Long-term Public Parking (Airports)
Densify and bring parking closer: more capacity, fewer flows, better customer experience
Long-term parking has become a strategic asset for airports: revenue, quality of service, flow management, and image. However, many sites are currently saturated or constrained by land availability, while external competition (more or less structured) captures part of the demand and generates nuisances (traffic, anarchic parking, shuttles, etc.).
Hi Park offers an approach of automated outdoor vertical storage, designed to increase capacity on a constant footprint and reposition the stock closer to the airport infrastructure.
The specific challenges of airport parking:
- Rare and costly land: difficult extensions, acceptability, and delays.
- Peaks and seasonality: departures/returns, holidays, “hinge” days.
- Quality of service: return time, reliability, reduction of queues and uncertainties.
- Security: vehicle integrity, access control, traceability.
- External competition: off-site parking, sometimes poorly regulated, loss of revenue, and nuisances.
Why is long-term parking favorable to automation?
Departures are often predictable (return flight time, reservation, customer status).
This predictability allows:
Operational anticipation
Anticipate vehicle preparation in advance of demand to improve availability and responsiveness.
Flow smoothing
Smooth movements to effectively absorb activity peaks and limit operational congestion.
Reduction of repositioning
Reduce unnecessary repositioning by optimizing trajectories and movement sequences.
Orchestrated mass storage
Make a logic of mass storage coupled with fine orchestration of movements relevant: the Hi Park model.
Comparison of operations with and without Hi Park
| Theme | Current Practices (flat parking) | With Hi Park | Operational Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity / Land | Extension by hectares, rapid saturation | Verticalized (3D) storage | Significant capacity increase on constant footprint (ZAN logic) |
| Positioning | Stock sometimes outsourced due to lack of space | Stock brought closer to airport infrastructure | Fewer external flows, fewer shuttles, better control |
| Customer Return | Variable time, depends on peaks | Possible orchestration with advance preparation | More reliable time, better experience |
| Peaks / Seasonality | Overload during peak periods | Smoothing by anticipation (reservations / statuses) | Fewer queues, more regular operation |
| Security / Integrity | Multiple accesses, risk of damage | Controlled access and storage areas (principle) | Risk reduction, better traceability |
| Operation | High HR dependency on certain time slots | More standardized and controlled process | More stable continuity and quality of service |
Site Creation / Extension: Classic vs Hi Park
| Theme | Classic Site (flat) | With Hi Park | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity Growth | New surface, long projects | Progressive scaling up (modules / phases) | Controlled time-to-capacity |
| Acceptability / Permits | Visible ground extension, constraints | Densification on existing footprint | Less sprawl, better acceptability |
| External Flows | Off-site relocation, shuttles | Bringing stocks closer | Reduction of nuisances and logistical costs |
| Project Risk | “One shot” and long-term bet | Phasing and adjustment to demand | Less CAPEX immobilized upfront |
| Reversibility | Strong immobilization | Modularity / reconfigurability (depending on design) | Strategic flexibility |
What Hi Park Changes for an Airport
1) Regain control over capacity “in the right place”
Verticalization allows recreating capacity in the immediate vicinity of terminals, where land is the rarest and most useful.
2) Reduce external flows and nuisances
By bringing the stock closer, we reduce:
- Empty kilometers and shuttles
- Congestion related to peripheral parking,
- Operational and security frictions.
3) Structure the service around anticipation
With reservations and knowledge of schedules, orchestration can:
- Prepare vehicles in advance
- Prioritize emergencies (delays, modified flights, peaks)
- Ensure reliable return time.
Offer an internalized, qualitative, and proximity long-term parking service to customers.
ESG Impact — Land, Energy & Water
Land Sobriety
Densify rather than sprawl (ZAN logic).
Hi Park
Energy (PV option)
Possible photovoltaic roof coverage without loss of capacity, with self-consumption, grid injection, or controlled charging scenarios, depending on the site.
Water
Recovery and management of rainwater at the site level for non-potable uses (washing, watering), according to local regulations.
Durability
Modularity, reversibility, and recyclability of industrialized components.
Responsible Operation
Safety, reduction of hardship, and traceability for reliable and humane operation.
Hi Park, a Lever for Airports
Capacity
Increase the number of available spaces on the existing footprint, without sprawl.
Return Time
Ensure reliable vehicle return time, even during peak periods.
Competition / Avoided External Flows
Reduce off-site movements (shuttles, unnecessary kilometers) and associated nuisances.
Differentiation
Offer long-term parking without cannibalizing existing traditional parking.
Conclusion
Hi Park enables a complementary and additional parking offer, on-site at airports.