Theme: Airport World’s 20th anniversary Airport report: Minneapolis-St Paul Airport design: Creating green spaces Plus: Security, people matters & WBPs
A milestone for Airport World magazine December 2015 – January 2016 Volume 20 Issue 6 www.aci.aero
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Airport World Editor Joe Bates +44 (0)1276 476582 joe@airport-world.com Design, Layout & Production Mark Draper +44 (0)208 230 7867 mark@airport-world.com Sales Director Jonathan Lee +44 (0)208 707 2743 jonathan@airport-world.com Sales Manager Ellis Owen +44 (0)208 274 1540 ellis@airport-world.com Advertising Manager Andrew Hazell +44 (0)20 8384 0206 andrewh@airport-world.com Subscriptions Beth Owen +44 (0)208 707 2743 subscriptions@airport-world.com Managing Director Jonathan Lee +44 (0)208 707 2743 jonathan@aviationmedia.aero Published by Aviation Media Ltd PO BOX 448, Feltham, TW13 9EA, UK
Website www.airport-world.com
Airport World is published six times a year for the members of ACI. The opinions and views expressed in Airport World are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect an ACI policy or position. ISSN: 1360-4341 The content of this publication is copyright of Aviation Media Ltd and should not be copied or stored without the express permission of the publisher. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company using only paper from FSC/PEFC suppliers www.magprint.co.uk
The Airport World story Editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the 20th anniversary of Airport World and the changing face of the aviation industry over the past two decades.
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may not have been here from the very start as Airport World was already nearly five years old when I joined it at the end of 2000, but after clocking up 15 years with the magazine it is fair to say that I have been in a privleged postion to witness, write about and in some cases provide commentary on arguably the most exciting times in the history of ACI and the world’s airports. You can read more about what some of today’s leading airport bosses and IATA’s Tony Tyler consider to be the industry highlights of the last 20 years later on in this special anniversary issue of Airport World, but from my perspective I think the biggest changes have been the evolution of ACI World and the giant strides forward airports have taken in terms of customer service, embracing new technology and green initiatives. For in the last 20 years ACI World has developed and strenghtened its relationship with ICAO to ensure that the voice of the world’s airports is heard on the global stage – the 2011 move of its HQ from Geneva to Montréal to be closer to ICAO proving pivotal – and it has introduced a host of training, customer service, safety, security and enviromental initiatives that have already begun to make airports safer, more secure and user friendly. Among the most significant of these has been the introduction of the Airport Management Professional Accrediation Progamme (AMPAP) in collaboration with ICAO; the creation of the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme; and most recently the launch of the Airport Excellence (APEX) in Safety programme. ACI as a global organisation is also now stronger than it has ever been with all regions (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin AmericaCaribbean and North America) increasingly working together with ACI World for the good of the world’s airports and the aviation industry.
ACI’s work as part of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG); initiatives such as Airport Carbon Accrediation and the Airport Carbon and Emissions Reporting Tool (ACERT); and numerous pioneering ‘green’ projects by individual airports help ensure that aviation is doing more than most other industries to negate its impact on the environment. The transformation of customer service at airports; introduction of game changing new technology; and traffic development at the world’s largest hubs over the last 20 years is covered in articles in this celebratory issue. We also take a look at how airport design has evolved during the past two decades and predict what the passenger terminal of the future might look like. From Airport World’s perspective in addition to bringing you news about all the big events of the last 20 years we have interviewed most of aviation’s leading personalities and covered everything from the key roles airports have played in helping regions and countries recover from natural disaters such as eathquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes to the fun and the quirky such as the world’s tallest control towers, pet hotels and using honeybees to detect explosives. Talking of personalities, elsewhere in this issue we interview Jeff Hamiel, Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport’s long-serving executive director/CEO who will have chalked up an amazing 39 years at MSP by the time he retires in May 2016. In many ways his retirement will be a watershed for the industry as I don’t believe that any other airport leader has served one airport for so long, and in today’s world where people tend to move from job to job every few years, it is unlikely to ever be repeated. So, please enjoy this extra special issue of Airport World and here’s to the next AW 20 years!
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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CONTENTS
In this issue Issue 6 Volume 20
3 Opinion Editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the 20th anniversary of Airport World and the changing face of the aviation industry over the past two decades.
8 ACI news ACI’s latest global traffic figures show that passenger numbers continue to rise steadily across the globe, writes Ryan White.
11 View from the top ACI World’s director general, Angela Gittens, looks ahead to 2016 when the organisation will celebrate 25 years of being ‘the voice of the world’s airports’.
12 Old school Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport’s Jeff Hamiel talks to Joe Bates about his airport’s growth and development under his leadership and reflects on some industry highlights ahead of his upcoming retirement.
16 Planes, trains and pet hotels Joe Bates looks back at the first 20 years of Airport World and picks out some personal highlights in terms of key dates for ACI and unique or unsual stories.
22 Celebrate good times Airport customer service has undergone a metamorphosis for the better over the last 20 years fuelled by management taking responsibility for customer experiences across the entire gateway, writes Joanne Paternoster.
27 Design and innovation Stantec’s Stanis Smith reflects on the evolution of the terminal building since 1995 and considers what the future might hold for airport design.
31 Terminal velocity Continually topping customer satisfaction polls is the goal of almost every airport and in today’s highly competitive operating environment, one way to impress is having a modern, state-of-the-art terminal.
32 Enabling growth SITA’s Matthys Serfontein reflects on the evolution of airport IT and considers what the future might hold for new technology at the world’s gateways.
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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CONTENTS
Director General Angela Gittens Chair Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA) Vice Chair Declan Collier (London, UK) Immediate Past Chair Yiannis Paraschis (Athens, Greece)
36 How time flies when... Some of the world’s best known and most influential airport leaders provide their thoughts on how their gateways have fared over the last 20 years and contemplate what might be next in store for the aviation industry.
43 On top of the world OAG senior analyst, John Grant, takes a closer look at the traffic trends at the world’s busiest hubs over the last 20 years.
47 Green thinking The addition of ‘green’ areas within airport terminals can help create a sense of place, improve the ambience and have a calming impact on passengers, writes Kenneth Freeman.
51 The pursuit of happiness AeroParker’s CEO, Jon Keefe, explains why he believes that using an e-commerce platform to book car parking online can help drive airport revenues and enhance the passenger experience.
53 Expand and grow Mike Bernos reports on Juan Santamaria International Airport’s plans to ensure that its key infrastructure is equipped to keep pace with growing demand.
55 All about access ASSA ABLOY’s head of technical and marketing, Jonathan Nobbs, discusses how automating entrance and exit doors can help fine-tune security and boost customer satisfaction levels.
57 Going green The latest environmental news from across the globe.
58 Project watch - Europe 1
Private investors unveil ambitious plans for a new €15 billion hub in northern Italy.
61 ACI’s World Business Partners 62 People matters Terri Morrissey and Dr Richard Plenty provide their thoughts on: The importance of recognition.
Treasurer Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany) ACI WORLD GOVERNING BOARD DIRECTORS Africa (3) Pascal Komla (Lomé, Togo) Bongani Maseko (Johannesburg, South Africa) Robinson Misitala (Livingstone, Zambia) Asia-Pacific (8) Kjeld Binger (Amman, Jordan) Dennis Chant (Gold Coast, Australia) Kenichi Fukaya (Tokyo, Japan) Seow Hiang Lee (Singapore) Kerrie Mather (Sydney, Australia) Emmanuel Menanteau (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) PS Nair (Delhi, India) 1 vacancy Europe (7) Declan Collier (London, UK) Arnaud Feist (Brussels, Belgium) Michael Kerkloh (Munich, Germany) Augustin de Romanet (Paris, France) Stefan Schulte (Frankfurt, Germany) Sani Şener (Istanbul, Turkey) José-Manuel Vargas (Madrid, Spain) Latin America & Caribbean (3) Fernando Bosque (Guadalajara, México) Martin Eurnekian (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Héctor Navarrete Muñoz (Merida, Mexico) North America (7) Thella Bowens (San Diego, USA) James Cherry (Montréal, Canada) Fredrick J Piccolo (Sarasota, USA) Mark Reis (Seattle, USA) Maureen Riley (Salt Lake City, USA) Tom Ruth (Edmonton, Canada) William Vanecek (Buffalo, USA) Regional Advisers to the World Governing Board (8) Aaron Adderley (Hamilton, Bermuda) Howard Eng (Toronto, Canada) Deborah Ale Flint (Oakland, USA) Xue Song Liu (Beijing, China) Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Andrew O’Brian (Quito, Ecuador) Zouhair Mohamed El Aoufir (Rabat, Morocco) 1 vacancy Observer World Business Partner Board Chairperson Greg Fordham (Airbiz) Correct as of December 2, 2015
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
ACI WORLD NEWS
World in motion ACI’s latest global traffic figures show that passenger numbers continue to rise steadily across the globe, writes Ryan White.
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raffic continues to rise at the world’s airports, with the latest ACI figures for 2015 showing that passenger numbers across the globe increased by 6.5% during the month of September. The healthy monthly upturn means that global passenger traffic increased by 6.2% during the first nine months of 2015, with all ACI’s regions experiencing an upturn in throughput for the year-to-date. International and domestic traffic posted growth rates of 6.3% and 6.9% respectively for the month of September, the robust year-on-year growth being helped by an environment of lower fares and weak oil prices. Middle Eastern airports reported the greatest increase in passenger traffic with double-digit gains of 15.7%. Doha (DOH) and Abu Dhabi (AUH), two of the region’s major hubs, grew by 21.4% and 18.2% respectively. While Dubai (DXB), the world’s busiest international airport, recorded an 8.2% rise in passenger traffic compared to the same month a year ago.
All ACI’s regions posted large gains in traffic during September with the notable exception of Africa, which experienced a 1.5% decline in passengers. Although major airports such as Johannesburg (JNB) and Cairo (CAI) experienced gains of 6.9% and 7.4% respectively, ongoing security concerns in northern African states have left the region’s air transport demand in a weakened state. Tunisian airports such as Tunis (TUN) and other major Egyptian airports were in decline for the month of September. Growth in airport passenger traffic in the Eurozone and the United States has continued on an upward trajectory in tandem with the recovery in advanced economies. Indeed, a substantial strengthening of domestic demand in both European and North American air travel markets has resulted in overall growth of 6.1% and 6.8% respectively for the month of September. Similarly, strong growth of 6.5% in passenger traffic was attained across airports in the Asia-Pacific region. Many airports in China and India continue to report significant gains in year-over-year passenger numbers. Shanghai (PVG) and New Delhi (DEL) grew by 15.8% and 12.8% respectively.
Tough talking expected at Delhi conference Early December’s Investing in Airports – Economic Oversight and Regulation Conference in Delhi, organised by ACI in co-operation with ICAO, is expected to provide an unprecedented opportunity to discuss economic oversight and regulation with a variety of aviation stakeholders, including ICAO, state regulators, airport operators, airlines and investors. While ACI and others have addressed these matters as session topics at conferences, it will mark the first time a full conference is dedicated to learning about how changes to airport governance models and airport management practices are encouraging regulators worldwide to take new approaches to airport oversight and regulation. Speaking ahead of the event, ACI director general, Angela Gittens, said: “The time has come for frank discussions on how we can ensure that economic oversight and regulation evolve in step with the rapidly changing aviation industry.”
Industry associations condemn terrorist attacks Angela Gittens and other leaders of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC) condemned the recent spate of terrorist attacks during the 2015 ICAO World Aviation Forum in Montréal in late November. GTAC and its members extend their deepest condolences to the families and friends of all the victims affected by the incidents and went on record as stating that terrorism is a global threat that can only be addressed through the strong and concerted efforts of the world’s governments and the international community. The statement continues: “The travel and tourism sector recalls that security is a prerequisite for tourism and therefore the sector is fully available to co-operate with governments to include tourism representatives from the public and private sectors in national security planning and implementation structures and procedures. “Our sector is at the ready to apply its experience to work even closer with governments around the world to develop the appropriate response and recovery plans for the sector where necessary.”
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
ACI WORLD NEWS
ACI events
2016
2016
2016
2016
2016
March 7-9
September 10-13*
September 25-28
June 20-22
April 18-20
Airport Economics & Finance Conference & Exhibition London, United Kingdom
ACI Latin-America & Caribbean Conference & Exhibition Brasilia, Brazil
ACI-NA Annual Conference & Exhibition
ACI Europe General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition Athens, Greece
ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Assembly, Conference & Exhibition Gold Coast, Australia
*provisional date
ACI World Annual General Assembly Montréal, Canada
ACI offices ACI World Angela Gittens Director General PO Box 302 800 Rue du Square Victoria Montréal, Quebec H4Z 1G8 Canada Tel: +1 514 373 1200 Fax: +1 514 373 1201 aci@aci.aero www.aci.aero
ACI Fund for Developing Nations’ Airports Angela Gittens Managing Director Tel: + 1 514 373 1200 Fax: +1 514 373 1201 acifund@aci.aero
ACI Africa Ali Tounsi Secretary General Casablanca, Morocco Tel: +212 660 156 916 atounsi@aci-africa.aero www.aci-africa.aero
ACI Latin America & Caribbean Javier Martinez Botacio Director General Panama City, Panama Tel: +507 238 2691 jmartinez@aci-lac.aero www.aci-lac.aero
ACI Asia-Pacific Patti Chau Regional Director Hong Kong SAR, China Tel: +852 2180 9449 Fax: +852 2180 9462 info@aci-asiapac.aero www.aci-asiapac.aero
ACI Europe Olivier Jankovec Director General Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 (2) 552 0978 Fax: +32 (2) 502 5637 danielle.michel@aci-europe.org www.aci-europe.org
ACI North America Kevin Burke President & CEO Washington DC, USA Tel: +1 202 293 8500 Fax: +1 202 331 1362 postmaster@aci-na.org www.aci-na.org
As of January 2015, ACI accounts for 590 regular members operating 1,850 airports in 173 countries. In 2014, airports worldwide welcomed 6.7 billion passengers and handled 102 million metric tonnes of cargo and 83 million aircraft movements. ACI is a non-profit organisation whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations.
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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ACI VIEWPOINT
View from the top ACI World’s director general, Angela Gittens, looks ahead to 2016 when the organisation will celebrate 25 years of being ‘the voice of the world’s airports’.
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would like to congratulate Airport World on 20 years of informing readers of the latest developments in our dynamic sector. We’ve covered a lot of ground as an industry over the last two decades and AW has been there every step of the way. It is an achievement of which all staff and contributors should be proud. And on the topic of anniversaries, ACI is looking forward to celebrating its 25th year as an organisation in 2016. The industry has changed dramatically over the last quarter century, and during that time our collective trajectory has been punctuated by numerous events – staccato tragedies such as 9/11 and MH17 or slow-burn evolutions in airport ownership and industry regulation – that have changed aviation’s landscape forever. Throughout this time, ACI has remained on the cutting edge of the developments that affect the world’s airports, not only adeptly reacting to new realities, but also effecting lasting and positive change through our work with ICAO and other stakeholders. ACI is the result of a 1991 merger of two organisations, the Airport Operators Council International (AOCI) and the International Civil Airports Association (ICAA). At the time of the merger, AOCI chairman, Oris Dunham, remarked: “I believe the new worldwide organisation will significantly enhance the ability of airports to effectively participate in guiding the global growth of aviation.” This has been our mandate ever since. I’m pleased to report that we’re making more progress than ever where co-operating with stakeholders is concerned, and ACI is now seen as a trusted partner that not only has airports’ best interests in mind, but also those of aviation in general. Today, our activities include: • Representing airports on the world stage on ICAO panels, committees and working groups; • Partnering on safety (our APEX in Safety programme involves participation from ICAO, the US FAA, the World Bank and airports the world over); • Enhancing security (over the last two years ACI and IATA have worked together with regulators to conduct Smart Security pilots in
several airports around the world, and we are now moving on to broader implementation); • Environmental stewardship (The ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation programme is now worldwide and version 3.0 of our free Airport Carbon Emissions Reporting Tool, ACERT, was released this summer); • Knowledge and best-practice sharing (ACI is seen as the source for airport traffic and economic data and analysis due to our annual ACI World Airport Traffic Report and ACI Airport Economics Report, and our publishing activities extend to essentially all aspects of airport operation); • Customer service (our Airport Service Quality programme is the premier airport customer service benchmarking tool in the industry – the only worldwide survey of actual airport passengers on the day of travel); • Training (we offer a wide range of classroom and online courses, and the ACI-ICAO Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme, or AMPAP, is seen as the gold standard for training tomorrow’s airport leaders); and • Leading-edge events. The recently held ACI-ICAO-IATA AVSEC Conference in Dublin and Investing in Airports Conference, organised by ACI in co-operation with ICAO, in Delhi, are two great examples. And to celebrate our 25th anniversary, next year’s ACI World Annual General Assembly will be held right here in Montréal in collaboration with ACI North America and Aéroports de Montréal). While our accomplishments to date are significant, we’re cognisant that the pace of change in our industry is relentless and that we must continue to push the boundaries in order to achieve sustainable accommodation of the world’s air service demand. I have no doubt that the next 25 years will bring more challenges to overcome and opportunities to seize. ACI will be there, evolving along with the needs of our members to ensure that we remain ‘the voice of the world’s airports’. AW
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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AIRPORT REPORT: MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL
Old school
Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport’s Jeff Hamiel talks to Joe Bates about his airport’s growth and development under his leadership and reflects on some industry highlights ahead of his upcoming retirement.
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he tall, imposing figure of Jeff Hamiel was one of the first airport bosses I encountered upon joining Airport World 15 years ago and with his affable manner, sense of humour and calm demeanour it was almost impossible not to strike up a rapport with him. Clearly, the Metropolitan Airports Commission feels the same way, because he has been their executive director/CEO for the last 30 years and will have clocked up an amazing 39 years at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP) when he retires next year. And, as you would expect from someone in his position, the former US Air Force pilot knows exactly when he will be going, as his chosen date to leave his office at MSP for the last time is Monday, May 16, 2016. The date is significant to him because he actually joined the airport as its first noise programme manager, following his stint in the military, on Monday, May 16, 1977. “I will leave 39 years to the day since I joined the airport. They just couldn’t get rid of me until now,” jokes Hamiel, who was familiar with MSP even before he joined it due to his role as the US Air Force’s local community liaison officer. “Why not go on until 40 years? Well, quite frankly it feels like the right time. I will be 69 years old when I retire and I think it will be nice to go and do a few other things while my wife and I are still fit and healthy. “It is also the right time for someone else to come in and take over and oversee the next phase of the airport’s development programme. We have just finished a $3.2 billion expansion project and are now preparing for a $2.5 billion expansion programme between now and 2030, so I think it is time for a leadership change to make sure the new person can come in and be on the ground floor for the project.” Hamiel believes that whoever takes over will be able to rely on a “solid management team with a passion for the business”, all of which he notes he has been lucky enough to handpick over the years.
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
He actually restructured the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) about three years ago in anticipation of his retirement, creating what he calls a stronger organisation that is better equipped for the change in leadership. His successor will also inherit a very different airport to the one Hamiel joined in 1977 when Northwest was the biggest airline in town and just 8.5 million passengers passed through its facilities. Today, around 35 million passengers per annum use MSP, which is now a Delta Air Lines hub and the 16th busiest airport in the US for passenger traffic.
Infrastructure development MAC updates the airport’s master plan every five years and, under the umbrella of its $3.2 billion 2010 plan, MSP got a fourth runway (Runway 17/35) on the west side of the airport site, a new 10-gate Terminal 2, an expanded Terminal 1 and two new concourses. In addition the plan also delivered new roadways; additional 16,000 car parking spaces; 12 extra airbridges on Concourse C; new car rental facilities; a transit centre; and two stations to accommodate an airport pit-stop of the light-rail system operating between Minneapolis and the Mall of America. The extra car parking facilities mean that MSP has space for 23,000 vehicles making it one of the biggest parking venues in the US generating around $88 million in annual revenues.
AIRPORT REPORT: MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL Next on the agenda is the $2.5 billon 2015 plan, which based on traffic projections to the year 2035 calls for a complete redevelopment of Terminal 1 and expansion of Terminal 2 to add more gates, passenger processing facilities and kerbside space. MSP’s roadways will also be realigned and a new airport hotel added in the phased development programme. Work has actually started on the first part of the project, the addition of four gates in Terminal 2, and could be completed at the end of 2016, equipping the complex with a total of 14 airbridges. Further gates are planned for T2 in future development phases, although Hamiel is quick to point out that they will only be added when demand dictates that they are necessary. “All new infrastructure is triggered by legitimate growth and demand as we are not in the build it and they will come mode at all. Once we see demonstrated long-term demand for additional facilities, we will build them,” he says.
Concessions programme MSP is well known for its successful concessions programme, regularly winning ACI-NA’s award for the best concessions programme in North America and bringing in revenues of around $175 million per annum. However after 10 years of accolades the airport has decided to revamp things and earlier this year awarded new contracts for half of its concessions programme and announced plans to put the remainder out to tender in 2017. As a result of the move, in August 2015, Dufry; Hudson News; Aero Service Group, Delaware North-Angel Food-Hell’s Kitchen MSP; Midfield Concession Enterprises; SSP America; Caribou MSP Airport; Delaware North-CBR; Pacific Gateway Concessions; and MSP Innovations were between them awarded contracts to operate a total of 50 F&B, retail and news and gift outlets at MSP for the next 8 to 10 years.
The remaining two-thirds of the F&B programme will be up for grabs in two years time and when both are up and operational, Hamiel believes that MSP’s shops and F&B outlets can generate upwards of $210 million per annum in sales and nearer to $250 million towards the end of the concession.
“We are totally overhauling our concessions programme because I believe that although we have been hugely successful it was based on the needs of passengers in the past and not the future,” he explains. “What do the millennials who are just coming into the business world want from airport retail and F&B? We need to work out the formula for what they want and be prepared to provide it to them as they mature and become regular travellers.”
Airlines Hub carrier Delta Air Lines today accounts for around 74% of the traffic at MSP followed by American, Southwest and Sun Country. Traffic is currently growing by about 2% per annum, which Hamiel describes as “stable but long-term growth” that will see MSP hit the 50 million passengers per annum mark by around 2030. He attributes the upturn in traffic to the recovery of the US economy that has seen the airlines begin to expand their route networks again and business travel being back on the agenda for many.
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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AIRPORT REPORT: MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL
The latter is particularly important for MSP, reveals Hamiel, as Minnesota is home to 17 Fortune 500 companies that include the UnitedHealth Group, 3M, General Mills and Target. “People say that my projection to reach 50 million passengers by 2030 to 2035 is an exaggeration, but the reality is that the figure is based on annual growth of 2% per annum and we have been growing by about this level for the last 70 years,” he notes.
Career highlights Hamiel is honest enough to admit that apart from the chance to return to his hometown, another reason behind his original decision to join MSP was that it potentially offered him the chance to move to one of its hub carriers – North Central Airlines or Northwest Airlines – a few years down the line. His love of MSP, however, soon meant that he gave up the notion of becoming a commercial pilot, although he did continue to fly for 21 more years as a reserve in the US Air Force piloting giant Lockheed C-130 Hercules turboprops. “I had the best of both worlds as I never really left the cockpit yet ran one of the busiest airports in the country,” recalls Hamiel, who went from new hire employee to executive director at MAC within seven years. Hamiel says that “never in his wildest dreams” did he expect to stay at MSP for so long, but adds that when he got to really know the airport and became totally absorbed in its challenges and opportunities, leaving for pastures new never entered his head. “I found airport management to be challenging, interesting and demanding in a continually changing environment that accommodated my skill set,” he says.
Biggest industry wide changes With such a long career in aviation, Hamiel is ideally placed to reflect on some of the events that have shaped and sometimes shocked the industry over the last 38 years. He has certainly seen his fair share of airline bankruptcies, that have included former hub carrier Northwest, and like the rest of us remembers the terror attacks of 9/11 all too well, but he lists US airline de-regulation in 1978 as one of the most significant developments. “It changed the landscape and introduced a free and competitive environment by allowing airlines to fly to any markets and charge the fare of their choice,” recalls Hamiel. Hamiel points out that MSP hit the national headlines in the US in 1985 when only a few months after being appointed executive director
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
he led its efforts to loan $315 million to home based carrier Northwest Airlines in order to help it grow. The loan was highly controversial at the time as no other airport had done such a thing before and none have since, but Hamiel insists that it was the right call to make at the time. “We wanted to give Northwest the power to expand and grow in an uncertain market after de-regulation and so ensure its status as a long-term survivor with its headquarters in the region and 12,000 to 13,000 staff on its books from across our communities,” says an unrepentant Hamiel. “It worked well in terms of them repaying the loan and complying with our conditions to keep their HQ in Minneapolis-St Paul and maintaining its air service levels and workforce at MSP.” It didn’t, unfortunately, stop Northwest’s eventual bankruptcy in 2005 or its eventual takeover by Delta in early 2010, but it helped earn MSP and the Twin Cities another 20 plus years of service. Ironically the airline’s bankruptcy in 2005, which it took 20 months to recover from before emerging from Chapter 11 in 2007, coincided with what remains the busiest year in MSP’s history when a record 37.8 million passengers used the gateway. Other significant events that have had a major impact on aviation, according to Hamiel, have included airline consolidation and the economic downturn of 2008-2009.
Customer service Hamiel states that providing good customer service to passengers is a priority and that MSP is good at it, although he accepts that the airport can always to better. He says that he wants MSP to be the number one airport for customer service in North America, and to achieve this it needs all staff to be fully engaged and on board with the programme. Indeed, such is his determination to make this happen that he has told his staff that whenever they are walking through the terminals they should stop and help out any passengers that look confused or in need of help. What would he say to the suggestion that this kind of behaviour was old school as people, in general, just don’t seem to do this kind of thing anymore? “You know what, treating your customers with high quality and care and helping facilitate their needs is never going to be old school,” assures Hamiel. And he’s right you know. Jeff Hamiel you are going to be sorely missed when you do finally call it a day. AW
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Planes, trains and pet hotels Joe Bates looks back at the first 20 years of Airport World and picks out some personal highlights in terms of key dates for ACI and unique or unsual stories.
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e might not have covered snakes on a plane, but we have written about airports as film sets and a whole host of animals both in print and online during the first 20 years of Airport World! These have ranged from stories about Chicago O’Hare introducing herds of goats, sheep and llamas to graze on grass and weeds in hard-to-mow parts of the airport to the airfield safety dangers posed by feral cats. We’ve also written about the birds and the bees in terms of avian radar, the use of falcons and new technology to keep our feathered friends away from airfields and how some airports make money by selling honey harvested from their own bee colonies. Incredibly, as we revealed in December 2006, some security companies were even experimenting with the use of honeybees to detect the chemicals used in explosives. And when it comes to man’s best friend we have virtually written an A to Z of stories covering everything from sniffer dogs, petting pups and the opening of animal bathroom and play areas to hotels for pampered pooches.
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Indeed, the ‘Animal magic’ feature in our August/ September 2009 issue reported on one such establishment, Sydney Airport’s ‘Park, Bark and Purr’ pet boarding hotel where ‘guests’ literally enjoyed air-conditioned suites, stunning countryside views and music channels that “catered to all tastes”. It is not a one-off, however, as in the last couple of years Frankfurt Airport has opened its own dog hotel with 3,500 square metres of space where canines can “run, play, and romp”, a new ‘Bark & Zoom’ facility is currently under construction at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in the US and Paradise 4 Paws recently opened its fourth airport pet resort for cats and dogs at Denver International Airport. Describing the facility at Denver International Airport, Paradise 4 Paws – which also has pet resorts at Dallas/ Fort Worth (DFW) and Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports – points out that select dog suites have flat screen TVs with canine friendly programming!
Tales of the unexpected Animals have, of course, not been alone in creating tales of the unexpected as during our first 20 years we sought
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
to bring you some funny or light hearted features as well as covering the big issues of the day and meaty topics such as infrastructure development, finance, security, safety, the environment, customer service, facilitation and the adoption of new technology. One of my favourite articles is the feature we ran about the birth of the airport hotel. The phenomenon, we believe, dating back to the 1928 opening of the Aerodrome Hotel at London’s Croydon Airport. Silent screen legend Charlie Chaplin was one of the first guests at the hotel, which remarkably still exists today even if the airport is long gone having been replaced by Heathrow as London’s main gateway shortly after WW2. Another story with a difference we covered back in 2007 was ‘Hammer time’, a feature about DFW’s decision to hold online auctions to sell off items it no longer needed. Items going under the hammer included everything from computer cords to tractors, forklift trucks and portable office buildings and, at the time, one auction had raised close to $2 million. A series of inter-modal articles – ‘Waterworld’, ‘Coach class’ and ‘Easy travel’ – proved popular with our readers as did the 2008 features ‘Anyone for golf?’, which looked at the trend of opening airport golf courses, and ‘Land of the giants’ about the safety challenges posed by the new A380. An autumn 2009 feature called ‘What’s yours called?’ introduced us to airport mascots for the first time and a host of interesting characters such as Copenhagen’s ‘Max’, ‘Kutan’ at Tokyo Narita and Nashville’s scarf and goggles attired mascot, Commander Berry Field. We’ve also showcased the cultural aspect of airports through articles such as ‘The sound of music’ and ‘Art attack’ and almost gone into the realms of science fiction with a series of features about the creation of spaceports for space tourism. Each of our themed issues on ‘Brands’; ‘Marketing & Communication’; ‘IT Innovation’; and ‘Design & Build’
always produce a series of thought provoking articles. While our first ever ‘Brands’ themed issue in February/ March 2009 led to what I think is our cleverest front cover to date, simply the word ‘Brands’ spelt out using the distinctive letters from some of the world’s top brands. Can you guess which ones they are from looking at the image on the previous page? In recent years more mainstream articles about the commercial development of airport land for non-aero related activities has gained traction with the spotlight firmly on shopping precincts, business and retail parks, hotels and office complexes. We have also written about what’s under the ground at a number of airports in terms of drilling for oil and gas at DFW and Denver and the use of geothermal energy at Paris Orly, Oslo and Zürich airports. One issue we have found ourselves writing about with increased regularity in recent times is ‘Leadership and change mangement’, and with a host of veteran airport bosses due to retire in the next couple of years, the search for the airport leaders of tomorrow is only going to intesify. Speaking at the joint ACI-NA/ACI World Annual General Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Calgary in 2012, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s president and CEO, Thella Bowens, told delegates that “futuring” in terms of developing the airport’s management team of tomorrow was very much part of her plans as 30% of her workforce and 50% of her leadership team were due to retire by the end of 2015. Bowens said: “Anybody that knows me knows that I consider the workforce to be the most important part of the airport. What worries me at night is have we got the right building blocks in place to replace the current leadership team when we’re gone? “Do we have a flexible succession plan in place that works for the organisation in the long-term?” In terms of popularity, I’m pleased to report that the biennial ‘A-Z of global airport operators’ feature – where
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we provide a comprehensive list of all the companies that own and/or operate global airport systems and interview them about their development plans – is our most eagerly awaited regular feature. My happiness, you understand, is based purely on the fact it takes me around three months to research and write it!
ACI’s growing industry role We have, of course, reported on every single big ACI World announcement over the years and debatably its first big breakthrough as an organisation happened way back in November 1997 when ICAO voted to expand its safety oversight programme to include both airports and air traffic service providers. It was siginificant because it meant that ACI at last had the opportunity to influence future ICAO standards and at April 1998’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), it was successful in getting ‘noise’ placed back on the agenda after being dropped in 1995. Also that year ACI for the first time voiced its opinions at a special assembly on the future of civil air navigation and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) and through ‘working papers’ submitted at ICAO’s Assembly. “ACI can be proud to be included in such a significant forum and more importantly confident that its voice is heard as new standards for civil aviation are adopted,” we reported ACI World’s then secretary general, Jonathan Howe, as commenting at the time. It is fair to say that ACI’s relationship with ICAO has gone from stength to strength ever since and was further enhanced with the launch of the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme (AMPAP) in 2007. We celebrated the milestone by breaking with tradition and having ICAO’s then secretary general, Dr Taïeb Chérif, on the cover of the April/May issue. As you would expect from ACI’s only global publication, we conducted the first interview with current ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, when she moved into the hot seat in the spring of 2008.
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In the article, which we called ‘First lady’ in recognition of the fact that she was the first female to lead the organisation, she said that the role was in many ways the pinnacle of her career and pledged to do her best to “make an impression”. Gittens also noted that diplomacy would very much be the order of the day in her new role, noting that the director general of ACI World had to be a facilitator and a researcher but chiefly a communicator. “This includes facilitating communication among and with ACI’s regional directors and chairs, who I see as my core constituents and the people I really work for as they are the voice of their regions,” she told Airport World. Adding: “It is the job of ACI World to leverage the strengths of each region to ensure that the organisation and the world’s airports have a strong global presence.” The fact that ACI as a global organisation is more united today than at any point in its 25 year history and its presence on the global stage and relationship wth ICAO has never been as strong bears testiminy to her success. Without doubt the 2011 move of ACI World’s HQ from Geneva to Montréal to be close to ICAO has proved pivotal to today’s close and ever growing ties with the specialised agency of the United Nations. Other ACI milestones we have covered in depth in Airport World over the years include the launch and continued success of its Airport Carbon Accreditation and Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programmes.
New infrastructure As you would expect over a 20 year time period, many new airports have opened and some, perhaps most famously Berlin Tempelhof, have closed since Airport World was launched. The comparative newbies include Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (Thailand), Bengaluru–Kempegowda and Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi (India), Al Maktoum– Dubai World Cental (UAE), Hamad (Qatar), Chūbu Centrair and Kansai (Japan),
"Becom1
uished services"
Winning the ACI Airport Service Quality Award for 10 consecutive years, recognized as the World's Best Service Airport/
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Guanzhou-Baiyun, Hong Kong and Nanjing Lukou (China), Athens (Greece), Incheon (South Korea), Oslo (Norway) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). However, inspite of the huge investment in new facilities which has included dozens of iconic new terminals across the globe, ACI is warning that the world faces a potential shortfall in capacity by 2030-2035. Indeed, earlier this year ACI-NA announced that a phennomenal $75.7 billion or $15.1 billion per annum has to be invested on upgrading the US’s airport infrastructure alone between now and 2019 in order to keep pace with demand. “The clear takeaway from our latest survey on airport infrastructure needs is that the US must move beyond the status quo and comprehensively modernise how we make these essential investments,” said ACI-NA president and CEO, Kevin Burke. “As the US economy continues to gain strength and air travel rebounds, we must guarantee to passengers and cargo shippers that we can continue to meet increases in demand with safe, secure, and efficient facilities that keep pace with our global competition.” The capacity crunch is, of course, nothing new as concerns about future capacity was one of the main topics covered in our first issue. Other issues raised in that historic first edition included concerns about security and the environment. In fact in the first ever Viewpoint (View from the top) article, ACI World’s then director general, Oris Dunham, warned that industries and governments failing to take the environment seriously ran the risk of losing their competitive edge. “Environmental constraints may stand in the way of future airport development and limit the capability of airports to meet forecasted traffic growth,” he cautioned. All three topics remain top priorities for the world’s airports today, of course, with the environment recently taking centre stage when ACI and other key aviation industry stakeholders called on the world’s governments to support aviation’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. ACI also joined forces with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) in September to launch Managing the impacts of
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aviation noise, a best practice guide for reducing aviation noise, especially for communities near airports. Gittens warned: “The aviation industry needs to address the concerns of local communities about aviation noise to maintain the support of governments and the general public and to maintain our licence to operate. “The industry must do more, work collaboratively, and pool its collective ingenuity and innovative capabilities, to develop solutions that address the noise challenge. This publication provides a template for action on noise.” The guide provides key principles and recommended actions for better community interactions, including effective communication, transparency, and education.
Traffic trends When Airport World made its bow as the official magazine of ACI World 20 years ago, the organisation officially represented 430 airport authorities running 1,100 gateways in more than 140 countries across the globe. Today, that figure stands at 591 member airport authorities operating 1,850 airports in 173 countries, and annual traffic figures have grown from 2.7 billion passengers and 54 millon tonnes of freight in 1995 to 6.7 billion passengers and 102 million tonnes of cargo in 2014. As if to prove the point that hot topics never go away, the old chestnut of airlines complaining about airport charges also reared its ugly head in the first ever Airport World. ACI World’s then chairman and director of aviation for Houston, Paul Gaines, somewhat prophetically declaring: “I think that ACI has made the record very clear. On average, airports’ fees and charges as a percentage of the expenses of airlines have remained at a constant level over the years. I think that it is safe and correct to say that airport charges should not be considered excessive.” Traffic statistics in the first issue also revealed that the world’s top 10 airports for passenger traffic in the 12 months ending November 1995 were Chicago O’Hare (67.2m), Atlanta (56.7m), London Heathrow (54.4m), Dallas/Fort Worth (54.2m), Los Angeles (53.9m), Tokyo-Haneda (45.8m), Frankfurt (38.1m), San Francisco (36.2m), Miami (33.2m) and Denver (31m).
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
The top ten has quite a different look about it today with the world’s busiest airports for passenger traffic in the 2014 calendar year being Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (96.1m), Beijing Capital (86.1m), London Heathrow (73.4m), Tokyo Haneda (72.8m), Los Angeles (70.7m), Dubai International (70.4m), Chicago O’Hare (70m), Paris CDG (63.8m), Hong Kong (63.4m) and Dallas/Fort Worth (62.9m). On page 43 of this issue you can discover more about how traffic has developed at the world’s largest hubs over the past 20 years and get a glimpse at what the future might hold for them.
Customer service and IT innovation Arguably the greatest changes over the last 20 years have been experienced in the areas of customer service and information technology. Airport Monitor – the forerunner of today’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) passenger satisfaction survey – declared the UK’s Manchester Airport the best gateway on the planet in the first issue of Airport World. The honour rightly recognising its pioneering efforts to raise the bar on service standards. Airports were only just beginning to realise the positive impact passenger satisfaction could have on traffic throughput and revenue generation, but by 2000 the penny appeared to have dropped with many gateways factoring customer service initiatives into their business strategies. Noting the change in mindset in the autumn of 2000 issue of Airport World when reviewing rising non-aeronautical revenues, ACI’s then director of economics, Paul Behnke, commented: “Along with a spirit of entrepreneurship, airport operators are also exhibiting a new sensitivity to the preferences of passengers. “Hub airports, in particular, are aware that they are competing with other airports for transit passengers and that a reputation for efficiency and a broad choice of options for shopping and entertainment can influence the passenger in the way he structures his itinerary.” You can read more on page 22 about how airports, led by ASQ champion Incheon, have embraced a new customer service philisophy over the last ten years through increased awareness of passenger
needs and the opening of some amazing new facilities that have included musuems, cinemas and even an ice rink. Information technology articles have been a staple diet of Airport World since the very beginning when we ran a feature urging airports not to panic when buying new IT. However, few back then could have predicted that within 20 years new technology would redefine the way we travel and the way airports and airlines operate. SITA’s Matthys Serfontein takes a closer look at the IT transformation on page 32 and predicts what the next 20 years might hold for airports and the travelling public.
Airport economics When it comes to communicating the economic realities of life, undoubtedly airports have much to learn from the airlines about getting their message across as while the newspapers regularly run stories about the financial woes of carriers, the money worries of airports rarely gets any column inches. Possibly this is because the media and subsequently the general public view airlines as being ‘sexier’ and more interesting than airports, and as a result, I believe that most people still wrongly believe that airports are making fortunes. While this maybe the case for a handful of the world’s biggest hubs, as ACI’s latest Airport Economics Report revealed earlier this year, although overall profits are up 5.4% to $131 billion, an incredible 67% of the world’s airports operate at a loss. Speaking about this at the 2015 Airport Economics & Finance Conference in London, Gittens said: “Industry profitability is primarily driven by 20% of airports that carry the bulk of passenger and cargo traffic. Eighty per cent of airports with fewer than one million passengers lose money. Size matters.” Clearly a lot has happened in the last 20 years and there are many more stories to be told in this ever evolving industry we call aviation. Airport World looks forward to bringing them to you AW over the coming decades!
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Celebrate
good times
Airport customer service has undergone a metamorphosis for the better over the last 20 years fuelled by management taking responsibility for customer experiences across the entire gateway, writes Butterfly Consulting’s Joanne Paternoster.
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arlier this year, TIME magazine ran the article ‘15 Things Turning 20 in 2015’, which highlighted notable events that happened in 1995 such as the creation of the World Trade Organization; the opening of Denver International Airport on the largest airport site in North America; and eBay going live. Well, another event worthy of mention that TIME missed that year was the publication of Airport World’s first issue! So much has happened since 1995 and so much has changed. One of the many changes for the better, however, is how airport customer service has evolved during that time. Over the last twenty years, if passengers were asked what they expected from their visit to the airport, more often than not their response would include long queues, obtrusive security measures especially after the tragic events of 9/11, unhelpful staff, dingy restrooms, crowded gate areas, and little to smile about. The experience was often perceived to be more negative than positive. Today, the story is changing and this is good news for airports and their customers, with the best performing gateways typically adopting a strategic, holistic and customer-centric approach to service excellence. This mindset change on the part of airport management, in and of itself, has been one of the fundamental drivers of the evolution of airport customer service over the last 20 years. Most notably today’s progressive airport customer service leaders do the following:
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Treat passengers as customers or ‘guests’ Today’s airports have become sophisticated and creative in their commitment to customer service excellence, beginning with a shift in emphasising service to customers rather than passengers. The shifting focus to customers also takes into account those who are there to meet and greet others, as well as employees. In fact, several of the airports that have won awards such as ASQ and Skytrax have migrated from a focus on passengers as ‘customers’ to the hospitality perspective of customers as ‘guests’, implying an even higher level of service and attention to needs and wants.
Design experiences that are customer centric and aligned with the airport’s brand A basic tenet of customer experience management dictates that when the customer’s experience exceeds the customer’s expectations, the customer is pleasantly surprised and even delighted. Conversely, when the customer’s expectations exceed the customer’s experiences, the customer is disappointed. Unfortunately, customers’ expectations are a moving target, influenced by all sorts of stimuli, real and perceived. Change is constant – customers change, the industry changes, and regulations change. Technology is an enabler of rapid change. Therefore to future-proof airports, management teams have become much more interested in their customer’s needs, wants, perceptions,
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY and expectations to transition from stereotypical, predictable airport experiences to the ‘wow’ factor. This is especially important within the increasingly complex airport environment in which many entities are responsible for the delivery of services, but where ultimately the airport operator is held accountable by many, including the customers, the airport’s stakeholders, the public and the media. To maximise customer satisfaction with the airport experience, airports are branding and improving their performance and innovating across the entire service delivery chain while providing customers with valuable information to help them manage their customers’ expectations and provide them with more control of their travel experience. This is a significant paradigm shift from airports being viewed as simply public sector infrastructure where passengers get on planes to places that provide enjoyable, profitable travel experiences that in some cases compete as destinations for transfer customers.
Embrace emotional and intellectual intelligence Leading-edge airports are breaking new ground focusing on both the tangible and intangible aspects of their customers’ experience (what their customers think and how they feel) across all customer touch points. And their efforts are paying off, figuratively and literally, since studies have shown that delighted customers spend more time and more money at the airport. Customer satisfaction has become an important goal of most airport sponsors, regardless of the airport’s size or location. In the not too distant past, words like ‘fun’, ‘ambience’, and ‘customer enrichment’ were seldom used in conversations about airport experiences. This has changed. Today, more and more airports are implementing opportunities for fun, surprise, and customer enrichment. Many of these opportunities have generally been implemented through the airport’s concessions programmes by the addition of spas, wine-tasting, restaurants created by celebrity chefs, local cuisine, and arts and crafts. Other Emotional Intelligence (EQ) amenities include passenger appreciation events; local performing artists; pet therapy animals; museums and art programmes; cultural tours; lactation rooms; pet relief areas post security; and creative and innovative children play areas. Today airports are addressing the emotional and the physical, the tangible and the intangible aspects of the airport experience.
Leverage technology as an enabler Technology is fast changing the world and the travel experience is no exception. According to SITA’s Passenger IT Trends Survey 2014, 97% of passengers carry a phone, a laptop or a tablet when they travelled. In fact, 18% of passengers travel with all three. That surely was not the case 20 years ago nor were the numbers that high 10 or even five years ago. But the trend has been clear. As increasingly empowered customers seek new ways to take control of and customise their own travel experience, airports – often working in collaboration with airlines – have embraced intelligent innovations and the potential of information communications technology to significantly impact the airport experience both operationally and customer-facing. Indeed, technology and constant innovation are shaping air travel as we know it. A few of the growing list of technology objectives that are enabling the transformation of the airport experience and influencing customer satisfaction include to improve airport efficiency; ease navigation; and reduce waiting times.
Winning airport strategies • •
• • • • • • • •
Focus on customer priorities and manage performance across the entire service delivery chain Adopt service standards aligned with the airport brand to provide guidance on the level of service expected from all who provide service to the airport’s customers Design experiences from the customer’s point of view Communicate often and the message is consistently ‘on-brand’ Understand the importance and value of employee engagement and empowerment Leverage technology to optimise operations and enable their customers Empower customers with the right information at the right time using the communications channels preferred by the customer Cultivate the power of social media to build a relationship with customers that is mobile, 24x7, and yet human Invest in their people, their relationships, and in modernising their facilities Constantly innovate and continuously improve
Engage in two-way communications with customers When it comes to communications, today it’s all about being mobile and social. The ‘always connected’ customer expects to have the right information at their fingertips at the time it is needed. They also want a seamless experience between all communication channels and across the various devices they now use. In addition, they want a seamless, efficient, and enjoyable experience from each of the service providers in the service delivery chain and the airport as a whole. Passengers want to be more in control of their travel journey and empowered to make choices that can expedite their trip and/or make the airport experience more enjoyable. Technology can help make all these wants come true.
Recognise that social media has become a community without borders Social media has changed customer expectations regarding communications with companies and service providers in very dramatic ways. In a short time, social media has gone from an interesting emerging communications trend to a critical part of the communications landscape. Customers expect to get answers to their questions 24x7 through their preferred online platform or application. Today, airports cannot afford to be out of touch. Going online to get needed information, to learn about the experiences, perceptions, and opinions of other customers, or to shop for goods and services has become the new normal. Customers expect airports to communicate and respond as effectively and as humanely as other progressive brands that they do business with in the 21st century. Social media is a great communicator but an even better influencer. Airports are increasingly utilising popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, and Yelp to communicate important airport information; listen to their customers and their community neighbours and engage them in dialogue. According to Facebook, it had 1.44 billion monthly users in the first quarter of 2015. That equates to one out of every seven people on
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I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel – Maya Angelou earth. Facebook and these other social networks weren’t even invented 20 years ago! Social media is changing the interaction between today’s airport customer and the airport. Communications are more direct and immediate often allowing the airport to have more effective communications with customers. In addition, being social and available 24x7 can be an effective way to build an airport brand. In 2015, airports don’t have a choice about whether to do social media, the real question is how well they do it.
Engage, energise, and educate all airport employees In his book, The Customer Comes Second, Hal Rosenbluth, CEO of the travel management company Rosenbluth International, writes about the importance of focusing on employees first, as engaged employees will take care of customers. Here again the airport is a particularly problematic workplace as most airport employees do not work for the same employer; indeed, they tend to work for many companies who often do not have a shared agenda for the airport as a whole. Customers are unlikely to experience excellent customer service, one that resonates with the airport’s brand or service delivery strategy, unless the airport’s employers and employees are fully engaged and aligned with the airport’s vision and brand. In spite of all the technology in today’s airports, sooner or later customers will need to interact with a person. The more technology and self-service shape the airport customer experience, it becomes more likely that interactions with airport employees will be related to service failure or service recovery.
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‘Wow’ service relies on the effectiveness and the value of frontline, customer-facing staff, regardless of the employer. One moment of truth handled successfully can turn a disgruntled customer into a raving fan for life! From a customer’s point of view, it doesn’t matter who provides the employee’s pay cheque or if the staff member is in actuality an airport volunteer. What does matter is that all airport staff feel valued, engaged and energised as an important member of the airport team. Highly rated airports recognise that they are successful because of the talent and contributions of all who work there; they cannot be successful in spite of them.
The last word Twenty years ago, most airports were primarily engaged in planning for, building, and operating safe and efficient gateways that were capable of addressing the growth in capacity required for the future. Now airports are expected to do that and so much more! The table on page 23 lists some of the management strategies that today’s progressive airport customer service leaders are employing to significantly enhance customer satisfaction at their airport as well as increase non-aeronautical revenues. The cumulative result of these strategies has ushered in a dramatic sea change from the utilitarian airport of 20 years ago to the exquisite venues that the world’s best airports have become. Airport management has broadened its perspective and the airport’s customers are increasingly delighted! AW
20+ years of designing the world’s airports
Design with community in mind stantec.com/airports
Vancouver International Airport A-B Connector Richmond, British Columbia
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Design and innovation Stantec’s Stanis Smith reflects on the evolution of the terminal building since 1995 and considers what the future might hold for airport design.
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irport World’s 20th anniversary prompted me to turn the clock back to 1995 and look at some of the most significant milestones in airport design and aviation history over the past two decades. Although it seems like only yesterday, 1995 was actually the year that the B777 first entered service. It was also the year that the new Denver International Airport (DEN) opened and the now much heralded international terminal at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) was nearing completion. In their respective ways both DEN and YVR are landmark projects against which other airports continue to be benchmarked, and both are among the top 100 airports in the world by passenger volume. By any measure DEN has been remarkably successful. Architecturally, it was one of the first airport terminals to create an identity through its physical form. Its iconic and distinctive fabric roof – evocative of the nearby snow-capped mountains – has become the airport’s ‘brand’, and by extension, part of the ‘brand’ of the city. At the same time, its Grand Hall has been impacted by changes in security since 9/11 that have created a sub-optimal passenger experience, and changes in technology that have resulted in a significant amount of the ticketing space being unused. Different from Denver, YVR was an airport with an existing 1960s vintage terminal, and the masterplan that was put in place contemplated a series of incremental ‘just-in-time’ expansions to the terminal that would respond to demand as-and-when needed. These expansions are clearly illustrated in the graphics on page 28. With respect to the YVR ‘brand’, the airport felt it was important for the terminal to create a memorable passenger experience through its
architecture, interior design, artwork and exhibits. That goal has been realised and YVR (pictured above) continues to be recognised around the world as setting the standard for creating a distinctive ‘brand’ and a unique and memorable ‘sense of place’.
Key trends to date Sustainability and technology are two trends that have dramatically impacted the design of terminals over the past 20 years, and DEN and YVR illustrate both. Sustainability has become a mainstream design philosophy. DEN has extensive arrays of photovoltaic panels and is one of the few airports worldwide to be certified under ISO14001. While YVR has implemented numerous sustainability initiatives, of which geothermal and solar energy, daylighting strategies and displacement ventilation are some of the more noteworthy. Technology now dramatically impacts on the way that terminals are designed. Most passengers these days check in online, and in some cases self-tag their bags. As a result both DEN and YVR have significant spare check-in capacity. Indeed, many airports are looking at ways that they can reconfigure their terminals to take pre-security space and reallocate it post-security, where passengers spend most of their time and money. For this reason, a process is currently under way to reconfigure Denver International Airport’s Grand Hall under the structure of a Private-Public-Partnership (P3) project. Over the past 20 years, air traffic has increased more than 250% worldwide, from 1.3 billion passenger-trips in 1995 to an
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Never ending story: The evolution of Vancouver International Airport over the past 20 years.
estimated 3.6 billion passenger trips in 2015. While that level of growth is unlikely to characterise the next 20 years, with the emergence of a middle-class in China and India, there is every reason to believe that the long-term growth will continue. Stantec believes that the key trends that will shape the design of airport terminals in the next 20 years are as follows:
In terms of financial sustainability, many airports have made great strides in enhancing their non-aeronautical revenues. The airport of the future will continue that trend, by offering diversity, quality and convenience in its retail offerings that are comparable to the very best downtown retail environments.
– Synergism Both DEN and YVR are leading this trend. Both have built light-rail connections to their respective cities. Both are building or planning non-aeronautical and complementary facilities such as hotels and shopping centres that operate in synergy with the terminal. The airport of the next 20 years will become a city in itself, with diverse, vibrant and synergistic uses.
The airport of the future will bring the serenity of the business-class lounge experience to the average traveller. The use of ‘acoustically noisy’ interior surfaces, for example, will be replaced by sophisticated materials that create a soothing and serene environment. Airports will reduce or eliminate annoying and often unintelligible audio announcements and replace them with visual paging and information that is delivered through hand-held devices.
– Streamlining
– Sensational
Technology is transforming terminal design and will enable existing infrastructure to be streamlined. In addition to self-service check-in and bag drops which are now standard, a single example will suffice: YVR’s proprietary passport-reader technology enabled the airport to accommodate a huge spike in volume during the Olympic Games without building a costly expansion. The terminal of the future will be right-sized, taking full advantage of technology to get more use out of less space.
The airport of the future will incorporate a ‘wow-factor’ that will appeal to all of the senses. That ‘wow-factor’ will be achieved through a combination of architecture, interior design, artwork, exhibits and media, digital or otherwise. At the same time, the airport of the future will achieve its ‘wow-factor’ in authentic and relevant ways that communicate a unique and distinctive ‘sense of place’ that is relevant for its city and community.
– Sentience¬
Finally, the airport of the future will be secure in ways that are transparent to passengers. While there is almost universal understanding of the need for security processes in airports, it is fair to say that there is a universal dislike of their intrusiveness. We are optimistic that the creative use of technology will enhance security while making it less stressful to passengers. Like all your readers I look forward to the 40th anniversary issue of Airport World in 2035 to see how accurate these predictions AW have been!
The airport of the future will be sentient – knowing who you are, where you are, and how best to provide you with relevant timely information along your journey. Technologies are already being implemented that customise and personalise information, and make it available to you based on your location. Other technologies are being tested that produce ‘heat maps’ that depict passenger flow in real time, enabling adjustments to be made to ease congestion.
– Serenity
– Safe and hassle free
– Sustainability There are two aspects to sustainability – environmental and financial. While environmental sustainability is now widely accepted and adopted, there are no significant airport terminals that are ‘net zero’ in their energy use, a target that has already been achieved in other building types. The airport of the future will be net zero, or possibly even a net exporter of energy.
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About the author Stanis Smith is Stantec’s market sector leader for airports. He is a former associate board member of ACI-NA and ACI-World and is an acknowledged expert and frequent speaker on the subject of airport design.
YEARS AS THE LEADER IN AIRPORT DESIGN
fentressarchitects.com
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Terminal velocity
Continually topping customer satisfaction polls is the goal of almost every airport and in today’s highly competitive operating environment, one way to impress is having a modern, state-of-the-art terminal.
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reating top passenger experiences is certainly high on the agenda of Fentress Architects, which in the past 30 years has designed some of the world’s most famous airport terminals. Denver has consistently been ranked among the top airports in North America, for example, and Incheon International Airport is arguably the world’s favourite gateway having won more Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer satisfaction awards than anyone else. Elsewhere, LAX’s new Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) has helped elevate the Californian airport up the rankings. Fentress is known for designing iconic airports that reflect a sense of place, which it says emerges through a design philosophy that involves intensive research and discovery. Each design is also shaped to reflect the client and the community’s needs, says Fentress, which notes that the peaked roofs of Denver International Airport drew inspiration from the Rocky Mountains. Likewise, Incheon drew from traditional Korean temples, and the curling waves of the Pacific Ocean inspired the roofline at Los Angeles’ new TBIT. Each design becomes a welcoming reflection of the city it serves, says Fentress. Fentress insists that recognising and supporting current trends is extremely important when creating a top passenger experience, particularly for concessions areas where travellers are demanding ever more upscale offerings. “Great concessions begin by planning and creating a comfortable space where people enjoy spending time,” says CEO and principal in charge of design, Curtis Fentress.
“High ceilings, views to the airfield, ample daylight and power sources are just some of the elements we addresses through our design.” The more information passengers have about their fight schedule, the more comfortable they feel about using their time at the airport to eat and shop, he notes. Technology is helping with this information flow; nearly 90% of all airports are investing in business intelligence technology, he points out, adding that travel apps now allow travellers to pass through security and onto their plane while constantly updating them with real time travel information. Another trend in technology includes large multi-media screens and displays, says Fentress. LAX’s TBIT, for instance, has 12,000 square feet of media with over 60 ultra-high resolution multi-media productions that cycle throughout the day. “The media screens provide the information people need and they entertain them – all while generating millions of dollars in annual revenue through advertising,” says Fentress. “Technology and information are shaping the future of air travel. Together, they are driving the passenger experience, and passengers are demanding that airports work with their devices. “The top spots for passenger experience are open to the airports willing to invest in this infrastructure of the future. One day in the not-too-distant future, all data, media systems, personal devices, and architecture will work together to provide a more integrated AW passenger experience.”
Fentress designed Incheon International Airport’s impressive terminal. Image courtesy of Paul Dingman.
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Enabling growth SITA’s Matthys Serfontein reflects on the evolution of airport IT and considers what the future might hold for new technology at the world’s gateways.
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ver the past half-century, the advent of the jet age and the relentless pace of innovation in the air transport industry that followed have truly revolutionalised the way we travel today. In the past 20 years alone, global passenger numbers have more than doubled. During this time technology has driven down costs while income and wealth levels around the world have steadily grown, putting airline travel within reach of an increasing number of people each year. IATA data shows that the real cost of air travel has fallen by 1.7% per year on average since 1970 and that the underlying rate of air traffic growth has averaged 4.4% per year. The rise in traffic led to 3.3 billion passengers using the world’s airports in 2014. For airports, technology has been key to managing the growing number of passengers that pass through their facilities every day. As traveller numbers increased, airport operators needed smarter ways to manage everything from check-in, handling of baggage to immigration and security checks. Many were pioneered for the air transport community by SITA and these technologies have continued to evolve over the years to provide the IT backbone and support structure for airports today.
Aviation IT milestones One of the first technologies to be used at airports was a Departure Control Service, which offered a free standing system for passenger check-in, boarding pass issue and weight and balance calculations. In 1980, another important service made its debut in airports when SITA introduced a worldwide automated baggage tracing service called
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
BaHaMaS (Baggage Handling Management System). The system was further developed with IATA and, now known as WorldTracer, is in use at more than 2,800 airport locations around the world. Similarly, common-use systems, which enable airlines to share check-in desks and other infrastructure at airports were introduced in that decade and are still used in most airports around the world. SITA’s own Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) system was launched in 1984 and has evolved significantly since then. At the time, Los Angeles used the common-use system to meet the needs of increased traffic for the Olympic Games. In the early 2000s, the biggest driver for adopting new technology was the downturn that hit the airline industry after September 11, 2001. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, airlines, and in turn airports, saw passenger numbers dwindle. This led to IATA launching the Simplifying the Business initiative in 2004 with the aim of using technology to improve customer convenience and reduce costs. This, in turn, spurred some of the most dramatic changes to the industry in the past decade. In 2008, for example, 100% e-ticketing was achieved, marking a major milestone for the industry. E-ticketing allowed the introduction of new technologies such as self-service check-in kiosks and later on, online check in. This was a major stride forward for airports as it allowed a key travel step to be taken out of the airport to allow more optimal use of floor space in terminals. Other industry savings initiatives that have their roots in the IATA Simplifying the Business programme range from barcoded boarding passes and the introduction of self-service baggage tagging and bag drop.
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY More recently mobile technology has emerged as a key technology for airports. Over the past six years the number of available services – and their adoption by passengers – has continued to grow rapidly, allowing passengers to use their personal devices for check-in, boarding and wayfinding. It is evident from the above milestones that airports have become increasingly reliant on technology for passenger and baggage processing, and business and operational management.
Looking to the future Looking forward over the next 20 years, building bigger airports is no longer the silver bullet to managing surging passenger numbers. Technology and smart design are the real drivers of sustainable airport growth. SITA is an active partner in providing new technological solutions to a fast-changing industry where airports and airlines are demanding greater efficiency while passengers are increasingly seeking a more personalised experience. The modern passenger wants to spend as little time passing from the kerb to the gate while eliminating the stress of check-in, immigration and security check. They are also increasingly demanding that airport information be put at their fingertips, be it updates on flight delays, gate changes or baggage collection. At the same time airport operators are looking for smarter, more efficient ways to provide a seamless service to their passengers in the most cost-effective manner. These demands and expectations are changing the way airports are designed and the technology that is required to manage the airport of the future. From an architectural perspective, the airport of the future will be without many of the internal barriers we see today. It will be open plan and passengers will flow through them without seeing physical barriers such as counters and gates. The passenger process will be seamless without the specific touch points we have today. Passengers won’t be required to go to a counter or kiosk for check-in, or have somebody check their documents or screen them before boarding their flight at the gate. This will be done using technology with minimal interaction. SITA is working with airports to provide IT solutions for these modern facilities. For example, we are investigating and embracing new technologies such as business intelligence, near field communications, beacons and wearable technology, which help airports embrace tomorrow’s ‘connected traveller’.
Current IT trends The 2015 Airport IT Trends Survey, the results of which were released in October, has shown that mobile, above all, is becoming the favoured platform and holds great promise in terms of helping improve the travel experience for passengers by ensuring smoother end-to-end journeys. And, the on-the-go capability of mobile devices means it is at the airport where they can make a real difference. According to the survey, by 2018 some 80% of airports will use beacons to provide wayfinding services and 74% to provide notifications to passengers. By this time, more than half of these airports are expected to have sensors in use at various points of the journey including check-in, bag drop, security, dwell time and boarding.
Mobile services are also on the rise with 91% of airports planning to provide an app for navigating the airport and 83% for real-time notifications about day-of-travel information such as local traffic or queue times in the terminal. The demand for more self-service functionality will drive innovation over the next few years. Today, around two out of every five passengers check-in before they arrive at the airport, and for those that haven’t the self-service kiosk is the next best thing. Indeed, self-service check-in kiosks are no longer something new and daunting for passengers as 90% of airports have them in place today, up from 75% in 2014. In addition to providing more check-in kiosks, airports have been expanding the functionality of kiosks. Around 42% of today’s airports have kiosks that can print bag tags to help passengers tag their own luggage before leaving them at drop-off points, which can be much faster for the passenger than using the airport counter. Similarly, immigration is moving towards self-service. Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks have become a regular feature at US airports over the past year. For example, SITA has installed more than 300 at 10 airports with hundreds more on order. Orlando International Airport is now using kiosks with facial recognition technology for arriving passengers.
Empowering travellers Given the pace of innovation, it is difficult to look too far into the future. However, as the technology provider uniquely owned by and dedicated to the industry, our mandate is clear. Our focus will remain on empowering travellers to manage their own journey through airports while being provided relevant and personalised information. We also need to provide airports with new ways to keep tabs on passengers throughout their journeys, creating a travel experience that is memorable and stress-free while keeping them engaged through commercial services that add value to the time they spend inside the airport. AW
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
How time flies when... Some of the world’s best known and most influential airport leaders provide their thoughts on how their gateways have fared over the last 20 years and contemplate what might be next in store for the aviation industry.
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here is a saying that time flies when you’re having fun, and it certainly does seem to go faster at weekends or on those long awaited holidays, but the truth is that time just whizzes past anyway and before you know it a couple of decades have gone and you’re celebrating your 20th anniversary! Well, in case you hadn’t guessed by now, we are celebrating just that at Airport World, so we thought it would be interesting to catch up with some old friends and ask them for their thoughts on aviation’s evolution over the last 20 years.
The big picture Aéroports de Paris (ADP) CEO, Augustin de Romanet, believes that airports and the aviation industry has undergone huge change in the last two decades. He says: “Today, the global airline industry consists of over 2,000 airlines operating more than 23,000 aircraft, serving over 3,700 airports. Air traffic worldwide has grown by an average of 4.6% per year between 1992-2007 and by 6% from 2008-2014. As a result, there were around 3.6 billion passengers worldwide in 2014, compared to 1.5 billion in 2000. “This increase has been driven by two major changes: the growth of low-cost carriers operating medium-haul flights that now control nearly 40% of the intra-European market; and the sharp increase in long-haul flights operated by Gulf and Asian airlines that have taken a large slice of the previously profitable Europe–Asia traffic from those continents’ legacy airlines. “In Europe, the first cross-border airline merger/takeover, between Air France and KLM, took place in 2003. For big airport operators like ADP, the competition has heated up among major airports, while the way of designing facilities has changed to cope with the need for more flexibility. “Another great change is the increased use of super-widebody aircraft. When the first A380 arrived in Paris in 2009, ADP had to put in place new facilities such as double or triple boarding bridges and upgrade our runways and taxiways as well as buy new de-icing equipment just to be able to accommodate the aircraft. A total of €100 million was invested to adapt all the airport’s facilities, working upstream with airlines.” Sydney Airport’s managing director and CEO, Kerrie Mather, calls aviation a “dynamic and exciting industry that’s constantly changing”, and believes it has got a lot greener and more efficient since 1995. She says: “Over the past 20 years, larger, quieter and cleaner new generation aircraft have fundamentally changed the economics of aviation by opening up new markets, driving new airline business models, lowering operating costs and improving the productivity of aviation infrastructure.
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“This has been a positive change for airports, airlines and passengers alike, as lower fares have made air travel more affordable and accessible than ever before, which is stimulating new demand to travel from large and fast growing markets such as China. “Over the past decade, we’ve seen a fundamental shift in the markets we serve – given our proximity to Asia, the growth in Middle Eastern carriers, and the significant growth in leisure travel driven by low cost carriers. “Passenger numbers at Sydney Airport have grown by around 50%, and we’ve invested in enhancing our efficiency and productivity to accommodate this growth. Indeed, since 2002, we’ve invested around A$2.7 billion in airport services and facility improvements, and we plan to invest a further A$1.2 billion over the next five years.” The Schiphol Group’s president and CEO, Jos Nijhuis, is a little more succinct in his response to the question about how Amsterdam Schiphol has fared over the last 20 years. “Moderate growth after strong growth in the 80s and 90s, relatively little new infrastructure and an emphasis on better utilisation of our existing assets,” he says. He is also as equally concise in summing up what he believes to be the biggest changes to the aviation industry/market since Airport Word first appeared 20 years ago, simply noting: “Digitisation, the rise of the LCCs and Middle East carriers and commoditisation.” Wan-su Park, president and CEO of Incheon International Airport, points out that his gateway didn’t exist 20 years ago and has been on something akin to a rollercoaster ride of success since opening in March 2001. “Passenger traffic at Incheon has grown by an average of 6.7% annually since opening and the airport has become one of the key players in the airport industry, ranked second in the world for international cargo and eighth for international passengers,” enthuses Park. “During this time the airport has won an unprecedented number of Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards and made continuous developments in advanced ubiquitous technology – to ensure fast and convenient passenger processing – and on unique cultural attractions and facilities that differentiate us from other airports.” Reflecting on the construction and development of his airport, Fred Lam, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, enthuses: “Three years after Airport World first appeared 20 years ago, the new Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) commenced operation at Chek Lap Kok – ushering in a new era for Hong Kong’s aviation industry and economic development. “Over the past 20 years, Airport World and HKIA have grown together and witnessed many changes throughout the industry. Thanks to the popularity of air travel, the world has never been smaller; and the rapid development of the aviation industry has spurred global trading and facilitated cross-cultural exchange.
AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Augustin de Romanet, CEO of Aéroports de Paris.
“HKIA has also changed significantly during this time – moving from the urban jungle of Kai Tak to the island oasis of Lantau and growing from a single runway facility into a modern, world-class airport. “Air traffic performance has more than doubled, registering 63.3 million passengers and 391,000 flight movements in 2014. Cargo volume increased even more, by 170% to 4.38 million tonnes. With 100 airlines serving about 180 destinations worldwide, HKIA is now one of the world’s busiest aviation centres.” Talking about key industry changes since 1995, TAV Airports CEO, Sani Şener, believes that two of the biggest developments have been the privatisation of airports and airline liberalisation. “Both have effectively amounted to commercialisation and freedom, which in turn have led to increased efficiencies in the market, allowed low-cost airlines to emerge and grow and acted as a catalyst for aircraft manufacturers to provide smart solutions to keep aircraft operation costs low,” says Şener. It is easy to forget that TAV only started operations at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in 2000 and has since acquired the operating rights of 13 other airports in the region that handle 40 million passengers. Edmonton International Airport’s president and CEO, Tom Ruth, says that the last decade has been kind to his gateway, which has been the fastest growing major Canadian airport for passenger traffic and one of the most successful for route development, adding 35 new non-stop services. He notes that a major expansion programme in 2012 doubled the size of the gateway’s passenger complex and in 2014 it opened the world’s first Renaissance Hotel attached to a terminal. A new 500,000sqft outlet mall is currently under construction. Julian Jäger, member of the managing board at Vienna Airport, also feels that his gateway is in a much stronger market position today than 20 years ago, in part due to the opening up of markets in Eastern Europe that have provided additional impetus to the Austrian economy. He says: “Vienna Airport has more than quadrupled its passenger volume in this period, from about five million passengers in 1989 to the new record of more than 22.5 million passengers in 2014.”
Simply the best Kerrie Mather, managing director and CEO of Sydney Airport.
So the million dollar question then, how do they feel Airport World has done in terms of telling the stories of ACI and the world’s gateways over the last 20 years? Amsterdam Schiphol’s Nijhuis says: “You have done an excellent job. Airport World is a leading magazine that cannot be missed by anyone in our industry!” Vienna’s Jäger comments: “Airport World has been providing information on the topic of aviation for 20 years. This impressive success story is only possible because it has provided comprehensive and highly professional reporting from the very beginning featuring a high information value for all aviation enthusiasts. Vienna Airport congratulates Airport World on its anniversary and wishes it a good, exciting and informative future.” ADP’s de Romanet comments: “I wish to congratulate Airport World on this 20th anniversary. Recognised for its top-quality content and its usefulness, this publication has created a strong link between the networks of airports worldwide and provides a forum to convey opinions, share experiences and best practices. “The concerns within our community are the same – development and attractiveness of territories – and the information sharing that Airport World provides helps us to broaden our vision.”
Jos Nijhuis, president and CEO of Schiphol Group.
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Sani Şener, CEO of TAV Airports.
Wan-su Park, president and CEO of Incheon International Airport.
Hong Kong’s Lam is just as charitable, enthusing: “During the last 20 years of rapid growth and dramatic changes, Airport World – an anchor publication of the Airports Council International – has played an important role in helping the industry keep abreast of new developments, understand new trends, and put issues into perspective. Its features are important sources of industry information, and its interviews are always insightful and inspiring.” While Sydney Airport’s Mather remarks: “I’ve been working in the aviation industry for about as long as Airport World has been in print! I’m also on the World Governing Board of Airports Council International, for which it is the official publication. “Airport World is a useful resource for the global aviation industry to keep on top of the latest news and trends. It’s great to see stories in the magazine on what airports around the world are doing to enhance the passenger experience.” TAV’s Sani Şener points out: “I like checking out the Airport World website a few times a month. Not only do I learn about the news in the marketplace, but also the impact analysis of certain events is very helpful. “I like reading about how other airports are dealing with the problems we face. I am also informed about what might happen in the market. It helps us become more aware and more ready for the future. “Finally, I like the simplicity of the Airport World magazine. It is easy to navigate and its analyses are so easy to understand that even an outsider to the aviation industry can gain a lot of insight from it.” Incheon’s Park says: “I am thankful that Airport World offers helpful and valuable information for airports through its in-depth and wide-ranging articles. Its special reports, in particular, provide plenty of up-to-date examples and explanations about the key issues in the airport industry. “I hope that Airport World as a specialised magazine with a world authority, may continuously contribute to the mutual growth of every player in the world airport/aviation industry.” And Edmonton’s Ruth kindly comments: “I’ve really seen the value of Airport World in broadening our horizons by looking at best practices of airports around the world. We always want to bring the best to our passengers and partner organisations, and the insights and inspiration we’ve been able to take from Airport World is invaluable.”
Future challenges and opportunities
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
And what do our airport leaders view as the greatest challenges and opportunities ahead for the world’s airports and, specifically gateways in their respective regions? “We need to prepare for the rapid increase in air transport demand as the aviation industry in the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to more than double in size over the next 20 years,” says Incheon’s Park. “This means we will need to get better at communicating and co-operating with national and local governments, airlines and local communities in order to timely and successfully construct new airport infrastructure, train and develop human resources and ensure that regulation is in place that encourages growth.” He also believes that more Open Skies agreements need to be introduced across Asia-Pacific so that the region’s airports can play key roles in the development of nations. “Airports in the Asia-Pacific region should be unwearying in their efforts to remain competitive by being efficient, profitable and providing high quality services,” concludes Park. Sydney’s Mather believes that new technology and the need for greater collaboration between different industry stakeholders and governments will become even more important in the years ahead. “People in Australia and Asia are early adopters of technology, so we need to meet their expectations for greater choice, control, connectivity and convenience by utilising and investing in the latest technology, from airport apps to biometrics,” she says. “It’s also essential that industry and government work together to ensure policy settings are appropriately calibrated to reflect investments in next generation aircraft and best support aviation, economic and tourism growth.” ADP’s de Romanet sees three big challenges and opportunities ahead – the capacity crunch, the need to develop ‘smart airports’ and sustainability. “The first challenge is the need for additional capacities to meet future demand. Airports will have to adapt and upgrade terminal facilities, provide cost reduction solutions and better operational efficiency because the competitiveness of airlines is based more and more on the assets of the airport,” he says.
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Fred Lam, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong.
Julian Jäger (left) and Dr Günther Ofner, managing board members, Vienna Airport.
“In this regards, we are lucky in Paris because the modular form of Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, its two sets of parallel runways and available land will enable us to support air traffic growth in the long-term. “To optimise and improve all the fields of activity at our airports, we are investing a record amount of €4.6 billion over the next five years; including €3 billion on aviation and business related, with an emphasis on maintenance and renovation. “The second main challenge is the ‘smartisation’ of the airport – with self-boarding, automated luggage drop and border crossing systems like PARAFE – to improve the passenger journey and experience, as well as address the new expectations linked to the digital boom. The emergence of Big Data and CRM [Customer Relationship Management] tools are significantly changing our relationships with our customers, which are becoming more simple and personalised. “The third big challenge is sustainability. We need to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the air transport industry. As the first airport group to be included in the Global 100 index, ADP is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 50% between 2009 and 2020 and to achieving a 15% share of renewable energy in our end consumption”. Vienna Airport’s managing board members Julian Jäger and Dr Günther Ofner believe that airports will face increasing pressure to develop as multi-functional locations over the next 20 years on top of the expectancy to provide quality services, low prices and a wide range of destinations and connections. Jäger says: “I believe that our efficient processes and high quality services – recognised by Skytax which has given us a ‘4-Star Airport’ rating and the award for the Best Airport Staff in Europe in 2015, ensure that Vienna Airport is well positioned for future success.” On the expected need of airports to develop as more that just transportation centres, Ofner says: “Airports will continue to develop as multi-functional locations, which offer many other services in addition to the core business of air travel. “Accordingly, we want to attract more companies to the airport site and thus further enhance our role in the region. Recently a fitness studio opened at the airport and new companies setting up operations on site have included Makita and Cargo Partner.”
Amsterdam Schiphol’s Nijhuis tells Airport World: “Maintaining our competitive position versus our competitors in Turkey and the Middle-East is one challenge. Airports will also need to become more passenger and airline centric and diversify their portfolios away from regulated businesses to ensure their long-term sustainability.” The need to be a key economic driver for Edmonton and the state of Alberta is on the mind of EIA’s Tom Ruth. “For us, and I think many other airports, a challenge we face is balancing being profitable with our overarching goal to be an economic driver for our region,” he says. “We need to ensure diversity in our revenue streams. The days of airports simply being a place where you go to catch a flight are long behind us.” Airport Authority Hong Kong’s Lam comments: “I am confident that the aviation industry will continue to prosper for the foreseeable future. “Faced with the prospect of impressive business opportunities over the next 20 years, many major airports around the world are currently expanding their facilities and we are no exception,” says Lam. “At HKIA we are planning to expand the airport into a three-runway system to capitalise on future growth and maintain our status as a regional and international aviation hub.” The last word and a warning over the possible consequences of the industry failing to deliver the airport infrastructure needed to meet future demand, goes to TAV’s Sani Şener. He says: “The emerging markets are expected to drive global growth in the next 20 years and eventually they will account for almost two-thirds of all air traffic. “In fact the propensity to fly will triple in Asia-Pacific and the CIS countries in next the 20 years. That is two-and-a-half times higher than the Middle East and Latin America and double Africa and Europe. “Therefore, I believe the biggest challenge for the world’s airports will be to provide capacity for such robust traffic growth. Airport capacity is critical in a lot of ways. If global airport capacity fails to meet demand, it will result in the loss of two million jobs, 225 million passengers and $110 billion in revenues by 2035.”
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
View from the airlines
IATA’s director general, Tony Tyler, provides an airline perspective and reflects on his organisation’s growing ties with ACI and the world’s airports.
many airports have a virtual monopoly of passengers and airlines, and use that market power to keep charges high and efficiency innovation low. It is therefore vital that airport charges be regulated, in the same way other monopoly-like businesses are regulated.
What do you like about Airport World and do you think that we’ve done a good job of telling the stories of ACI the world’s airports over the last 20 years?
In your opinion, what are the biggest changes to the aviation industry/market since Airport World first appeared 20 years ago? The biggest changes in the market have undoubtedly been the rise of the Gulf carriers, and the continued growth in the low-cost sector. Twenty ago the Middle East accounted for less than 3% of global passenger traffic. Now it is nearly 10%. Emirates, which was founded only 30 years ago, is now the largest airline in the world measured by international passenger kilometres flown. The Gulf has also become a vital hub for air cargo. This meteroic rise has caused tensions, but also transformed the way millions of people fly. The big Gulf carriers are a symbol of wider moves towards a more globalised world, and also of the gradual shift eastwards of the centre of gravity of not only aviation, but of the entire global economy. On a more regional basis, the increasing penetration of so-called low-cost carriers has obviously been a feature of the aviation landscape. While it has made life tougher for many of the traditional carriers, it has opened up new passenger markets and given the opportunity to fly to many millions of people.
Does IATA and ACI have more in common today than ever before and what can be done to further enhance the relationship? In many ways we have a very close relationship, particularly with ACI World. We signed an MoU in 2013 in which we agreed to work together across a wide range of mutually beneficial areas. Perhaps the strongest manifestation of this co-operation has been the Smart Security programme, where we are working to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and experience of passenger screening. We also liaise closely in matters of environmental policy, advocacy on the benefits of aviation, and for policy action in areas like air traffic management reform. However, in the area of airport charges regulation, especially in Europe, we do have significant differences of opinion. We believe that
The aviation industry faces a number of crucial challenges, which it cannot tackle alone – it needs the support of governments, other businesses, and the public. Effective communication is the only way to secure that support. I think Airport World does an excellent job of articulating what the airport sector and the wider industry needs in order to succeed in the long-term, as well as promoting the successes of the industry here and now. Congratulations on 20 years and I wish you a very successful next 20 years fulfilling that mission.
Thinking of the next 20 years, what are the greatest challenge ahead for the world’s airlines and airports? The challenge over the next 20 years is that we are going to see a doubling in the number of passengers. We are not going to double the size of our infrastructure, so we need to work night and day to maximise the efficiency of what we have. That means embracing new technology and creating innovative processes. We also need to push governments to recognise that some airports will have to expand to meet demand, and that reform of air traffic management is essential to generate enough capacity, maintain safety, and cut costs and emissions. That brings me to the second challenge: the environment. Next year ICAO will face a momentous choice to help the industry meet its carbon-neutral growth target by agreeing a global market-based measure to cut emissions. Even if this is agreed, it will not reduce the pressure on the industry to deliver on its promises. We need to demonstrate continual progress on all four of the pillars of our emissions strategy. We also need to find a better way to work with local airport communities on the issue of airport noise. Even though the noise profiles of the latest planes are much reduced, the number of noise events is going to carry on increasing to cope with demand. So we have to be honest with communities and work with them so they understand and can accept the need for growth. A third acute challenge will be security. The security threat is constantly evolving. Direct threats to passenger security remain high, but in addition to that, air transport is also used to conduct terrorists and their material, and governments are going to need more data about all travellers and cargo to help prevent that. The cyber security threat is still in its relative infancy but will get AW more sophisticated and more frequent.
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY
On top of the world OAG senior analyst, John Grant, takes a closer look at the traffic trends at the world’s busiest hubs over the last 20 years.
A
hub operations in the case of the US based airlines, the ‘top ten’ carriers list is much more stable. Over the past 20 years, the top five airlines have always been US based reflecting the total market size, whilst below that top five perhaps the most interesting development is the inclusion of two major Chinese carriers in 2015 as well as Turkish Airlines, which in 1996 only ranked 43rd on the OAG database. With the world apparently shrinking in the last two decades, and more and more alternate routings available between any two city pairs, we have also taken a look back at the longest sector lengths to see how that has changed and, just as importantly, which airlines have been operating those sectors. At face value it would seem that whilst the longest sector length has stretched out a little further over the last 20 years, there has been no ‘breakthrough’ change in that time. However, in this instance that is not quite the case. In 1996 all of the ‘top ten’ routes were operated by either B747 or A340 four engine aircraft; by 2015 all of the sectors were operated by
viation has always been a strong indicator of both economic activity and innovation, but it is only when we look back over 20 years that we really appreciate how fast moving the industry is, how much change has occurred and the pace of that change. In 1996, the US dominated the ‘top ten’ airports in terms of departing seats per annum, with seven of the ten listed. By 2005, the emergence of other global markets reduced that seven to only four airports with new entrants such as Beijing Capital, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Paris CDG appearing. By 2015, the US’s seven had become three as Dallas/Fort Worth fell outside of the ‘top ten’ airports for the first time. Perhaps of greater interest is that the total capacity at the leading airport, Hartsfeld-Jackson Atlanta, only increased by 10% over the 20 years, whilst Frankfurt, which is tenth position in 2015, was a comfortable eighth in 1996. That growth in capacity at major airports is also reflected by the fact that 27.7 million passengers would have made the ‘top ten’ in 1996; today that would only place an airport at 24th in the world’s leading airports. Whilst there has been some inevitable churn in the ‘top ten’ airports, through processes such as consolidation and sheer multiple
Top 10 airports by departing capacity 1996-2015 1996
2005
2015
Chicago O’Hare 53.0m
Atlanta 59.0m
Atlanta 58.4m
Los Angeles 50.6m
Chicago O’Hare 49.2m
Beijing Capital 57.0m
Atlanta 46.7m
London Heathrow 46.3m
Tokyo Haneda 52.0m
Dallas/Fort Worth 43.9m
Los Angeles 39.5m
Dubai 52.0m
London Heathrow 40.8m
Tokyo Haneda 39.1m
London Heathrow 48.3m
Phoenix 30.6m
Dallas/Fort Worth 37.9m
Los Angeles 45.1m
Tokyo Haneda 30.2m
Frankfurt 35.4m
Chicago O’Hare 44.5m
Frankfurt 30.1m
Paris CDG 35.3m
Hong Kong 41.8m
San Francisco 28.7m
Beijing Capital 29.5m
Paris CDG 40.1m
New York-Newark 27.7m
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi 29.1m
Frankfurt 40.0m
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AIRPORT WORLD’s 20TH ANNIVERSARY Source:OAG Schedules Analyser, October 2015.
Top 10 scheduled airlines by departing capacity 1996-2015 1996
2005
2015
Delta Air Lines 172.5m
Delta Air Lines 169.6m
American Airlines 251.1m
American Airlines 149.0m
American Airlines 165.2m
Delta Air Lines 216.3m
United Airlines 142.4m
Southwest 141.2m
Southwest 186.6m
US Airways 131.4m
United Airlines 123.1m
United Airlines 173.9m
Southwest 100.0m
Northwest 100.1m
American Airlines 165.3m
Northwest 95.1m
US Airways 94.4m
China Southern 113.4m
Continental Airlines 74.8m
Continental Airlines 82.7m
Ryanair 110.0m
British Airways 61.1m
Lufthansa 75.0m
China Eastern 104.2m
Lufthansa 59.3m
Air France 71.0m
Lufthansa 83.9m
All Nippon Airways 54.1m
Japan Airlines 68.0m
Turkish Airlines 80.6m
Top 10 Longest scheduled services 1996-2015 1996
2005
2015
Cathay Pacific LAX – HKG 15:35
Cathay Pacific LAX – HKG 16:30
American Airlines DFW – HKG 17:05
Gulf Air BAH – JFK 15:20
Cathay Pacific JFK – HKG 16:20
Air India DEL – SFO 16:45
Cathay Pacific HKG – LHR 15:20
Air Canada DEL – YYZ 16:00
Air India BOM – EWR 16:15
Korean Airlines JFK – SEL 15:15
Continental EWR – HKG 16:00
Air India DEL – ORD 16:00
Iberia SEL – MAD 15:15
American Airlines DEL – ORD 15:55
Air Canada YYZ – HKG 15:45
Cathay Pacific HKG – FCO 15:05
Air Canada YYZ – HKG 15:45
Air Canada YVR – SYD 15:40
Northwest DTW – SEL 15:05
China Airlines TPE – FRA 15:40
American Airlines DFW – PVG 15:40
Cathay Pacific HKG – ZRH 14:45
Phuket Air BKK – LGW 15:20
Air India DEL – JFK 15:30
Cathay Pacific HKG – YYZ 14:45
Phuket Air BKK – AMS 15:20
Alitalia NRT – VCE 15:15
Cathay Pacific HKG – CDG 14:40
China Southern LAX – CAN 15:00
American Airlines LAX – SYD 15:05
B777 two engine aircraft, reflecting the significant advances in aircraft power technology and consumption that have been achieved in that time. In reflecting on the 20 year period since 1995, perhaps the most remarkable point is the resilience of the US market from both an airport and airline perspective, which was also seen in the recently produced OAG Megahubs Index report. History, however, is not always an indicator of future trends and results, so we have also looked forward to assess what the situation might be in a few years time. Certainly from the airlines’ perspective, the consolidation of the US-based carriers has placed a considerable distance between themselves and China Southern in sixth place. However, in Europe, we have yet to see real consolidation among the airline community; formal structures such as IAG and the Lufthansa Airline Group provide a half-way house solution that ultimately provides opportunity for full consolidation into one brand at a particular point. If that was the case, then the collective IAG airline family would immediately enter the ‘top ten’ in sixth place, with the Lufthansa Airline Group similarly entering at seventh. From an airport perspective, many of the facilities included are either operating at capacity throughout the day or have such notable
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CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
banks of activity that, in reality, only additional new runway capacity or indeed new airport facilities are likely to bring about any significant movement in position. Certainly the new airport in Istanbul – scheduled to open in early 2018 – along with Dubai World Central, Beijing Capital and perhaps Hong Kong appear to be best placed to move up in the rankings in the next five to ten years. It is, however, in the area of longest scheduled routes that we are likely to see the most dramatic change in the next decade. The arrival of the B787 and more recently the A350 are certainly serious game changers in terms of range. With Singapore Airlines already seeking to once again operate to the US non-stop, sector lengths of 19 hours are possible, although the commercial viability of such services and consumer response to such lengths are yet to be tested. Over the last twenty years the aviation scene has certainly changed; airline mergers, new airports and an industry that constantly innovates and challenges, means that no-one can be too complacent about always being ‘number one’. Equally, among all that change, it is often reassuring to see that airports such as Chicago O’Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and airlines like American and Delta are still there after all these years! AW
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FACILITATION
Green thinking The addition of ‘green’ areas within airport terminals can help create a sense of place, improve the ambience and have a calming impact on passengers, writes Kenneth Freeman.
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hile nature’s power to restore a sense of wellbeing has been widely recognised in offices, towns and cities, many airports are yet to realise the benefits of going green, not lean when it comes to planting. This is particularly disappointing as many people find travelling stressful and plants can help create a peaceful, relaxing environment for both passengers and airport staff. Installation of plants also makes business sense, as the improved experience may ensure that customers return again and hopefully spend a longer time airside. In this article, I will explore the benefits of foliage in airports and suggest that there’s a lot more to plants, than might, at first, meet the eye.
he describes as the innate affiliation people seek with other organisms and especially the natural world. Wilson’s ideas have been adopted by architects and designers for some time and many have used the principles of biophilia to make their buildings more humane and connected with nature. Combinations of plants, art, lighting and sound effects as well as a more natural style of design make it possible to elicit significant improvements in wellbeing and employee engagement with minimal outlay. Previous studies from Ulrich have found that human exposure to plants and natural settings can improve positive moods and reduce negative ones. Below, I have identified areas where I believe airports have the most to gain from installing a splash of green in their spaces.
Wellbeing The benefits of interior landscaping and the true cost of installing plants into a business environment have always sparked debate. Wellbeing is a difficult concept to define and although we probably all have an instinctive idea of what it feels like, it is very difficult to quantify. Martin Seligman, a well-known psychologist, broke down the concept of wellbeing into five distinct components – positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement. It’s not hard to believe that the management of an airport space can affect at least the first three, if not all, of these elements. Our need for nature was identified by the American biologist, Edward Wilson, who developed a hypothesis called ‘biophilia’, which
– Boosting the environment Plants, as living organisms, exert a beneficial influence on our surroundings. Perceptions of significantly improved air quality are frequently reported in places where plants are used – the air is often described as feeling fresher and cleaner. We are well aware of the benefits that outdoor spaces bring to our health, so we must do more to replicate these as much as possible in airports. Amsterdam Schiphol has created an airport park; a 20,000-square-foot space, mimicking the green outdoors. This space is further enhanced with the opportunity to jump on a stationary bike and imagine that you are cycling through
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FACILITATION – Noise control One of the less obvious benefits of plants is that they actually help to reduce noise. Research by Ambius and South Bank University in London, showed that one of the ways that plants can reduce noise is through sound absorption. Plant parts such as stems, leaves, branches and bark are all able to absorb sound. Plants also deflect and refract sound, helping to keep the airport a quieter, more relaxing place. This effect arguably being most widely felt in smaller spaces such as airport lounges.
The future
the park, combining an outdoor experience with the opportunity to exercise before you fly.
– Design and innovation Plants should be considered for more than just their aesthetic value when considering the design of an airport. For example, plants can be used as a guiding tool for passengers, as they are able to follow a line of trees from terminal to terminal. Planting can also help boost the brand and reputation of airports, distinguishing them from the competition. The joy of flying has been diminished by the necessary demands of improved security, and enriched environments can restore a sense of excitement and adventure to travelling. This year, my company Ambius worked with Vancouver International Airport to create an ‘airport scape’ that represented the landscape of North America. There was also a desire for the airport to improve the quality of air, and provide a calm and welcoming ambience in an otherwise fast-paced environment. The airport’s design celebrates the natural beauty and cultural heritage of British Columbia with each area of the airport reflecting a specific geographic region. The design includes architectural features that evoke imagery from British Columbia’s vineyards and orchards, fishing lodges, and the Fraser River, with its rocky mountain sides, waterfalls, streams, and vegetation outcroppings. Thanks to the airport’s high ceiling, we were able to install Ficus microcarpa trees, along with smaller plants, to create the effect of a canopy of foliage in the new foyer. We also installed a living green wall as part of the project, an impressive feature for passers-by to enjoy. However, there are plenty of examples that inspire the imagination of passengers; personally I like the Aeroponic Urban Garden in Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where different types of herbs and vegetables are grown vertically in between terminals two and three.
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As airports begin to embrace greenery with installations of flower beds and trees, they can start to think more broadly about the whole spectrum of landscaping. This might involve creating different mood zones within an airport, such as a stimulating and invigorating space or a more relaxing place to calm down, away from the hustle and bustle of the airport. Dynamic environments include the innovative use of lighting and art installations. For example, the recently created display at New York–JFK generated awareness for Breast Cancer. Scenting can also be used in spaces, improving the experience of a place for visitors as it creates an added connection with travellers, improving their experience when walking through the terminal. ‘Smell memory’ is the most powerful part of our memory, with humans able to recognise 10,000 different odours. Research has indicated that 40% of customers stay longer in pleasantly scented environments, and the longer people stay, the more likely they are to make a purchase or form a connection with a brand. This can be important business for airports that are hoping travellers will take advantage of the duty free shopping on offer. Passengers are also increasingly expecting more of an experience from airports, and will be attracted to terminals that offer more than just a connection to destinations. For instance, in October 2015, London Gatwick launched the world’s first ever pre-flight yoga programme or ‘floga’ to help passengers relax and unwind before flying. Flights can cause muscle stiffness and soreness and ‘floga’ is one of the innovative ways of helping passengers overcome some of these issues.
Final thoughts Airports compete against one another for business and international passengers. The installation of plants will not only benefit customers’ travelling experiences, making it more likely that they will return, but it also makes complete economic sense. Think about the design of the airport and sow the seeds for a positive journey for your customers. The result is you’ll grow your business by enhancing your brand and ensure your AW airport is top of mind the next time someone books a flight.
About the author Kenneth Freeman is head of innovation at Ambius, which provides interior and exterior landscaping services for airports and other buildings.
NEW REVENUE STREAMS
The pursuit of happiness AeroParker’s CEO, Jon Keefe, explains why he believes that using an e-commerce platform to book car parking online can help drive airport revenues and enhance the passenger experience.
C
ontinually striving to improve the passenger experience is now a key focus of most airports and, as we all know, a consequence of raising customer satisfaction levels is that happy passengers tend to spend more money whilst at the airport, driving non-aeronautical revenues upwards. Once through the doors of an airport the passenger is, of course, presented with a whole host of spending opportunities. But what about before they arrive at the airport? AeroParker’s research shows that unlike most airlines, airports really only know a small percentage of their customers (around 6%) and often don’t know that they are even in their terminals until they sign up for free Wi-Fi or start to spend money in their shops and F&B outlets. Airlines also often know who will be at the airport well in advance of the day of travel as passengers frequently buy tickets months before a flight, and this represents a huge sales advantage for them and is a significant lost opportunity for airports. I say this because I believe that airports have so much value to offer in terms of influencing how passengers feel and behave in their terminals if they knew more about them before they arrived. Let me give you one example of how this situation could be improved. Our e-commerce platform enables airports to sell parking and any other ancillary products in the same single basket transaction to passengers before they arrive at the airport. In this way, the airport can create the relationship with the passenger much earlier in the journey planning stage and certainly much earlier than the day of travel. A UK passenger research study showed that 14% of passengers were put at a heightened level of anxiety by not knowing how easy it would be find somewhere to park at the airport. If the airport can reduce that stress by guaranteeing the passenger a parking space upon arrival because the airport has employed a car park pre-booking system online, then the passenger experience is
significantly enhanced and a happier customer is created, all thanks to the airport. An added advantage is that this process also means that the airport has gained a valuable relationship for future commercial services and offerings. Once the airport has created this relationship prior to travel then there are opportunities to offer upgrades to the products that the passenger has bought or cross-sell other ancillary products. Our research shows that on average 5% of passengers upgrade or buy further products following an initial online purchase. With our online booking system it is also possible to enable the passenger to purchase goods and services at their destination airport. Examples of this can be lounges and fast track security (if available at the destination airport) for the return journey or car hire or a pre-booked taxi for onward travel. Arguably, such features allow the origin airport to further enhance the customer journey. Why would a destination airport allow its products to be sold in advance to a passenger arriving from another gateway? The simple answer is because they will be able to sell products to inbound customers who have traditionally been very difficult for airports to connect with. Furthermore, once they have made a sale they will also have direct access to their data for future marketing purposes. Simultaneously the origin airport is incentivised to undertake these tactics because of the incremental revenue they may receive based on any commercially negotiated reciprocal arrangement between the two airports for the advanced sales of the destination airport’s products. So, if you thought being able to book car parking online was just about convenience think again, as combined with an ancillary e-commerce platform like AeroParker it really can allow airports to enhance the passenger experience whilst driving new and incremental revenues and gathering vital passenger data. AW
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MASTER PLANNING
Expand and grow Mike Bernos reports on Juan Santamaria International Airport’s plans to ensure that its key infrastructure is equipped to keep pace with growing demand.
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an Jose’s Juan Santamaria International Airport continues to undergo major redesign and renovation work in order to help it accommodate growing tourism demand to Costa Rica and better reflect the country’s art and culture. Indeed, since AERIS Holding Costa Rica (AERIS) took over the concession for the gateway in 2002 it has initiated a series of capital improvement projects, which have included the renovation of its international terminal. In fact it has maintained a pace of completing a new project annually, most recently completing projects to modernise and expand the airport’s baggage systems and immigration inspection areas. Expansion of the international terminal to 600,000sqft (1/3 processor, 2/3 holdroom) will be completed in 2018, while a new four-storey, 30,000sqft domestic terminal will open in mid-2017. The airport is also currently carrying out an expansion of the apron to provide more space for international flights and a similar project for domestic operations will begin in early 2016.
New terminal Dennis Iskra, AIA, an architect for RS&H which is providing design plans for both the international terminal expansion and new terminal, says that the eco-tourism experience should begin at the airport. “We are seeking to showcase the country’s art and culture within the new domestic terminal design,” he tells Airport World. “Large walls, glass balconies, screens, iron gates, ceiling treatments, and courtyard paving will create design opportunities for the integration of art and architecture. “An open courtyard design that will serve as the grand arrival and departure hall will be common to both buildings, thereby creating a historical link to the public buildings of colonial Spanish America.” Iskra says that he wants the courtyard to transcend time to create a contemporary architecture that is “grounded in tradition and environmentally appropriate to this idyllic climate.” Eduardo Chamberlain, director of engineering and planning for AERIS, notes that under the terms of the concession, which expires in 2026, his company is required to 100% fund all new infrastructure at Juan Santamaria International Airport.
As a result, it prepares the airport’s master plan and presents an update every four years to the government to show the progress that has been made and agree on future capital investment projects. “The contract requires a lot of reporting and oversight,” admits Chamberlain, who concedes that the added pressure of being the country’s first PPP project meant that it took a little while for things to really fall into place. “We now have a good methodology in place for developing projects. We provide the planning of the projects and the government provides the oversight and verification,” he says. “I believe that we’ve demonstrated that this type of arrangement is the best way forward for big projects in a country of our size where government funds are limited.”
Eco-tourism and traffic growth The growth of eco-tourism has proved pivotal in increased requests for more flights in and out of Costa Rica over the last eight years, according to Chamberlain. And the rise in demand has come right across the board from airlines operating transatlantic services to the low-cost carriers such as JetBlue, Spirit and Southwest, fuelling a 33% rise in passenger traffic to around 4mppa since 2007. In order to accommodate the growing demand for these flights, he says AERIS has hired the aviation consulting firm RS&H to develop much of its conceptual planning, including the development of the safety areas of its main runway, 07/25, to comply with ICAO and FAA regulations. “One of our primary goals is to improve the runway conditions and the airfield to attract non-stop transatlantic flights,” reveals Chamberlain. He says that the elevation of the runway and the surrounding terrain currently puts “constraints on our operations”, but notes that the planned addition of new runway end safety areas will make a big difference. “It will allow the airlines to eliminate penalties on cargo, passengers or fuel, which will make the airport more attractive for carriers,” he enthuses. The airport expects to have the runway and all airfield improvements completed by June 2016, just a month after British Airways launches a non-stop service from London. The new BA service is a huge boost for the airport and Chamberlain hopes that the revamped airfield will help attract more services from Europe. AW
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SECURITY
All about access
ASSA ABLOY’s head of technical and marketing, Jonathan Nobbs, discusses how automating entrance and exit doors can help fine-tune security and boost customer satisfaction levels.
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e all know that it isn’t easy to meet stringent security standards and process rising passenger numbers to tighter schedules at the same time as ensuring that travellers have an enjoyable, stress-free journey. It is an often-used cliché, but getting things right requires a balancing act between the needs of the security forces and the operational efficiency of an airport. Imposing and visible security measures, for instance, whilst of paramount importance can raise anxiety levels when applied overzealously, and even contribute to processing delays in extreme circumstances. With delays costing airports and airlines significant sums, through fines and refunds, the need to accommodate more passengers without expanding capacity requires optimum efficiency. And arguably the pressure on airport security to perform better is mounting as operational efficiency is more important than ever. Highly functional airport infrastructure, a vital asset for operational efficiency, requires a delicate blend of systems, processes and equipment that in recent years has increasingly included automating doors at exit and entrance points. Below I explain why I believe that they can help fine-tune safety and security, improve passenger flows and enhance the travel experience.
Space saving automatic swing door systems, with powered opening beyond the usual 90 degree range, could free up valuable space in tight corridors, while 180 degree opening widens walkways and passages. The latter being particularly useful where the door leaf of a conventional door is a barrier when ajar. At certain points within any airport, intentionally staggering a thoroughfare for security purposes is normal practice. Doors that are constantly stood open are therefore not ideal; frequency and length of opening should be calculated and controlled to reduce unauthorised access. Leading suppliers of entrance automation encourage and assist traffic measuring and planning.
Every door matters Passenger safety is crucial, and irrespective of the systems specified, integrating automated doors requires careful application consideration. Pocket screens, barriers and hazard signage are all useful tools to negate the chance of pedestrians being physically impacted by doors during their opening/closing cycle. Where ‘safety through security’ issues are identified, entrance automation is a reliable ally. Blast protected automatic entrances reduce the damage from blast hazards. Sliding and swing door systems are available options.
Maintenance Keep on walking Automating swing and sliding doors can be an effective way to simplify passenger movements, providing a flexible and easy route through halls, waiting areas and bag drops. Access control solutions can be utilised to complement zone restrictions and security operations, with sensors and activation units tailored to optimise efficiency. Ease of access, in terms of practicality and security, is a goal. Careful implementation is required to ensure easy doesn’t become lax, where doors facilitate unauthorised movements into, or in some instances back into, controlled areas.
Right door at the right time When it comes to processing a high number of passengers in a short period of time, you don’t want a poorly specified door system to be the stimulus for unnecessary hold-ups. It’s really important that facility management teams monitor how many people pass through an entrance at any time. Ensuring opening points and adjacent spaces are wide enough to accommodate peak demand is fundamental.
In reality, no one notices a door until it fails: that’s why planned and preventative maintenance is so important. Door breakdowns are a constant source of frustration for operators and passengers, not to mention the associated health and safety and security implications. The financial argument for planned, preventive maintenance is compelling. As with any mechanical system, automated doors require regular service. A lifetime cost approach, factoring the hidden costs of reactive service and repair, is essential to calculate true value. ‘Out of hours’ service calls are the most effective way to reduce maintenance impact on passenger services. Where a ‘first time fix’ is the target, the competency of the engineer is vital. A flexible, skilled service programme is important, as is guaranteed access to manufacturer’s genuine parts. Physical location of engineers in the service network is also a factor to consider when choosing a maintenance partner. Exits and entrances may not seem a priority in the grand scheme of aviation design, but the evidence shows that well planned and maintained automated entrances can make a difference to airport operations. AW
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS
Going green New sustainability report for Big Apple’s airports The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has released the Aviation Department’s first sustainability report for its 2014 activities at JFK, Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, Stewart and Teterboro airports. The report, produced in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidance, reveals that PANYNJ has produced and implemented sustainability plans for Newark Liberty, Stewart and Teterboro and has committed to LEED Silver standards for construction of its marquee new terminal projects at LaGuardia’s Central Terminal Building and Newark’s Terminal A. In addition, PANYNJ has worked with its tenants and vendors to develop innovative recycling and compost programmes, advance the adoption of advanced aviation biofuels, and many other initiatives. Aviation director, Thomas Bosco, says: “We view sustainability as a key component of our agency’s business priorities. To us, sustainability is not just about caring for the environment – it is about providing a resilient, safe, secure, and customer-friendly transportation network for our region.”
Frankfurt’s green gate Frankfurt Airport has opened a new ‘Green Gate’ to tell passengers more about the fleet of electric powered vehicles used to service aircraft at the gateway. The fleet includes solar-powered passenger stairs, electric conveyor belt vehicles, hybrid aircraft tugs and electric pallet trucks. Fraport CEO, Dr Stefan Schulte, says: “In addition to the energy optimisation of the terminal, the use of electric vehicles at the airport is an essential starting point for us to reduce CO2 emissions. “Electrically powered vehicles are ideal for use at airports because they make short journeys. This is especially true for special vehicles for aircraft servicing, such as towing vehicles, ground support equipment or pallet trucks. We want the proportion of special electric vehicles used here on-site to further increase.”
North America gets with the programme
ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme is gathering pace in North America with 10 Canadian and US airports achieving certification in the year since ACI-NA joined the global scheme to reduce airport CO2 emissions. Seattle-Tacoma had the honour of becoming the first accredited airport and has now been joined by Montréal-Trudeau, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Honolulu, Toronto Pearson, Victoria, Portland and its reliever airports Hillsboro and Troutdale. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is the first North American airport to achieve Level Three Optimisation certification. “I applaud these early adopters who have committed to lowering their carbon footprints and becoming better partners in the global aviation system,” says ACI-NA president and CEO, Kevin Burke. “By achieving the ambitious goals of Airport Carbon Accreditation, these airports are setting our industry on a path toward continued success in innovation and sustainability.”
Norway’s environmental innovator
Four Avinor driven projects at Olso Airport are included in Aviation Climate Solutions, a new report showing 100 examples of how the aviation industry is collaborating and contributing to reduce CO2 emissions. The projects include offering biojetfuel to all airlines refuelling at the airport in co-operation with Air BP and SkyNRG; providing free charging stations for electric vehicles for both passengers and employees; and the use of satellite based navigation technology for aircraft approaches since 2012 that has helped reduce its overall noise impact and greenhouse gas emissions. Avinor was also recognised for its plans to build a new snow depot that will be used to collect snow and cool the new passenger terminal and the North Pier. “By international standards, Avinor is not a very big player, but our innovation and environmental projects are being noticed. I am very proud of the fact that as many as four of our projects have been
included in this report,” enthuses CEO, Dag Falk-Petersen. “Our environmental efforts are being recognised far beyond the country’s borders, and I hope this can be an inspiration to others and even bigger players internationally.” The report was released at the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) organised Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva where aviation leaders signed an open letter reaffirming their commitment to climate action and calling on the world’s government’s to do more to support the industry’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. “As a founding member of ATAG, ACI realises that environmental stewardship is a top priority for the continued sustainable development of aviation,” said ACI World’s director general, Angela Gittens. “We urge governments to work in parallel with the sector not only for the good of the industry, but also for the good AW of the planet.”
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PROJECT WATCH
Europe 1
Private investors unveil ambitious plans for a new €15 billion hub in northern Italy.
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t may not have the sexiest name at present in Europe 1, but investors behind plans to build a new €15 billion airport in northern Italy are so serious in their intentions that they are actively looking for a “world class airport operator” to manage it. The investment consortium, led by China’s Sīxiăng Holding, is seeking to attract an experienced airport operator to manage the initial three-year start up phase of the hub it believes can help Europe overcome the predicted shortfall in airport capacity over the next 20 to 30 years. It requires potential concessionaires to have experience in commissioning and operating new airport facilities and have the financial capacity to undertake the role. And it insists that the operator must have access to management resources “across the wide spectrum of disciplines required” and have no conflict of interest with any existing gateways. For its part, the private consortium behind the hugely ambitious project insists that its pool of international investors have strong political and institutional backing and can fully fund the €15 billion hub. It says that most of the investors are large institutions based in Europe, Asia and North America as well as important airport and infrastructure operators.
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Location and infrastructure So what of the airport itself? If it becomes reality, Europe 1 will be located along the high-speed rail line currently under construction between Brescia and Verona in northern Italy. Its investors are aiming for an opening date of 2020 and want the gateway to eventually have six runways and more than one million square metres of terminals to ensure that it is ultimately capable of handling up to 100 million passengers per annum. Sīxiăng Holding claims that this potential makes it a major new European hub that could help the continent overcome the predicted future shortfall in airport capacity. Initially occupying a 38 square kilometre site with an additional 17 square kilometres available for future expansion, Europe 1 expects to open with four runways. In addition to Domestic and Intercontinental terminals, the initial designs for the airport outline plans for dedicated first-class and private jet terminals and an adjoining airport city development that would include business and entertainment facilities such as a casino, retail outlets, office buildings, a theatre, museums and fitness and sports complexes. A spokesperson for Europe 1 told Airport World that Europe 1 will also feature a spaceport for suborbital flights.
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
project details Location: Northern Italy Important developments: New 100mppa capacity hub and airport city Scheduled completion: 2020 Principal companies involved: International investor consortium led by Sīxiăng Holding Total investment: €15 billion
PROJECT WATCH
Indeed, part of Europe 1, including the spaceport, is being designed by Luis Vidal + Architects, one of the firms retained to develop the Colorado Front Range Spaceport.
Airport city Sīxiăng Holding, which has brought consultancy firm Aviation Economics onboard to manage the project planning, is confident that the upscale airport city development will help make Europe 1 a destination in its own right. The Hong Kong-based investor, which has a 10% stake in Europe 1, told Airport World that its airport city concept will be passenger driven and focus on non-aeronautical related activities and services. “In the future, airline routes will be more influenced by passenger preferences,” predicts Michele Raucci, chairman of Sīxiăng Holding and founder of Europe 1. “Passengers will increasingly choose their travel itineraries based on the departure, arrival and connecting airports, and Europe 1 will allow the region to capitalise on this trend. “Europe 1’s prime location at the heart of such a culturally, economically and topographically attractive area in Europe will make the airport a natural choice for international travellers coming to or through the region.” Raucci even goes as far as to predict that Europe 1’s assortment of attractions could allow transit passengers with time on their hands to enjoy a ‘holiday’ type experience on the airport city site. “Passengers in transit will be able to enjoy a vacation within a vacation at Europe 1,” he enthuses. “Even the international terminals will be like a cruise ship where travellers have quick and easy access to food, entertainment and wellness all in one place.”
Business model and the environment He affirms that Europe 1 will have a different business model to most airports in that it will not be focused on any single carrier in terms of driving traffic and subsequently revenues. “The airport hub will operate a hybrid model that does not depend on a single anchor or flagship carrier but rather acts as a base for many different international airlines,” explains Raucci. The lead investor also emphasises that the hub has taken the environment into account every step of the way, ensuring that it will be one of the greenest gateways on the planet. “The buildings will be built to conform to LEED Platinum criteria as well as other green standards that will be announced as the project progresses,” notes Raucci.
Economic benefits Europe 1’s investors assert that its development is in response to Europe’s impending capacity crunch, with a 2013 report by EUROCONTROL predicting that the continent’s existing airport system won’t be able to accommodate 1.9 million flights per annum by 2035. According to the Challenges of growth report, the capacity crunch is set to cost airlines and airports in excess of €40 billion in lost revenues and €5 billion in congestion costs per year by 2035. And the wider economic impact is estimated to be even more dramatic, costing the European economy upwards of €230 billion in lost GDP by 2035. Indeed, the study warns that the cost to the region of not expanding its airport capacity in line with future demand could be two million jobs and €97 billion in economic activity over the next 20 years. The report, which ACI Europe’s then president, Declan Collier, called a “warning bell for aviation”, concluded that current airport expansion plans across the continent fell at least nine runways short. “Ten years ago, building a new international destination hub like this in northern Italy would have been unthinkable, but now it is a near necessity,” says Raucci. “The hub is an answer to Europe’s urgent need for additional runways to meet the growing demand for passenger capacity in the region. It will save the region billions of euros that otherwise would have been lost.” He notes that the enhanced accessibility that Europe 1 will bring to northern Italy will also be of particular benefit to the region’s export-oriented businesses.
High speed rail It is anticipated that the airport will have a direct rapid rail service to Milan Linate and be a stop on the high-speed rail network that runs across northern Italy and provides onward connections to cities such as Lyon, Munich, Zurich and Ljubljana. And while some might fear that the rail links could take traffic away from Europe 1, Raucci believes the connections will increase the airport’s appeal by widening its catchment area. And looking at the bigger picture Raucci says that the Linate link will help improve the overall effectiveness of northern Italy’s airport system, which he says today consists of around a dozen independently managed gateways. He concludes: “Italy is one of the top travel destinations in the world. Europe 1 will reinforce Italy’s allure as a destination by adding world-class attractions and supplying more international flights. The hub will convert northern Italy into a major gateway to Europe.” AW
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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WBP NEWS
The latest news from ACI’s World Business Partners
Culinary icon opens Greek restaurant
Award-winning celebrity chef and restaurateur Mike Isabella’s coastal-inspired Greek dishes are now available to travellers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s Kapnos Taverna. The new eatery – opened in partnership with HMSHost, MarketPlace Development and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority – is located near Gate 37 in Terminal C. The airport is the second location for Kapnos Taverna with the original location in Arlington, Virginia, near the Ballston metro station – just a short drive from the airport. “We’re ecstatic to be opening Kapnos Taverna in Reagan National Airport with Mike Isabella. He is a culinary icon and as a local DC metro area company it means a great deal to HMSHost to have such great partners in our hometown,” says HMSHost’s vice president of business development, Bryan Loden.
Finnish feel
SSP has become the latest concessionaire to unveil a new F&B outlet at Helsinki Airport as part of a major revamp by operator Finavia to bring more of a Finnish feel to the gateway. Tapio Café, located at the busiest area of the terminal, has been designed to showcase the best of Finnish quality ingredients and design and takes its name from an ancient Finnish forest god that was worshipped in the pre-Christian era. Materials used in the unit’s design have been chosen to reflect elements from local nature such as the silver birches that can be seen across the airfield from the outlet’s windows. Chairs and tables from renowned finish design company Artek Iittala tableware and Marimekko fabrics will complete the Finnish theme. Open rye salmon sandwiches, reindeer meatballs and Lapland cheese salad are among the light bites on menu. Elena Stenholm, vice president of Finavia said: “It would be fair to say that Tapio Café will be one of the most Finnish cafes at Helsinki Airport. Finland will not only be represented in its ingredients and design, but also in its overall ambiance. Providing truly Finnish experiences to our passengers is one of our main objectives when it comes to planning our commercial offering. Tapio Café really helps us achieve this goal.”
Talking shop
Lagardère Travel Retail has completed the acquisition of leading North American airport retail and F&B operator, Paradies, after receiving all the required authorisations. The acquisition will combine the activities of Paradies and Lagardère Travel Retail in North America, creating the region’s second-largest operator, with total revenue of around $800 million in 2015. According to Lagardère, thanks to the complementary nature of the two companies’ operating locations and concepts, the transaction will generate commercial and financial synergies in the North American market, which offers attractive growth prospects. The integration of the two companies will be led by Paradies’ president and CEO Gregg Paradies, who will remain at the helm of the combined entity. The acquisition value is $530 million, on a cash-free/debt-free basis. Talking about the deal back in August, Dag Rasmussen, chairman and CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail, said: “This acquisition transforms the presence of Lagardère Travel Retail in North America.”
CheckVideo Location: Falls Church, VA, USA Contact: Ken Vondrasek, aviation system manager Email: kvondrasek@checkvideo.com Web: www.checkvideo.com CheckVideo delivers one-of-a-kind intelligent video security solutions. ExitSentry, the preferred exit lane breach control solution for airports for over 15 years, detects wrong-way movement from public to secure areas. Using audible and visual alarms, ExitSentry immediately alerts security personnel to an exit lane breach and digitally records for instant playback.
SAR Trilogy Management Location: Orlando, FL, USA Contact: Marius Range, managing director Email: info@sar-trilogy.com Web: www.sar-trilogy.com SAR Trilogy Managemen is a US-based global investor in and developer of aviation infrastructure with a particular focus on airport fuel farms. We acquire, build/ construct and operate fuel farms in exchange for a long-term concession as a public-private partnership (PPP). Inquiries are welcome.
Emirates Leisure Retail Location: Dubai, UAE Contacts: Andrew Day, CEO; Kevin Zajaz, chief commercial officer Email: andrewd@mmi.ae; kevinz@elr.ae Web: www.emiratesleisureretail.com Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR) is a subsidiary of the high-profile Emirates Group dedicated to creating exceptional airport dining experiences for travellers and driving successful enduring partnerships with key international airports. We are a world-class operator delivering award winning concepts that are a mix of owned and franchise brands, multi-site chains and unique one-of-a kind concepts from Dubai in the Middle East to Launceston in Tasmania.
AIRPORT WORLD/DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
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HUMAN RESOURCES
PEOPLE
matters Happy talk! Terri Morrissey and Dr Richard Plenty provide their thoughts on: The importance of recognition.
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e always find it surprising that so few airport leaders take the time to recognise and celebrate success – and we don’t mean chartering private jets to go to the Caribbean! Millions has been spent on research studies on ‘motivation’ and ‘engagement’. Yet, with hardly any expenditure at all, a whole culture can be shifted by changing mindset to a more positive approach: emphasising gratitude instead of blame, moving from fault finding and put-downs to positive reinforcement and compliments, and building on strengths rather than weaknesses. And it really does not take that much to recognise someone’s efforts, to celebrate success and to express gratitude. Simple things like saying ‘well done’, ‘thank you’, and ‘I really appreciate it’ are phrases which can make all the difference to how people feel. Of course these compliments must be genuine and based on real achievements to have an impact. Still, a small shift in this direction can make a huge difference. As Mark Twain said: “I can live two months on a good compliment!” We were once asked to coach a highly driven CEO who wanted to understand why his staff were so disinclined to go the extra mile for him. He achieved excellent business results but there was a constant turnover of staff leaving for other apparently less attractive opportunities. He really did not know why.
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We asked him when he had last praised a member of his team for a job well done. When had he surprised someone with a birthday card? When had he last taken the time to have a coffee with someone and not just talk about work? Had he ever taken time out to celebrate his own personal achievements? Evidence from the field of positive psychology, made popular over recent years by Martin Seligman, an American psychologist, shows how accentuating the positive can help build confidence and competence. Taking the time to reflect on success – and the competencies and qualities that are needed to achieve it – is time well spent. Altruistic behaviour has been shown to improve the resilience and health of the giver as well as the receiver. Anne Herbert is accredited with first coining the term ‘random act of kindness’ when she wrote it on a napkin in a café in Sausalito. It’s an idea, which has been picked up by social media and has resulted in initiatives which benefit the wider community. Never underestimate the long-term impact of thinking and caring about others. Invest time and effort in recognising and celebrating success if you want to achieve sustainable performance and encourage commitment. And in that spirit, we’d like to congratulate editor, Joe Bates, and the Airport World team on 20 successful years of publication!
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AIRPORT WORLD
Halifax International Airport Authority has made two new appointments – Ian Arthur joining as its new chief commercial officer and Glen Boone as director of real estate and commercial development. Arthur will be responsible for overseeing strategies to increase flights, passengers and cargo tonnage at Halifax Stanfield International Airport and will lead the gateway’s efforts to grow its non-aeronautical revenues. Olivier Berger is the new CEO of ADP Ingénierie (ADPI), the engineering and design subsidiary of French airport operator, Aéroports de Paris. Berger, 50, is a qualified engineer from the École Polytechnique et des Pontset-Chaussée and has managed a number of large-scale infrastructure development projects over the past decade. He succeeded Guillaume Sauvé as ADPI’s chief operating officer in January 2015. Mike Stewart has been named vice president of airline business development at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and will succeed Mark Treadaway as vice president for air service planning and development when he retires. Treadaway has served MWAA for 24 years, prompting its executive vice president and chief revenue officer, Jerome Davis, to note: “Mark’s leadership has been responsible for helping make Dulles a major gateway for international travel.” Going through the outdoor is Maarten de Groof who has announced that he will leave his position as chief commercial officer of the Schiphol Group on April 1, 2016, after eight years in the role. Schiphol Group’s president and CEO, Jos Nijhuis, said: “Maarten de Groof has been of great value for Schiphol. He shared his enthusiasm and knowledge and that has been very good for the airport.”
About the authors Terri Morrissey and Dr Richard Plenty are organisers of ACI’s annual Leadership and Change Summit, which this year will be part of Airport Exchange in Istanbul, December 8-10. They can be contacted at info@thisis.eu
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AIRPORT WORLD DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016
Theme: Airport World’s 20th anniversary Airport report: Minneapolis-St Paul Airport design: Creating green spaces Plus: Security, people matters & WBPs
OBC
THE MAGAZINE OF THE AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL
A milestone for Airport World magazine December 2015 – January 2016 Volume 20 Issue 6 www.aci.aero