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I found a quite "rare" layout on Munich airport. It has jetbridges but I don't see any terminal. Look: munich

How do passengers make it to this point of the airport? By underground?

user13197
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    Either this is an optical phenomenon caused by stitching satellite images together, or they get to the jet bridges by way of a bus (which you can see in the image), it looks to be the latter of the two options though. – Ron Beyer Feb 18 '16 at 02:46
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    That's where they park the bad planes. Fine. I don't like it, but you can land here. You're parking in the boonies, though...:. – FreeMan Feb 18 '16 at 14:02
  • @mins The bus gates are in T2 but these stands are in T1 side. The apron jet bridges are used by both terminal and the bus gates are used for planes in apron with/without jet bridges. – Him Feb 26 '16 at 14:24

2 Answers2

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They are specially designed apron jet bridges. It looks like the normal gates but required to transfer passenger by bus.

A model shows how it runs (credit) : enter image description here

Him
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    LAX has a number of apron jet bridges just south of rwy 6R. Their advantages over typical airstairs include having escalators to raise the pax rather then depending on stair-climbing and they keep people out of the weather. Note the overhang along the roadway for the buses to park under. It's been a few years now, but often having used the LAX apron jet bridges versus airstairs at, say, Tel Aviv, I remember the apron jet bridges as being significantly faster. And watching and waiting for old Hajjjis having to contend with airstairs at Jakarta during five hajjes was truly painful – Terry Feb 18 '16 at 03:45
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    I want to fly such a colourful plane! – yo' Feb 18 '16 at 13:28
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    @kepler22b: Except sooner or later you're sure to get an idiot who wants to look inside a jet engine :-) – jamesqf Feb 18 '16 at 19:08
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This type of terminals are called "Satellite Terminals". Passengers are usually processed in a central building while aircraft are parked in remote docks. The satellite buildings are connected with the central building (if any) through tunnels or any kind or collective transportation (e.g. bus).

These terminals have a wide range of advantages and disadvantages when compared with more frequent types of terminals.

Advantages:

  • Suitable for high traffic airports and hubs with a large number of connecting flights.
  • Easiness for the aircraft to maneuver on ground.
  • Easy separation of passengers flows (e.g. international pax, national pax, regional pax).

Disadvantages:

  • High investment and maintenance of transportation services.
  • Acces congestion at peak-times.
  • Early check-in.

Munich (MUC) or Madrid (MAD) are some of the airports that have implemented this system.

The photo you show seems like a very special kind of satellite terminal with multiple remote "gates" and are probably managed by a bus that travels through the road connecting all of them.

Airman01
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