Ground handling facility and method for passenger-transporting aircraft

1. A ground handling facility (1) for passenger-conveying aircraft ( 100 ), comprising:

at least one first platform, configured as a landing platform ( 2 ) for passenger-conveying aircraft ( 100 ), wherein

(a) the at least one first platform is simultaneously configured as a takeoff platform ( 3 ) for the passenger-conveying aircraft, or

(b) at least one second platform is provided which is configured as the takeoff platform ( 3 ) for the passenger-conveying aircraft;

at least one weather protection region ( 4 ) which includes a weather protection area for passengers and the aircraft ( 100 );

at least one conveying device ( 5 ; 5 . 1 ; 5 . 2 ; 5 . 3 ) for the aircraft, which is configured to move the aircraft ( 100 ) from the landing platform ( 2 ) through the at least one weather protection region to the takeoff platform ( 3 );

said at least one weather protection region ( 4 ) including at least the following stations ( 6 ; 6 . 1 - 6 . 5 ) configured for predefined interactions (I) with the aircraft ( 100 ):

a removal station ( 6 . 1 ) configured for removal of at least one power supply unit of the aircraft;

an insertion station ( 6 . 4 ) configured for insertion of at least one charged or refilled power supply unit of the aircraft;

a charging station configured for charging or refilling the at least one power supply unit of the aircraft;

a robot ( 6 . 1 a . 6 . 4 a ) is provided at least at one of the removal station ( 6 . 1 ), which is configured to remove the power supply unit ( 6 . 1 b ) from the aircraft (P 1 ), or at the insertion station ( 6 . 4 ), which is configured to insert the at least one charged or refilled power supply unit in the aircraft; and

the at least one conveying device ( 5 ) is further configured such that a conveying speed thereof is selected such that one of the aircraft ( 100 ) is within a first time period removed from the landing platform ( 2 ) upon landing to the at least one weather protection region ( 4 ); and

the at least one conveying device ( 5 ) is further configured such that the conveying speed thereof is selected so that one of the aircraft ( 100 ) is within a second time period conveyed through the at least one weather protection region ( 4 ).

2. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein in the weather protection region ( 4 ), the stations ( 6 ; 6 . 1 - 6 . 5 ) are provided in series in a conveying direction of the conveying device ( 5 ; 5 . 1 ; 5 . 2 ; 5 . 3 ), the stations further include at least a disembarking station ( 6 . 2 ) configured for disembarking of passengers from the aircraft; an embarking station ( 6 . 3 ) configured for embarking of passengers into the aircraft.

3. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weather protection region ( 4 ) is at least covered by a roof.

4. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) comprises a multi-part conveying device ( 5 . 1 ; 5 . 2 ; 5 . 3 ).

5. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the multi-part conveying device includes a first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ), a second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ) and a third conveying device ( 5 . 3 ), wherein the first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ) is configured to convey the aircraft ( 100 ) from the landing platform ( 2 ) to or into the weather protection region ( 4 ), the second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ; 5 . 2 ′) is configured to convey the aircraft ( 100 ) through the weather protection region ( 4 ), and the third conveying device ( 5 . 3 ) is configured to convey the aircraft ( 100 ) out of or from the weather protection region ( 4 ) to the takeoff platform ( 3 ).

6. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein at least the first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ) and the third conveying device, in comparison to the second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ; 5 . 2 ′), have different conveying speeds, with the first conveying device ( 5 . 1 ) and the third conveying device ( 5 . 3 ) having a higher conveying speed than the second conveying device ( 5 . 2 ; 5 . 2 ′).

7. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) is configured to move the aircraft ( 100 ) in a continuous manner.

8. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) is configured to move the aircraft ( 100 ) in a discontinuous manner in the weather protection region ( 4 ).

9. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a braking device for a non-vertically landing aircraft located in a region of the landing platform ( 2 ).

10. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weather protection region is arranged on a different horizontal plane than at least one of the takeoff or landing platform ( 2 , 3 ).

11. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ground handling facility is adapted to be on a building ( 20 ).

12. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the takeoff or landing platform ( 2 , 3 ) is adapted to be arranged as an overhang in relation to the building ( 20 ).

13. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the weather protection region ( 4 ) or a course of the conveying device ( 5 ) in the region, has a meandering (M) form.

14. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one further station ( 6 . 5 ) configured for removal of the aircraft ( 100 ) from the conveying device ( 5 ).

15. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conveying device ( 5 ) comprises at least one of a conveyor belt, a robot, a towing device, a pushing device, or a carriage.

16. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first time period is less than one minute.

17. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said second time period is less than five minutes.

18. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a guiding device in the region of the landing platform ( 2 ), said guiding device ( 7 ) is configured to guide a landing one of the aircraft ( 100 ) into a region of action of the conveying device ( 5 ).

19. The ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an additional conveying device ( 5 . 1 ′) in the region of the landing platform ( 2 ), said additional conveying device ( 5 . 1 ′) being configured to feed a landed one of the aircraft ( 100 ) to the conveying device ( 5 ).

20. A building ( 20 ), comprising at least one ground handling facility ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ground handling facility ( 1 ) is arranged on or in a roof region of the building ( 20 ).

21. The building ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising an elevator ( 21 ) or a staircase as access to the weather protection region ( 4 ).

22. The building ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 , wherein there are at least two ground handling facilities ( 1 ) which are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the building ( 20 ), having respectively separate ones of the takeoff platforms and the landing platforms.

23. The building ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the takeoff platforms and the landing platforms ( 2 , 3 ) are arranged as overhangs in relation to the building ( 20 ).

24. A method for the ground handling of passenger-conveying aircraft ( 100 ), the method comprising:

i) providing an aircraft ( 100 ) on a first platform ( 2 ), which serves as a landing platform for a passenger-conveying aircraft ( 100 );

ii) conveying the aircraft ( 100 ) from the landing platform ( 2 ) into at least one weather protection region ( 4 ), which serves as a weather protection area for passengers and the aircraft ( 100 ) using at least one conveying device ( 5 ) for the aircraft ( 100 );

iii) conveying the aircraft ( 100 ) through the weather protection region ( 4 ) by the at least one conveying device ( 5 ), in which weather protection region ( 4 ) predefined interactions (I) with the aircraft ( 100 ) takes place at specific stations ( 6 );

iv) conveying the aircraft ( 100 ) out of the weather protection region ( 4 ) to a takeoff platform ( 3 ) for the aircraft ( 100 ) by the at least one conveying device ( 5 );

wherein in step iii) at least the following interactions are carried out:

removing at least one power supply unit of the aircraft;

inserting at least one power supply unit in the aircraft;

charging or refilling the at least one power supply unit of the aircraft; and

using a robot ( 6 . 1 a . 6 . 4 a ) for at least one of removing the power supply unit ( 6 . 1 b ) from the aircraft (P 1 ), or inserting the at least one charged or refilled power supply unit in the aircraft.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the aircraft ( 100 ) is conveyed initially relatively quickly away from the landing platform ( 2 ) to the weather protection region ( 4 ) or into the weather protection region ( 4 ), is subsequently conveyed relatively slowly through the weather protection region ( 4 ), and is then conveyed relatively quickly out of the weather protection region ( 4 ) or away from the weather protection region ( 4 ) to the takeoff platform ( 3 ).

26. The method as claimed in claim 24 , further comprising removing the aircraft ( 100 ) from the landing platform ( 2 ), and conveying the aircraft into the weather protection region ( 4 ), within a first time starting when said aircraft lands, and said first time is less than one minute.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the aircraft ( 100 ) is conveyed through the weather protection region ( 4 ) within a second time, and said second time is less than five minutes.

28. The method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the aircraft ( 100 ) is conveyed through the weather protection region ( 4 ) in continuous fashion.

29. The method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the aircraft ( 100 ) is conveyed through the weather protection region ( 4 ) in discontinuous fashion, with a stoppage or a slowed conveying movement in the region of the at least one station ( 6 ).

30. The method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein in step iii) additionally carrying out at least one of the following as part of the interactions (I):

embarking of passengers into the aircraft;

disembarking of passengers from the aircraft;

loading of goods for transport into the aircraft;

unloading of goods for transport from the aircraft;

technical maintenance of the aircraft;

transferring of the aircraft out of the conveying device; or

transferring of an aircraft into the conveying device.

31. The method as claimed in claim 24 , further comprising guiding a landing one of the aircraft ( 100 ) into a region of action of the conveying device ( 5 ) by a guiding device ( 7 ) located in a region of the landing platform ( 2 ).