General discussion

Mr N. G. Foulkes opened the Session by summarizing the principal points arising from the Papers presented during Sessions V, VI and VII.

Referring to Paper 9 on the new Dallas/Fort Worth airport, the attempt to simplify the range of choices facing the passenger was impressive. So was the effort which had been made in the terminal design to bring the aircraft and the passenger as close together as possible. The planners were fortunate to have so much land (18 000 acres) available for airport development so near to the two urban centres to be served.

Mr Bode's contribution on baggage handling had demonstrated that using more mechanized and computerized techniques emphasized the importance of reliability. Dependence on mechanization or automation at major terminals meant chaos in the event of breakdown. The emphasis in Paper 11 on access to airports was on the need for rapid transit links to such airports as Maplin. Paper 12 on cargo handling highlighted containerization and the impact of wide-bodied mixed passenger/cargo aircraft.