles, systems failure etc.[3] Procedures should be established for a coordinated information provision between the aircraft, vehicle, apron control unit and ATC to facilitate the orderly transition of aircraft between the apron management unit and the aerodrome control tower.[5][8]
The apron is designated by theICAO as not being part of themaneuvering area but included in themovement area.[3]Aircraft stand taxilanes (providing access to aircraft stands) and apron taxiways (taxi routes across the apron) are located on the apron.[3] All vehicles, aircraft and people using the apron are referred to as apron traffic.[6]
The US military typically refers to the apron area as the flight line.[6] TheRAAF also uses the term flight line.
The apron at airports is sometimes informally called the tarmac,[6] even though most of these areas arepaved withconcrete, nottarmac.[9] Specific materials used includeasphalt concrete (which itself is often inexactly called "tarmac", adding to the confusion), porous friction course, andPortland cement concrete.[10]
In theUnited States, the wordramp is an older term for an area where pre-flight activities were done; anapron was any area for parking and maintenance.Passenger gates are the main feature of a terminal ramp. The wordapron is the ICAO andFAA terminology (the wordramp is not), so the wordramp is not used with this meaning outside the US,Canada, theMaldives, and thePhilippines.IATA citesramp as an equivalent term toapron.[2]
Forseaplanes, aramp is used to access the apron/seaplane base from the water.[6]
'Aircraft stand' means a designated area on an apron intended to be used for parking an aircraft.
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