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The latest global news from ACI’s World Business Partners.
New F&B outlets open at Singapore Changi
Asian high street favourite, Tai Cheong Bakery, and Archipelago Craft Brew are the latest new additions to Singapore Changi’s F&B offering.
Introduced in partnership with the SSP Group and located landside in Terminal 3, Tai Cheong Bakery is one of Hong Kong’s most popular traditional bakeries with more than 20 outlets across Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
And, according to SSP, the new unit has been tailored to meet the needs of the busy airport environment, with a takeaway counter allowing customers to quickly “grab and go”.
In contrast, Archipelago Craft Brew House is a new concept developed by SSP in partnership with the Archipelago Brewery by Asia Pacific Brewery, which has been creating handcrafted, speciality beers in Singapore since 2006.
The Terminal 2 airside bar serves Archipelago Brewery’s range of award-winning craft beers, including Singapore Blonde Ale and Bohemian Lager.
Mark Angela, CEO of SSP Asia Pacific, said: “Both brands have a strong heritage and are highly regarded by local customers, and their use of original recipes and flavours will create a sense of place among international travellers looking for truly authentic experiences.”
Teo Chew Hoon, the Changi Group’s senior vice president for airside concessions, enthused: “SSP continues to wow Changi Airport’s passengers with their innovative concepts and offerings.
“Their new Archipelago Bar takes the passenger experience to a new level as they marry their unique craft beer flavours together with Singapore’s signature salted egg yolk offerings, creating an all-new blend of tastes for locals and visitors to enjoy.”
LAX super fast Boingo Wi-Fi
According to internet speed test company Ookla, the Wi-Fi speeds at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continue to grow and its average download speeds are among the best in North America.
Ookla reveals that Wi-Fi speeds on LAX’s free Boingo Wireless supplied network now top 70.6Mbps – an increase of 541% since 2016, when the average download speed on LAX Wi-Fi was about 11Mbps.
Average upload speeds on the LAX network now reach 87.39Mbps, says Ookla, which tested 51 of the largest airports in the US and Canada during the first half of 2019.
Based on separate LAX testing, airport guests can often experience Wi-Fi speeds in excess of 100Mbps thanks to recent improvement projects designed to enhance the passenger experience and accommodate increased traffic.
“Free, fast and accessible Wi-Fi is one of the top priorities of the modern traveller, and at LAX we are focused on continuous improvement in our speed and our ranking for our service,” says Barbara Yamamoto, chief experience officer with LAX operator, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
“Being able to easily access digital content means our guests can curate their own airport experience and access the many amenities we offer, including our digital marketplace.”
LAWA reveals that Wi-Fi demand at LAX grew by nearly 40% over the past year, with more than half of all passengers now relying on connectivity for their smartphones, laptops, tablets and other devices.
LAX worked with wireless provider Boingo to upgrade Wi-Fi service with faster speeds and more coverage and capacity. It previously introduced Passpoint Wi-Fi technology in its networks, which offers a seamless and secure handoff from congested cellular networks to a trusted Wi-Fi network.
Wi-Fi is available throughout the public space in all LAX terminals and is part of a continued investment in technology and improvements that are putting the airport experience in the hands of travellers.
Sustainability and resilience award for LaGuardia Terminal B project
Skanska, lead partner in the Skanska-Walsh construction joint venture for the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B, reports that the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) has awarded the project Envision Platinum Certification.
Envision recognises projects that lead the industry in their approach to sustainable and resilient infrastructure development, and Envision Platinum is the highest level of recognition.
The Terminal B redevelopment – of which the design and construction is led by the Skanska-Walsh Joint Venture – is the first project to achieve recognition from ISI at any level under its newly updated Envision v3 framework.
This new framework evaluates projects across five categories and 64 sustainability criteria to produce a holistic view of the project’s commitment to leading edge, sustainable practices. They include traditional factors, such as reducing emissions, recycling materials, and using renewable energy sources, as well as more holistic indicators of social and economic sustainability, such as minimising construction impacts, providing employment opportunities for local residents, resilient design and improving mobility and access.
In terms of reducing waste through the reuse and recycling of materials, Skanska notes that during the demolition of the original Terminal B parking garage, the team was able to recycle 21,604 tons of concrete from the demolition of the original parking structure. Of this recycled concrete, 2,475 tons – roughly five million pounds – were reused on the adjacent job site. Overall, 99.92% of debris removed from the old parking garage was recycled.
Skanska-Walsh also re-used groundwater pumped from excavations to make light weight concrete instead of tapping potable water sources.
“This recognition reflects the passion and commitment of the Port Authority [of New York and New Jersey] and the entire team to deliver an instant landmark and an intelligent investment,” says Beth Heider, Skanska USA’s chief sustainability officer. “As both a construction and long-term development partner, Skanska is proud of Envision’s verification that this project is bringing measurable, long-term benefit to those frequent Terminal B – and to the planet at large.”
The LaGuardia Terminal B project – valued at $5.1 billion (including $4bn in construction value) is the largest public-private partnership in US aviation history. The redevelopment includes a new 35-gate terminal, a Central Hall, a parking garage, related roadways and supporting infrastructure – all with innovative construction phasing, including building over-top of the current operation, to allow the terminal to remain fully functional while under construction.
When complete, the Terminal B promises to offer best-in-class retail, food, beverage, and amenities that will more than double the current number of offerings as well as the word’s first dual pedestrian bridges spanning active aircraft taxi lanes.
WBP Profiles
DroneShield
Location: London, UK
Contact: Mark Ayers
W: www.droneshield.com
DroneShield is a worldwide leader in drone detection and countermeasure technologies. The company has developed the pre-eminent drone detection solution that protects people, organisations, and critical infrastructure from intrusion from drones. Its leadership brings world-class expertise in engineering and physics, combined with deep experience in defence, intelligence and aerospace. DroneShield designs detection and countermeasure systems that use highly specialised technology to achieve levels of precision and sensitivity that are not possible with other methods.
Kusch+Co GmbH
Location: Hallenberg, Germany
Contact: Ingmar Krupp
W: www.kusch.com
Kusch+Co is a German based manufacturer of contract furniture and one of the market leaders for interior solutions at railway and bus stations, ship terminals and airports. Over 240 airports worldwide have been furnished with our airport seating, bench configurations, and lounge furniture. This series, which are specifically designed for these public environments, meet the highest standards with regard to safety, functionality, design, comfort, and utility value. Add to this our experience and know-how in planning and project management, on which architects and project developers can rely. Kusch+Co offers the best possible interior design solutions not only for waiting areas, but also for conference rooms, restaurants, counters, tower, offices and service areas.
Grab
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Contact: Jeff Livney, CEO
W: www.getgrab.com
Grab, the airport e-commerce platform, powers self-service for airport food & beverage and retail partners. With an omni-channel platform covering mobile and web ordering, self-service kiosks, and order at table technologies, Grab solutions drive incremental revenues
and improved financials for partners while improving speed of service and the guest experience.
