MAGAZINE

AIRPORT WORLD 2015, ISSUE 03

Joe Bates 17th July 2015

In the spotlight: Master planning

Airport report: Orlando & Bahrain

Special report: ASQ Awards

Plus: SMART Airports & World Business Partners

Better by design

Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the importance of devising flexible plans for the future in this master planning themed issue.

Your terminal is old, out-dated or fast reaching capacity, so you just get the funding and build a new one, right?

If only life was that simple. Funding doesn’t grow on trees, of course, but before you even think about that you’ve first got to work out what you might need, when you might need it, what you want the facility to achieve and over what timescale.

Are you looking for a quick fix or a more long-term solution? Do you want something you can develop, adapt and expand over time or just a purpose built facility for one use only such as a dedicated low-cost carrier terminal?

And what is a low-cost carrier terminal anyway? The short answer is it means different things to different people. AirAsia, for example, thought that it meant no air conditioning in Kuala Lumpur’s original Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). Fortunately for passengers, operator Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAHB) didn’t agree!

On the opposite end of the scale, is your airport looking for a new showpiece building that becomes a landmark in its own right?

Once again this could be down to personal opinion, but I would say facilities such as Shenzhen Boa’an International Airport’s Terminal 3 – famous for its manta ray design that features an external double honeycomb ‘skin’ – and the iconic and
still stunning peaked roof of Denver International Airport’s terminal, modelled on the snow capped peaks of the surrounding mountains, fit into this category.

Others deserving the right to be called ‘showpiece’ terminals arguably include Montevideo–Carrasco’s main terminal; Beijing Capital’s colossal Terminal 3; LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal; Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 1; Incheon’s giant award winning complex; Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas’ Terminal 4; and Terminal 1 at Doha’s new Hamad International Airport.

Having decided what you want, how do you know the market won’t change in the future, meaning that perhaps the airlines you are catering for now won’t be around at your airport in five or ten years time?

This is, of course, where the art of master planning comes into its own as airports have to prepare for almost every eventuality as the one constant in aviation is that it is an ever-evolving industry.

Gone are the days when airport CEOs only really had to know about operations, today they need to be experts in balancing billion dollar budgets and clairvoyants who can see into the future as well as all the other attributes required of big business leaders.

The importance of good leadership and vision statements with clear messages for staff is one of several thought provoking articles in the ‘master planning’ section of this issue of Airport World.

The section also includes a step-by-step guide to airport master planning; five trends to follow to help make airports destinations in their own right; a feature about the innovative design of Iqaluit’s new terminal; a review of the update of IATA’s Airport Development Reference Manual; and the latest on Frankfurt’s plans for a new Terminal 3.

Elsewhere in this issue we interview Phil Brown, executive director of Orlando International Airport, talk to Bahrain Airport CEO, Mohamad Yousif Al-Binfalah, and in People Matters discuss the importance of co-operation, collaboration and partnerships.

We also provide a picture round up of the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards Ceremony held at ACI Asia-Pacific’s Regional Conference at the Dead Sea in Jordan and report on the highlights of the SMART Airports & Regions Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta.

All add up to a red-hot summer issue of your favourite airport magazine!

Opinion
Airport World editor, Joe Bates, reflects on the importance of devising flexible plans for the future in this master planning themed issue.

ACI news
The 19th edition of ACI’s Airport Economics Report confirms that while the overall airport industry is in the black most airports lose money, writes Ryan White.

View from the top
ACI World director general, Angela Gittens, discusses the economic contributions of airports and the challenges of planning for future increases in demand.

Orlando magic
Orlando International Airport’s Phil Brown talks to Joe Bates about his gateway’s $3.1 billion renovation and expansion programme and ambitious route development plans.

The equaliser
Bahrain International Airport’s new state-of-the-art terminal is set to make a big impression on passengers and significantly enhance airline operations, writes Joe Bates.

Make it memorable
Exambela Consulting’s David Feldman and Laure Villeroux take a closer look at airport vision statements and consider why having a vision matters.

Planning ahead
Each airport development programme is a unique project and should be treated this way to ensure the planning and design of efficient, flexible terminals, writes Louis Berger’s vice president for global aviation, Javier Gonzalez.

Maximising the brand
Interbrand Germany’s managing director, Nina Oswald, considers five trends she believes will help make airports destinations in their own right and revolutionise the airport travel retail experience.

Built for extreme weather
Stantec’s Noel Best reflects on the innovative design of the planned new terminal building at Iqaluit in Canada’s frozen north.

Guide to success
Bechtel’s Steve Riano tells Airport World about the 10th edition update of IATA’s Airport Development Reference Manual, which is designed to act as an industry guide for airport master planning.

Project watch: Frankfurt Airport
Construction of its new €3 billion Terminal set to begin before year-end.

You’ve been framed
Airport World provides a picture round up of this year’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards Ceremony, which took place at ACI Asia-Pacific’s Regional Assembly, Conference & Exhibition in Jordan.

Get SMART!
Airport development and master planning was top of the agenda at the recent SMART Airports & Regions Conference and Exhibition in Atlanta, writes Joe Bates.