Just a few years ago, the trip on the Aeroexpress from Belorussky railway station to Sheremetyevo took only 35 minutes and was one of the most convenient options for passengers. However, after the launch of the Moscow Central Diameters (MCD), travel time increased to 53 minutes. At the same time, the Northeast Chord shortened the route for drivers, but only for those traveling by private vehicle.
As a result, most passengers switched to taxis — today, 70% of Sheremetyevo visitors arrive this way. The pick-up area infrastructure was unprepared for such a surge in demand and began experiencing disruptions.
We analyzed the issues with taxi boarding in front of airport terminals and proposed a comprehensive solution based on passenger flow modeling.
Simulated the passenger’s journey from the arrival area to taxi boarding, identifying bottlenecks, recording time intervals, and accounting for the operation of entrance and exit barriers.
Set up a taxi holding area near the terminal, allowing drivers to wait comfortably. This reduced and made the vehicle dispatch time more predictable.
Improved navigation both within the airport premises and in the Yandex Go app. By dividing zones according to service classes (economy/comfort), we extended the boarding area and eliminated vehicle congestion.
Before the changes were implemented, traffic jams were constantly forming on the approach to the airport. To understand the sources and density of traffic, we worked with Yandex.Taxi to conduct a study of the user's journey from the arrival area to the taxi. The analysis showed that passengers most often order a taxi while standing at the luggage belt, waiting for their suitcase.
We needed to synchronise the taxi pick-up time with the time it takes the passenger to reach the boarding area with their luggage. This synchronisation helps to smooth out peaks in demand and prevent parking congestion.
Based on the results of the study, we have developed a model to improve the situation by introducing a fourth boarding and alighting lane at Sheremetyevo Airport's station square. This makes it possible to bypass traffic jams and directly access the required terminal, bypassing the neighbouring terminal.
The simulation results confirmed the hypothesis about the necessary introduction of additional bandwidth
The first operational step was to apply markings: directions were designated by transport type — taxis, buses, and private vehicles. Navigation signs appeared, indicating which parking area could be accessed from each lane. These measures produced initial results.
To optimize passenger flow, we divided the areas of terminals B and C into boarding zones according to taxi classes. This helped speed up passenger dispersal and reduce traffic density in specific sections. All departing passengers now enter the terminal via a bridge — this separation of flows reduced the travel time to terminal B to 15 minutes during peak hours and helped avoid traffic jams.
The separation of flows has increased the capacity of the pre terminal zone between Terminals B and C
As a result of implementing the model and optimizing the traffic flow scheme, the load on the pickup zone was significantly reduced. It now handles the flow efficiently, and the updated interface in Yandex.Taxi has made the waiting and car-finding process more comfortable for passengers.
We would like to thank our colleagues from the Sheremetyevo Parking Administration, the Moscow Traffic Control Center, the Moscow Region Road Safety Center, and Yandex for their productive collaboration.
