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Routes launches new hybrid event for 2020: Routes Reconnected
A new event is being launched by Routes which will provide an innovative platform for the aviation industry to rebuild air services in the post-pandemic era.
Found in translation
Entrepôts for global transportation, airports are some of the most multilingual sites one will ever encounter. Even so, the provision for translating inquiries from travellers to staff remains limited at best. As machine translation continues to mature, however, more airports are embracing the technology as a means of setting the minds of even the most linguistically deficient passengers at ease. Greg Noone talks to Roel Huinink and Steve Tukavkin, chief executive and vice-president for IT and digital, respectively, at airport operator JFKIAT, to learn about their experiences deploying the latest methods of breaking down the language barrier.
Down to earth
Organising the dozens of aircraft coming in to land is hard work at any single-runway airport. At Gatwick, however, air traffic controllers are adapting by working with partners further afield to slow down incoming aircraft and keep the system moving. Andrea Valentino talks to Adrian Clark, an advanced concepts manager in airspace and future operations at NATS, about how Gatwick’s new XMAN system is boosting the efficiency of its single-runway operation.
Get off the ground
Covid-19 has brought the aviation industry to a standstill, decimating passenger flight schedules. As the crisis abates, airlines are keen to start resuming operations. Irenie Forshaw talks to Abby Penston, CEO of Focus Travel Partnership, and Darren Ellis, lecturer in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University, about which services will be rebuilt first, and where.
A reflection of its community
From religion to dance and music, the Brazilian state of Bahia is home to a uniquely vibrant culture. As of October 2019, it now has a newly renovated airport, Salvador Bahia, with a design that truly mirrors the region it serves, as its chief technical officer, Yann Le Bihan, tells Ross Davies.
A star is born
Covering more than 7.5 million square feet and capable of hosting up to 72 million travellers annually, Beijing’s Daxing International is the largest single-structure airport on the planet. Will Moffitt talks to Cristiano Ceccato, project director at Zaha Hadid Architects, about the challenges of building such a large, intricate structure while living up to the design ethos of the practice’s namesake.
The neutral zone
In July 2019, Frankfurt Airport was one of 194 hubs across Europe to sign up to the NetZero2050 agreement, pledging to become carbon-neutral within three decades. Sophie Peacock talks to Dr Wolfgang Scholze, head of environmental management at Fraport, about how Germany’s largest airport has been progressing and what further measures it needs to take to fully achieve its goal.
Run on renewables
Buses are vital in a smoothly run airport, ferrying passengers and employees alike. Unfortunately, most models chug along on diesel or petrol – but a new law for hubs on the US west coast may change that. Andrea Valentino chats with Michael Christensen, deputy executive director of operations and maintenance at Los Angeles World Airports, as well as Seth Morgan, Erin Cooke and Nupur Sinha of San Francisco International, to learn why California is taking the lead in bus electrification.
Protect and thrive
With up to half of humanity in enforced lockdown, governments around the world are desperately trying to halt the transmission of Covid-19. The impact on airlines has been devastating, with flights reduced to a trickle and most airports closed or operating with skeleton staff. As the world contemplates reopening, however, the sector has begun to reckon with a new role it will have to play in the coming years: as a first line of defence against a similar pandemic event. Will Moffitt talks to Henry Harteveldt, principal at travel advisory group Atmosphere Research, about the myriad ways the virus is reshaping airport life, from economics to terminal design.
Watch this space
Often regarded as a costly nuisance by customers, car parking is a crucial source of revenue for airports. Two novel approaches towards automating the process, however, seek to introduce new efficiencies and cut emissions while improving customer satisfaction. Irenie Forshaw talks to Kyle Sundin, manager of airport car parking at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Gary Wallace, head of car parks and commercial products at Gatwick Airport; and Nick Caunter, chairman of the Independent Airport Car Parking Association, about the latest developments occurring in the airport parking space.