In this issue: the impact of staff shortages in aviation, gaming and passenger entertainment, F1 technology at airports, and more.
In this new issue of AIR, we explore the construction project behind Beijing Daxing, the Chinese capital’s second international airport, which has been designed to accommodate 100 million fliers by 2040.
In a special feature, we highlight where shortages in aviation and aircraft employees are affecting operations. Then, we ask the authors of a new handbook on ‘insider threats’ about the damage that rogue staff members can cause at airports.
Also in this issue, we explore how a partnership between F1 behemoth McLaren and Deloitte has produced technology capable of predicting thousands of airport scenarios every second.
Finally, we explore the potential of merging video games with aviation, and round up some of the major themes from this year’s NEC Future of Airports event.
In this issue
Beijing Daxing Airport: a giant prepares for take-off
China’s new $13bn Beijing Daxing International Airport, designed by the legendary Zaha Hadid, will eventually cater for around 100 million passengers a year and is expected to be one of the biggest and busiest in the world. As the super structure nears completion, Heidi Vella takes a closer look at the behemoth project and its role in the region’s busy commercial aviation system.
Read the article here.
Missing in action: where are aviation employee shortages hitting hardest?
With the summer season fast approaching, holidaymakers risk facing disruption as the aviation industry braces for a new wave of staff shortages across the sector. Where is this employee deficit being felt the most, and how is it affecting the industry?
Read the article here.
Trouble in paradise: does Hawaii need a new airports authority?
Airports in the US island state are in need of some attention but efforts to resolve the crisis are being hampered by politics. Andrew Tunnicliffe talks with State Senator Lorraine R. Inouye about her attempts to address the issues and the damage inaction is causing.
Read the article here.
McLaren and Deloitte: bringing F1 technology to airport operations
Formula one giant McLaren and Deloitte have collaborated with NATS to create a digital twin of the skies with thousands of scenarios per second. Frances Marcellin looks at how these products can improve airport operations now and in the future
Read the article here.
Game on: are video games the future of passenger entertainment?
The video games industry is massive, and the appeal of interactive entertainment now spans a wider demographic than ever before. Joe Baker looks at the pros and pratfalls of merging this exciting medium with the aviation sector.
Read the article here.
Lifting the lid on the risk of ‘insider threats’ at airports
Airports Council International (ACI) recently published a new handbook aimed at helping airports mitigate the risks associated with so-called ‘insider threats’- airport personnel who exploit their positions of trust to commit terrorist attacks and other devastating crimes. To find out more, Heidi Vella spoke to the handbook’s co-author and ACI head of security and facilitation Nathalie Herbelles.
Read the article here.
Where pilots fear to land: the world’s trickiest airport runways
Airports have been built in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach locations, creating runway conditions that would challenge any pilot’s skills. Chris Lo takes a closer look at five notoriously tricky airport runways.
Read the article here.
Five key takeaways from the NCE Future of Airports conference
This year’s New Civil Engineer Future of Airports conference delved into the main challenges facing the sector, with discussion topics ranging from sustainable expansion to connectivity. Adele Berti highlights the biggest talking points from this prestigious event.
Read the article here.
Next issue | August 2019
In our August issue, we give airports the Mad Men treatment – what do clients expect from terminals as advertising spaces, and what techniques tend to draw the eye of distracted passengers?
Also in this edition, we’ll take a look at airport infrastructure projects old and new; from Berlin’s eternally delayed Brandenburg Airport – originally destined to open in 2011 – to PremiAir, a first-of-its-kind terminal being built to accommodate high-paying patrons at Manchester Airport, UK.
We also ask whether cannabis legalisation in the US will necessitate stronger restrictions at US aviation hubs, and if new technology providing interactive virtual tours at airports could help passengers suffering from anxiety.
Finally, we examine the criteria for top performing airports in 2019 according to insurance specialist AirHelp, and track the stories of abandoned airports around the globe in an exclusive map feature.