Narita Airport Wayfinding System by Nikken Sekkei
Japanese architecture firm Nikken Sekkei created this clever wayfinding solution for low-cost airline travellers at Tokyo Narita airport.
“The budget for this terminal was approximately half of the usual amount. To cut costs, they opted not to install the typical moving walkways or illuminated signs. Their solution is much more user-friendly (and fun!) than any other airport we’ve seen. And the running tracks obviously fit in with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”
source : The inspiration Grid
You May Soon Be Able to Netflix and Nap at the Airport Thanks to These Futuristic Pods
The sleek, capsule-like contraptions are called AirPODs,
and, according to Travel + Leisure, the devices, dreamt up by two Slovenian businessmen, Mihael Meolic and Grega Mrgole and currently in beta testing, will reportedly be part of a commercial trial in UK airports later this year.
For the rough equivalent of $18 per hour, travelers will be able to rent out a design-forward pod (which look like the giant egg Lady Gaga rode in at the 2011 Grammys) close to boarding gates with reservations made via an app. With plenty of room for luggage and a plush chair for napping, it’s the perfect spot for a quick refresher. Alternately, it can also be used to get ish done, thanks to the small desk that serves as a handy workspace with its Internet connection, TV, Netflix account, and noise reduction properties, just to name a few.
Guests will also be treated to A/C, timely flight updates, and an alarm that ensures you don’t miss your flight in the comfort of the pod
If all goes well, the sky’s the limit for the rest of the world, with T+L noting that their success could be replicated around the globe. *Fingers crossed!
source : Brit.co
Dubai Builds World’s Largest Airport – $82 Billion Al Maktoum with 250 Million Passengers
Dubai Builds World’s Largest Airport
In typical Dubai fashion, the city-state is building the world’s largest airport. Upon completion, the airport will have a capacity of over 250 million passengers yearly. As the world’s largest transit hub, Al Maktoum will efficiently be connected to Dubai’s metro system and commuter rails.
Digitalizing the Global Travel Retail World
Digitalizing the Global Travel Retail World – Kian Gould at Global Retailing Conference 2018
Kian Gould, CEO and Founder of AOE, talking about Digitalizing the Global Travel Retail World at Global Retailing Conference 2018. Talk topic: “Global Travel Retail: Digitally disrupted or digitally evolved?”
The secrets behind Terminal 4’s quirky chairs
When you think about the offerings of an airport, its chairs may not be something that instinctively comes to mind.
However, if you’ve visited Terminal 4 (T4), Changi Airport’s newest terminal, you may have noticed its bright and colourful chairs – all 30 different types of them, in an assortment of about 40 fabrics, leathers, patterns and colours! Here are some interesting highlights of these quirky chairs that can be found in both the public and transit areas of the terminal.
The little details that make you feel right at home
Upholstered in a combination of solid colours and floral patterns, these chairs come with character… and for some, a nifty side table, complete with charging points.
Those with an eye for detail might realise there’s something distinctly different in the way the chairs in T4 are arranged. As compared to the other terminals, you’ll discover that resting in one of these chairs feels almost like being at home! Having drawn inspiration from the warm and welcoming hotel lounges, the chairs have been arranged in cosy seating clusters so that people can fully relax and feel at ease.
A unique twist (literally) to the more traditional benches.
Apart from lounge seats, explore the other kinds of chairs all around the terminal that are equally comfortable and eye-catching, such as the plush sofas and quirky spiral seats.
Inspired by hotel lounges, these plush sofas are great for sharing seats with friends, loved ones, or even strangers you’ve just met!
These chairs are extra heavy duty – the fabrics they’re made of withstand up to 100,000 ‘rubs’!
Fabrics are coated with water repellent coating to prevent damage or staining from spills.
Besides its intriguing shapes and attractive colours and patterns, these chairs are highly durable as well. As the chairs need to be able to withstand heavy usage by Changi Airport’s passengers over many years, the fabrics used were chosen for their high durability. In fact, a “rub count” test was done for each fabric before it was chosen. During this test, a mechanised arm rubs a piece of heavy canvas over the test fabric back and forth repeatedly. It is only after the fabric starts to show significant wear that its rub count is determined – in the case of T4 chairs, up to 100,000 double rubs!
Stretch of fabric is especially important for such plush seats.
You might also find that the chairs in T4 bounce back to its original shape quickly after it’s vacated – that’s because there was special attention paid to the ‘stretch’ of the fabric, to ensure that these seats are always in tip-top form. There are also chairs around the terminal designed for passengers with reduced mobility, such as chairs that are not too low and with arm rests.
source : Now boarding Changi Airport
Drones will soon be banned from flying within 1km of airports in the UK
Another amendment to the Air Navigation Order 2016, through which the new rules are being carried, will require the pilots of drones weighing more than 250 grams to register and take a test – or face a £1,000 fine.
TROUBLE MAKER: Governments the world over are working on how to integrate drones into existing regulatory frameworksNew laws will make it illegal for drones to fly above 400 feet and within 1 kilometre of airport boundaries in the UK from this summer.
The change in legislation, which will come into effect on July 30, follows year-on-year increases in the number of reported incidents involving drones and aircraft – 89 in 2017, up from 71 in 2016.
Further laws expected to come into force on November 30 next year have also been tabled. These will require owners of drones weighing 250 grams or more to register with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and for drone pilots to take an online safety test. Users who fail to register or sit the competency tests could face fines of up to £1,000.
The CAA and airports will have the power to make exceptions to these restrictions in specific circumstances.
Baroness Liz Sugg, the UK’s Aviation Minister, said: “We are seeing fast growth in the numbers of drones being used, both commercially and for fun.
“Whilst we want this industry to innovate and grow, we need to protect planes, helicopters and their passengers from the increasing numbers of drones in our skies.
“These new laws will help ensure drones are used safely and responsibly.”
In addition to these measures a draft Drones Bill will be published this summer, which will give police more tailored powers to intervene on the spot if drones are being used inappropriately.
According to the Department for Transport, drone operators will also eventually be required to use apps – so they can access the information needed to make sure any planned flight can be made safely and legally.
Interest in drones and their potential uses outside of leisure has been surging in recent years, with PwC predicting the industry could be worth £42 billion in the UK by 2030. However, this surge has not been without its controversies. Last summer, a drone passed directly over the wing of an Airbus 319 as it approached London Gatwick Airport (LGW) in an incident that, it was said, could have cost more than 100 lives.
Chris Woodroofe, Chief Operating Officer, Gatwick Airport, said: “We welcome the clarity that today’s announcement provides as it leaves no doubt that anyone flying a drone must stay well away from aircraft, airports and airfields.
“Drones open up some exciting possibilities but must be used responsibly. These clear regulations, combined with new surveillance technology, will help the police apprehend and prosecute anyone endangering the travelling public.”
The Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, Karen Dee, said: “Drones are a great new technology that are expected to bring many benefits to aviation and the UK as a whole. To achieve these benefits, we must ensure drones are operated safely and pose no risk to aviation.
“The new laws introduced today are an important step in the right direction. As partners in the Drone Code, the AOA will support efforts to educate the public on these new rules.
“An important way to ensure people do not inadvertently break the law is through introducing mandatory geo-fencing technology as soon as possible. This would safeguard critical airspace around airports from accidental drone incursions. We believe this is the most effective way to ensure that unsafe drone use does not have major consequences.”
source : International Airport Review