Sir John Barham International Airport

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Sir John Barham International
jbismall.png
Code: JBI
Airport Summary
Airport Type Public/Industrial/Govt
Operator Navarre Airport Authority
Serves Navarre (Capital, Navarrok and Commerce districts)
Elevation AMSL 1,221m
Country Freethinker Commonwealth
Runways
Direction Dimensions/Surface
09L/27R 7,650m x 290m /
Heat-treated Concrete
09R/27L 4,880m x 80m /
Heat-treated Concrete
08/26 4,860m x 80m /
Concrete
13/31 3,080m x 70m /
Grooved Asphalt/Concrete

Sir John Barham International Airport (Intl Code: JBI) is one of the twelve international airports serving Navarre, the immense capital metropolis of the Freethinker Commonwealth. Although relatively minor in terms of total passenger traffic compared to some of the other facilities serving the city (ranking 4th in total passenger numbers and 6th in total flight movements), the location of the airport to the political and commercial heart of the Commonwealth means that there is significant demand for the limited number of gates and landing slots avaliable. The airport has undergone a significant renovation in the last few years in order to accomadate the new ACA Skyliner ultra-large passenger airliner.

JBI is a relatively rare facility in that it supports varient technology air and aerospace craft. Equipped with a state-of-the-art ATC system, advanced maintenance faculties and hardened and heat-resistant runways and taxiways, JBI is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to see gravity-propelled transatmospheric craft docking side-by-side with traditional jet-powered airliners. JBI has also been optimised for the handling and servicing of ultra-large aircraft, especially but not exclusively the Skyliner which is a familiar sight at the airport.

As well as being a commercial civilian airport, JBI is also home to the Logan Road Aircraft Factory, the final assembly plant for the ACA Skyliner. The airport often refers to itself as the "Home of the Skyliner" in light of this, and over four hundred of these mighty aircraft are built at the huge ACA plant located here every year. Another important facility on site is the Government Executive Terminal, the docking and servicing facility for the use of the higher members of the Freethinker Government as well as a spectacular (and appropriate) reception area for foreign dignitaries.

Facilities

Aerospace Craft

Set in 62 sq kms of central Navarre, the scale of JBI is daunting in itself. Because of the vast size of the larger aircraft expected to be handled by the facility, a larger proportion of the aiport is given over to large taxiways designed to allow the unimcumbered movement of the present traffic. Because it has to function in a large variety of aerospace services, the actual number of gates and space given over to conventional airliner docking are limited, with many smaller conventional aircraft serviced and boarded in open air standing slots away from the terminal buildings.

There are around 820 flight movements daily.

The airport contains four runways, of which generally two are in operation at any one time to provide uninterupted flight movements during the day.

  • 09L/27R
  • 09R/27L
  • 08/26
  • 13/31

Because of the relatively high positioning of the aiport (around 1,200 metres above sea-level), both runways have been lengthened to accomodate the increased take-off requirements in the thinner atmosphere. The largest aircraft in mind when the airport was designed (the ACA Skyliner) requires roughly 5,200 metres of paved runway at an international-load MTOW for a safe take-off run. Given the rather extreme positioning of the airport at the edge of the seventh level of Navarre large blast-zones, doubling as emergency braking areas, have been added to the runways to ensure aircraft and passenger safety in the event of an aborted take-off procedure.

Passengers

All four passenger terminals are connected by a circular electrical underground rail system that also links the carparks and transport stations to the airport terminals themselves. There are three traditional terminals with a mixture of covered gates and high capacity buses for aircraft boarding away from the terminal gates itself. All terminals have Freethinker National Immigration Office staff and clearence facilities along with standard passport controls. Secutiry is provided by the Freethinker National Transport Police with support from CNIO teams and Navarrok Guard personnel for heavy support.

Government Terminal

A dedicated government terminal has bee built to take over the executive transportation role played by the former Sir John Barham AFB facility, providing an effective boarding point for top executive, government and military officials. Fighter escorts are now operated out of the Dudworth Field AFB around forty miles to the south.

Served Airlines

Terminal 1

  • Freethinker Airlines (Freethinker Commonwealth)
  • Oceanian Airways (Azazia)
  • Song Airlines (Carvalo)
  • Royal Borneo Air Charter (Questers)
  • Questarian Airways (Questers)
  • Whyatican International Airlines (Whyatica)
  • Aralonian International Air Service (Aralonia)

Terminal 2

Terminal 3

  • Commonwealth Air (Freethinker Commonwealth)
  • Air Maraque (Maraque)
  • Midlonian Airways (Midlonia)
  • Peacock Airlines (Pantocratoria)

Skyliner Terminal

  • Freethinker Airlines (Freethinker Commonwealth)
  • Questarian Airways (Questers)
  • Chevrokian Airways (ChevyRocks)
  • Air Kaenei (Kaenei)
  • Megacity Aerospace Systems (ZMI)
  • Shazbotdom Aerospace Transportation (Shazbotdom)

Transportation Links

Part of the NTG, JBI is considered a local transport hub with a variety of road and rail connections. The bus/rail/citylink connection station is located just to the east of the airport and is connected to all four passenger terminals by the underground railway system. Most long- and short term carparks and taxi ranks area also located around the connection station. There are frequent services to other local transport hubs, particularly the two closest city connection airports (Commerce City Airport and Navarrok Municipal Airport) that are located on lower levels of the ring system.