A "pier" is the name used to describe an
airport concourse that juts out from the main
terminal complex like this:
___landside___
| |
|_____ _____|
| |
_\_ | | _/_
/ | | \
_\_ | | _/_
/ | | \
_\_ | | _/_
/ |__| \
airside
The first airport to use a pier-based terminal design was
LaGuardia Airport in
New York City. Later, the South Terminal at
London's
Gatwick Airport incorporated an extra-long pier linked to the landside by
moving walkways, a design feature that soon became commonplace at other international airports.
While piers are good for accommodating a lot of aircraft in a minimal space, they require passengers to make lengthy walks to catch their flight or connect between flights.