Click to enlarge
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport is piloting automated border control (ABC) gates to enable certain passengers to pass through immigration. The pilot – set to last until October 2013 – uses SITA’s iBorders biometric gates technology. SITA says the gates rapidly verify that the passenger is the passport holder and is authorised to access the country. The gates have been implemented by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).
Stansted Airport
London’s Stansted Airport could be transformed into a four-runway hub – replacing Heathrow Airport as the UK’s hub – according to leading architect Make. The scheme would cost £18 billion (€21bn) to deliver, according to the firm, making it one of the most affordable solutions to the UK’s hub capacity crisis.
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is expected to generate 10,000 new jobs in 10 years. Currently, the airport provides 20,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs. Two years ago, Brussels Airport announced an investment plan of €460 million for various development projects at the airport. Construction of the Connector will replace the current underground tunnel, by directly connecting the passenger terminal with Pier A from the beginning of 2015.
Frankfurt Airport
In line with the growing number of gateways offering free Wi-Fi, Frankfurt Airport has launched a complimentary internet service. Passengers can now get 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi by logging on with their smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Athens International Airport
Athens International Airport was the award winner in the 4–20 million passengers category in recognition of its creativity and continuous dynamic support to its airline partners at Routes Europe 2013. This is the airport’s 12th award at Routes Europe in nine years. Having received the airlines’ recognition for nine consecutive years, the airport is the most awarded for its marketing performance.
Pulkovo Airport
St Petersburg’s Pulkovo is seeking to become the Russian airport of choice for long-haul and low-cost airlines. As the gateway to Russia’s cultural capital, it is perhaps no surprise that St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport
consistently posts double-digit growth in annual passenger numbers. Footfall at the airport grew by +16.1% last year to 11.2 million, and Director General Sergey Emdin says he is confident that figure will reach 12.5 million in 2013.
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm-Arlanda has officially inaugurated its new-look Terminal 2, claiming that a 2,000sqm expansion of the facility makes it bigger, better and more passenger-friendly. The near €50 million upgrade is expected to be completed in 2015 with the addition of a new baggage sorting system.
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport has introduced a new wayfinding tool that allows users to visualise their trip through the airport using 360º photo panoramas of all the passenger areas. According to the airport it is the first in the world to introduce this type of interactive tool, allowing passengers to virtually travel from the Metro Station or car park, through the terminal and to the boarding gate from their PC or smartphone.
Vienna Airport
Vienna International Airport has laid out its ambitious plans for improvements within its retail operations over the coming years, after registering a solid 2012. The attractiveness of the shopping areas and convenience for passengers will be improved by structural renovation and the optimisation of the offering over the short- and medium-term. The plans for these areas include the optimisation of the shop mix, an increase in the offering, the redesign of shopping areas and the adaptation of passenger routes.
Istanbul
In early May, a consortium of Turkish construction firms made the winning €22 billion bid to build and operate a third airport in Istanbul, which Turkey hopes will become one of the world’s largest by passenger numbers. The consortium of Cengiz, Kolin, Limak, Mapa and Kalyon bid €22.15 billion for the build-operate-transfer project, which includes a 25-year lease, outbidding rivals including TAV Airports Holding
and Germany’s Fraport. The consortium has a limited time to secure the necessary financing, as construction is due to be scheduled within a year.
