Software for Airport Planning, Design and Operations

Simtra AeroTech AB, developers of software solutions for aviation and transportation planners, designers, engineers and architects, officially released today a new generation of PathPlanner, its flagship software for airside planning, design and operations. Launched to the public at the sixteenth annual Passenger Terminal Expo in Geneva, Switzerland, the sixth generation of the software to be produced by the Gothenburg based company is virtually all new and is the largest upgrade to be released in six years.

The new generation sees the inclusion of realistic three dimensional airplanes and service equipment models, new interfaces, more intuitive  workflow processes, improved data handling and manipulation tools and time-saving design shortcuts. New Object Proximity Detection technology also identifies potential near-misses or collisions between objects such as passenger boarding bridges and airplanes, improving safety in doing so.

Other notable changes to the latest PathPlanner generation can be seen in the structure of the product line. Previously available as a modular system, the new PathPlanner version is instead divided into three separate products, with each product available in two version levels. Ben van Leest, Managing Director at Simtra explains that the new products, the PathPlanner Airside Series, Turn Series and Gate Series, are all tailored to assist with a specialized set of challenges.

“The PathPlanner Airside Series is an all-inclusive apron design and operations product” van Leest explains. “It can be used to undertake aircraft maneuver studies, plan and optimize gates and stands, design ground markings, analyze jet blast impacts and more. The PathPlanner Turn Series is, on the other hand, purely for simulating aircraft maneuvers whilst the PathPlanner Gate Series is specifically for designing gates and other parking positions” van Leest said. He goes on to say that “within each series, two versions are available. For example, in the PathPlanner Airside Series we have PathPlanner Airside+ (Plus) with 3D and advanced design tools and we also have PathPlanner Airside which incorporates key tools but in 2D only.”

With the addition of three dimensional airplanes and service equipment models, PathPlanner now provides users with the flexibility to work in a traditional 2D environment or to move things into a third dimension with 3D simulations and presentations. “We have really focused on creating models that are as realistic as possible but in a way that does not demand a significant amount of resources from our customers' computers. The feedback we have received so far would suggest we have succeeded” comments van Leest.

For more information on the new PathPlanner generation, visit www.simtra.com.

About PathPlanner
After its initial development in 1994 together with the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority, Airbus selected PathPlanner in the late 1990's to prepare for the introduction of the A380 at major international airports. Having proven its value ever since, PathPlanner is now in use at the vast majority of the world’s largest airports, aviation consultancy firms and Passenger Boarding Bridge manufacturers. It is used by airport design and operations professionals to plan and design aprons, taxiways and runways. 

About Simtra
Founded in 1989, Simtra was originally involved in the navigation of mobile robots. The company branched out in 1994 and merged the results of the robotics research with airport know-how provided by the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority. This resulted in the software application PathPlanner; an airside planning, design and operations tool that could be used directly in the CAD environment.

In recent years other software products have been added to Simtra’s portfolio and today the company is recognized as a leading supplier of software solutions and services for planners, designers, engineers and architects in both the aviation and transportation industries.