Pressured pursuit of perfect airport as technology advances

Airports are affected by technological and security changes more than most infrastructure, and managements have to think at least 20 years ahead.

A digital impression of the greenfields future Western Sydney Airport buildings, with possible associated urban development in the foreground. Picture: Western Sydney Airport

It is hard to think of another public facility that has changed as much as airports have in the past 20 years.

Thanks to privatisation, events such as September 11, 2001, and rapidly developing technology, airports today bear little resemblance to how they looked two decades ago.

In 1999, security was more relaxed, Wi-Fi connectivity virtually non-existent and pre-flight entertainment limited to a television set at the gate.

There was no Uber or phone-charging ports, food and beverage offerings were pricey and poor quality and shops sold books, souvenirs, sweets and T-shirts — and that’s about all.

No one would have dreamt of airport carparks with electric charging stations, workspaces for time poor business travellers and retailers to rival the local Westfield.

But how will airports look in another 20 years?

That is the question being tackled at the Next Generation World Airports conference, organised by airport consultancy Airbiz and being held in conjunction with the Avalon International Airshow later this month.

Airbiz managing director Greg Fordham says the conference was first held at Avalon at the last exposition in 2017 and drew just a positive response, so they felt compelled to do it again.

“It’s important for the airport owner to maximise their commercial revenue, as well as aeronautical revenue, but also clearly the travelling public is expecting more at airports,” Fordham says.

“They’re being forced for whatever reason — increased security or bigger and bigger airports — to spend more time there so they want things to do, whether that’s food and beverage or retail or services like getting a haircut.

“It’s about responding to that and also making airports pleasant places to spend that time, and I think that the owners and investors in airports recognise that they need to create an exciting and vibrant environment to make them successful financial entities.”

High-profile architects, pilots, airline and airport chief executives will tackle the issue, taking part in panels exploring airport infrastructure, facilities and operations as well as development and investment.

Fordham says in an industry as dynamic as aviation, it was imperative to keep looking ahead.

“We’ve got to start talking about things like how we’re going to access the airport in future, and how do we introduce things like Uber Elevate, where we have drones bringing people to the airport,” he says.

“We have to start those sorts of conversations early because that sort of infrastructure doesn’t happen overnight, and we’ve got to look at this rapidly changing world particularly with technology and starting talking out it in a forum like this.”

Fordham says the conference, condensed into one day, will be “focused and intense”.

“We will get some good discussion going, I’ve no doubt,” he says.

“The people who’ve already registered to attend include a very broad cross-section of airport management, airline executives, designers, consultants, advisers, people from the construction industry and infrastructure.”

A digital visualisation of the future Western Sydney Airport terminal buildings. Picture: Western Sydney Airport

Earthworks for the Western Sydney Airport site in January 2019.

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge will deliver the keynote address on Western Sydney Airport, which was seen as an ideal opportunity to create the “perfect airport.”

“One of the issues is, how will Western Sydney Airport ensure that when it opens mid-next decade, how does a project like that with a long planning timeline ensure it has the latest technology and design?” Fordham says.

“When those plans are locked in almost 10 years earlier, it’s a difficult prospect.”

Some speakers will travel from overseas for the conference including the chief executive of Edmonton International Airport, Tom Ruth, London architects Mustafa Chehabeddine and Cristiano Ceccato and International Business Aviation Council director general Kurt Edwards.