Will yours be a mini city or a bus station?
Airports of the future will be like mini cities, shopping malls or bus stations.
This is the prediction outlined in a report by Amadeus released today.
The report asked 70 industry experts from airports, airlines and suppliers for their views and then tested their ideas by surveying 838 respondents worldwide.
The survey found 72% of respondents thought the current airport experience was inefficient, with 69% of travellers wanting improved security processes.
It concluded that airports in the year 2025 will reinvent themselves to become one of the following:
– Mini-city: A self-sufficient entity offering unique retail, entertainment, dining, work spaces and accommodation. It may even grow its own food and generate its energy needs onsite
– City extension: Tightly integrated into the local city the airport will reflect the best of local culture, history and cuisine
– Shopping mall: Airport shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities on par and even beyond those found in destinations and available to non-flying customers; 15% of travellers surveyed thought this model would be predominant by 2025
– Walkway concept: In this scenario, many of the current airport processes are performed remotely by the passenger, at home or in a separate virtual terminal
– Bus station concept: At the low-cost end of the spectrum lies the ‘bus station’ model, a no-frills atmosphere where speed and efficiency are key.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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