Torsten Hentschel, Managing Director, TH Airport Consulting, received the ACI EUROPE World Business Partner Award from Arnaud Feist, CEO Brussels Airport Company and Immediate Past President, ACI EUROPE.
The ACI EUROPE World Business Partner Award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the aviation industry during their careers. The winner is decided by the Board of ACI EUROPE and announced at its annual General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition, this year held in Prague in June. Torsten Hentschel, Managing Director, TH Airport Consulting, was a particularly fitting winner this year. He spoke to Ross Falconer.
Torsten Hentschel has a wealth of relevant airport industry experience, with roles including Senior Manager Building Construction and Planning at Leipzig Airport, and Head of Terminal Planning and Airport Processes at an international consultancy, before establishing and becoming Managing Director of TH Airport Consulting in 2010.
TH Airport Consulting combines practical experience in the planning, construction and operation of airport terminals, with scientific approaches to the analysis and optimisation of airport processes. It has been a World Business Partner since 2011, and Hentschel displays a proactive approach, supporting ACI EUROPE through participation in its Facilitation & Customer Services Committee, as well as the Taskforce on the Passenger Experience. He also provided invaluable contributions to the Guidelines for Passenger Services at European Airports. The guidelines were published in June 2014 and have become a valuable source for airports seeking to enhance their passenger experience in a systematic and comprehensive way.
“The award has great meaning to me, as it expresses the appreciation for my engagement within ACI EUROPE,” Hentschel enthused. “The award encourages me to continue working within ACI EUROPE on the latest issues and future trends regarding airport development and operations.”
His progressive contribution to the work of the Facilitation & Customer Services Committee focuses on ideas relating to the passenger experience and the terminal of the future. “I am proud being a member of such a great committee, and to benefit from the inspiring exchanges on best practices and innovative solutions. I try to add even more value to the work of this committee,” Hentschel commented.
In the coming years, the Facilitation & Customer Services Committee will update and enhance the Guidelines for Passenger Services at European Airports to incorporate new trends and additional aspects of the passenger experience. Hentschel will be engaged in this process, with the aim of developing reference guidelines for airports.
Indeed, based on these guidelines, TH Airport Consulting is continuing research efforts and recently delivered an interesting study on Enhancing the passenger experience at airports for a growing number of elderly travellers. The idea was to implement the methodology of the guidelines for a specific passenger group, analyse the specific expectations and needs of this group, and define measures to enhance their airport experience. “We systematically considered initiatives using the so-called 3P approach (Premises, Processes, People),” Hentschel explained. “We found that there is significant potential for airports to enhance customer satisfaction for elderly travellers – for example, with regard to terminal infrastructure, critical factors are walking distances and accessibility, as well as clear wayfinding and signage. Processes need to be simple and easy to understand. Airport employees can more proactively react to the needs of elderly travellers if they are aware of their expectations and needs. We would be happy to support airports with our findings and expertise to enhance the passenger experience for this important and growing target group in the future.”
‘Passenger experience a key success factor’
TH Airport Consulting has this year been engaged in projects at Hamburg, Bremen, Mumbai and Riyadh airports.
Looking ahead, Hentschel outlined plans to embark on further research into the passenger experience, and terminal of the future concepts. “We think that the passenger experience is a key success factor for airports. Therefore, we will provide services for airports to develop strategies and tailor-made initiatives to enhance the passenger experience, as well as to use and implement the principles of the Guidelines for Passenger Services at European Airports,” he concluded.
