Aurum International Airport

APC: AIA IIDC: UAIA

Aurum International Airport (APC: AIA, IIDC: UAIA) is an international airport in West Arkansalia, UKA, serving the Hagen City Area. Aurum International Airport has scheduled flights to a large number of international and domestic destinations.

Aurum International is the largest passenger hub for Aurum Air. It is also a focus city for Ves Alliance.

## History

In the late 1950s, many commercial airports had already been long established, and many others around the world were expanding due to the rise of the jet era. The UKA had only one small national airport on the western side of Amberhagen which was not used for commercial flights. In 1956, a developer saw opportunity in connecting Amberhagen to the rest of the world by access of air travel. After many sessions of convincing officials in the UKA, he was finally granted access under the terms of making it, "as small as possible." Three architects were in charge of making the new terminal of four gates. They created an iconic roof line which has been integrated with the terminal design for over 50 years. The airport opened in 1958.

In the late 1960s, two additional gates were added. By then, commercial jet travel had been well established throughout the world, and AIA was struggling to keep up with increasing demand. Despite the increase in gates, the then Amberhagen International Airport suffered greatly from its lack of capacity. To make use of the limited capacity, complex schedules were used which caused delays and further outreaching complications.

At this point, AIA was severely lacking in terms of reliability and safety. In 1977, consultants determined that in order to meet operational and safety standards, a significant increase in size was required. One year later, in 1978, a plan was devised to make AIA four times larger. Construction began later that year and was completed in mid 1981. At a mere 16 active gates, the new terminal met the bare minimum in operational capacity.

About a decade later, in early 1992, the airport was struggling yet again with capacity constraints. The boom in airport construction around the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s created many more flight opportunities that Amberhagen International could not take. Subsequently, by a multitude of convincing among the governments of Amberhagen and the UKA, the airport was now set to expand by half its former capacity. Construction of the new eastern concourse, Concourse L, began in 1993 and continued into late 1996. By then, many people were in protest of the new capacity gains. Many people saw the then current location of AIA ill fitting. It was very close to the Hagen City Area which was excellent on a logistical standpoint, but was not favored by many due to its environmental impact.

### **A new century brings new ideas**

Construction of the new concourse and other terminal modifications came to a halt in late 1996 by the government of the Municipality of Amberhagen. A study of the expansion plans found that many of the intended facilities called for irreversible damage to terrain and the environment. One being the major environmentally risky task of terraforming to allow for a platform over the ocean.

As the new expansion was essentially canceled, many emergency plans were proposed in order to keep the airport system in the UKA functional. Some plans envisioned adding a secondary airport to the Hagen City Area. This would be a complicated solution as many people would need to travel by ground to make connecting flights through different airlines at the two different locations.

The final plan was to make a permanent new location out in the barren lands of Arkansalia. Though this new location is farther than the old location, modern advancements in technology and infrastructure have significantly decreased commuting times. Construction of the new airport facility and terminal began in spring of 1997 and was completed in late 2000. On December 31, 2000, all flights were transferred over to the new terminal and the official name for AIA was switched from Amberhagen International Airport to Aurum International Airport. The airport code was kept AIA in order to minimize confusion.

The land the old airport was located on has since been reclaimed for other industrial applications.

## Facilities

### **Main Terminal**

The main terminal at AIA, designed by RSHA, consists of a north and south concourse. The two concourses are virtually identical, each having their own independent passport control and security. They are connected by a continuous hallway located behind the central ticketing hall. The south concourse is primarily home to Aurum Air while the north concourse is home to all other international carriers including one alliance. Domestic baggage claim is also located in the south concourse; though it can be accessed by the north concourse if needed.

In 2019, the roadside access to the airport was modified. Access to the terminal is now done through a bridge that connects the rail station and roadways. A single building connects the arrival and the departure hall together. All persons entering the building roadside arrive on the **Lower Level** where the arrivals hall is located. The ticketing hall is one floor above on **Level 1**. The main concourses are one floor above the ticketing hall on **Level 2**.

## Airlines and Destinations

### **Passenger**

 Delta Air Lines
 Essair
 Sigil Airways
 Lufthansa
 Ragusair