Gate (airport) in the context of "Airport ground support equipment"

An airport terminal is a main building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from an aircraft.

The buildings that provide access to the airplanes (via gates) are typically called concourses. However, the terms "terminal" and "concourse" are sometimes used interchangeably, depending on the configuration of the airport. Smaller airports have one terminal while larger airports have several terminals and/or concourses. At small airports, a single terminal building typically serves all of the functions of a terminal and a concourse. Larger airports might have either one terminal that is connected to multiple concourses or multiple almost independent unit terminals.

A jet bridge is an enclosed connector which most commonly extends from an airport terminal gate to an airplane, and in some instances from a port to a boat or ship, allowing passengers to board and disembark without heading outside and being exposed to harsh weather. Depending on building design, sill heights, fueling positions, and operational requirements, a jet bridge may be fixed or movable, swinging radially, or extending in length. The jetway was invented by Frank Der Yuen.

Similar devices are used for astronauts to enter spacecraft, which are installed at the appropriate height of the launch tower.

In aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from its parking position, usually at an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs.

Although many aircraft are capable of moving themselves backwards on the ground using reverse thrust (a procedure referred to as a powerback), the resulting jet blast or prop wash would cause increased noise, damage to the terminal building or equipment, and can cause injury to airport staff due to flying debris. This debris would also be sucked into the engine, as it is in normal use, and cause excessive wear - a major cause of wear on aircraft engines is during ground use. A pushback is therefore the preferred method when ground-handling aircraft.

In aviation, aircraft ground handling or ground operations defines the servicing of an aircraft while it is on the ground and (usually) parked at a terminal gate of an airport.

The Dulles International Airport Main Terminal is located in Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Dulles, Virginia, United States. The original structure, 600 feet (180 m) long and 150 feet (46 m) wide, was designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962 as the first terminal at Dulles International Airport. Annexes to the west and east were completed in 1996 as part of a renovation designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), bringing its total length to 1,240 feet (380 m). The terminal is operated by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles Airport as a whole. The terminal's design is a suspended structure with roof panels of precast concrete suspended between cables which span the width of the building.

The Main Terminal's design includes parallel slanted colonnades on the terminal's north and south facades, interspersed with glass walls. The landside facade to the north is taller than the airside facade to the south; a concave roof supported by cables connects the two facades, descending toward the center. A concourse and control tower extend south toward the airport's apron. The interior was originally divided into two levels: an upper story for departing passengers and a lower story for arriving passengers. Saarinen's original design included mobile lounges that ferried passengers directly to planes, reducing the need for long walks or taxiing while increasing the airport's operational flexibility. The modern terminal includes four airline gates known as Z gates, where aircraft could unload passengers directly. In addition, two basements contain security screening facilities and an AeroTrain people-mover station.