To mark the start of the Wimbledon tennis tournament in June, 1,000 punnets of British strawberries and Cornish clotted cream were dished out at London Heathrow, providing passengers with an immediate taste of British sport and culture.
Those who cynically say that air travel is not what it used to be, should take note of the bounty of entertainment that appeared in various airport terminals across Europe during the peak holiday season. Here, Airport Business highlights a selection:
London-Heathrow
The busiest international passenger airport in the world has been working very hard to engage passengers, with a comprehensive range of summer activities. To mark the start of the iconic Wimbledon tennis tournament in June, 1,000 punnets of British strawberries and Cornish clotted cream were dished out, providing passengers with an immediate taste of British sport and culture. The world premiere of this year’s Notting Hill Carnival also took place at Heathrow, with an exclusive preview of steel bands and performers in the Terminal 5 international arrivals area. Passengers could also tour a pop-up exhibition by internationally celebrated carnival artist, Carl Gabriel, which was open for a week from 23 August. Launched in 1964, the Notting Hill Carnival attracts more than a million visitors from all over the world to enjoy the sounds of Caribbean music. Malcolm Robertson of BAA Heathrow said “We want to provide our passengers with an immediate sense that they have landed in London, and bringing the Notting Hill Carnival to international arrivals is one way of doing just that.”
The world premiere of this year's Notting Hill Carnival took place at London Heathrow, with an exclusive preview of steel bands and performers in the Terminal 5 international arrivals area. Passengers could also tour a pop-up exhibition by internationally celebrated carnival artist, Carl Gabriel.
Meanwhile, Heathrow is showcasing the best of British culture and commerce at an exhibition space in its terminals. Expo was launched in 2008 to add a unique and unexpected dimension to passengers’ journeys by housing thought provoking and inspiring installations and exhibitions. Terminal 5 was recently home to the Nokia N86 Explore exhibition where photographer Henry Reichhold used images taken on a Nokia N86 8MP to stitch together contrasting panoramas of Dubai and Mumbai. Other installations include an eleven foot sculpture inspired by the Olympic Games by renowned sculptor Ginger Gilmour, the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Man, made from over 8,000 poppies, and a six-metre high replica pump by the charitable water brand One Water.
Sarah Lewis, account manager for sponsorship and experience at BAA, said: “Heathrow is an extremely versatile location and can accommodate a wide range of exhibitions that will provoke discussion and capture imaginations. Creativity is the key to success, so we encourage exhibitors to incorporate sight, sound, touch and even taste and smell for the ultimate sensory experience.”
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Amsterdam Schiphol showed matches on a big screen in front of the Schiphol Plaza entrance. A special World Cup grandstand was developed to seat over 325 people.
There was a football World Cup theme at Amsterdam Schiphol, which showed matches on a big screen in front of the Schiphol Plaza entrance. A special World Cup grandstand was developed to seat over 325 people. The airport also distributed 12,000-15,000 ice creams, Rivella (a Swiss soft drink) and water to waiting passengers. Music and entertainment was provided by, among others, the Trumpet Corps Military Police, while passengers were photographed by special hostesses to create a postcard that was then sent to their homes.
Aéroports de Paris
Aéroports de Paris security staff distributed a French/English fun passport for children, which contained a Scooby-Doo adventure at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, news about the Paris airports, games, riddles and a travel log to fill out.
The Paris airports catered for the increased number of families travelling throughout the summer period by implementing a special ‘Family Access’ service, which allowed families with small children to calmly navigate security. The programme included training for more than 100 security and customer care staff by childcare specialists who work for the non-profit organisation ‘Le Rire Médecin’. Special signs and posters were displayed in the airport terminals to identify Family Access points at checkpoints. In addition, security staff distributed a French/English fun passport for children, which contained a Scooby-Doo adventure at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, news about the Paris airports, games, riddles and a travel log to fill out.
For those looking to freshen up after a long flight, AdP set-up relaxation and beauty areas in the baggage reclaim halls of Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly over two weekends in July. They offered make-up, hairdressing, massages, a shoeshine service, and an inflatable castle for children.
Other initiatives included complimentary baby pushchairs, special baby changing rooms and video games for adults. Also, between 15 June and 30 September, AdP offered 10 minutes of free WiFi access in both Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly.
Athens
Athens International Airport is currently holding a photographic exhibition about the New Acropolis Museum. Entitled 'Myrtis: Face to face with the past', it presents the reconstruction of the young Athenian's face at the new Acropolis Museum.
To celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity, Athens International Airport and MEDASSET (Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles) held an impressive photography exhibition from 3 May to 29 August entitled ‘Travelling with Sea Turtles in the Mediterranean’. The exhibition took visitors on a ‘deep-sea tour’ of the amazing biodiversity in the Mediterranean, the protection of which is MEDASSET’s main objective. Marine scientist and underwater photographer, Yiannis Issaris, guided visitors through an exploration of the rich seabed and its inhabitants. The exhibition took place in the airport’s Environmental Information Centre / Departures Level / Entrance 3.
Meanwhile, another photographic exhibition about the New Acropolis Museum began on 1 June and will run until 31 December. Entitled ‘Myrtis: Face to face with the past’, it presents the reconstruction of the young Athenian’s face at the New Acropolis Museum. The exhibition consists of three sections: the first presents the excavation at Keramikos, the second displays medical research in Greece for the identification of the pathogenic factor that caused the plague of Athens, applying the methodology of French Professors of the University of Marseille, and the third section portrays the reconstruction of the face of Myrtis.
Madrid-Barajas
Aena, in collaboration with Madrid City Council, conducted a joint initiative at Madrid-Barajas Airport to entertain and amuse passengers with physical theatre and mime. Two actors were on hand to entertain travellers as they waited at the Terminal 4 baggage carousels.
Aena, in collaboration with Madrid City Council, conducted a joint initiative at Madrid-Barajas Airport to entertain and amuse passengers with physical theatre and mime. Two actors were on hand to entertain travellers as they waited at the Terminal 4 baggage carousels.
The airport has also installed equipment that allows the inspection of shoes without the passenger having to remove them. This system enables automatic detection of metal objects hidden in the shoes – even up to the height of the calf – with simultaneous discrimination of metal components normally found in shoes. However, according to existing regulations, certain types of footwear – such as high boots, platform shoes and wedge shoes – must still be inspected through the conventional X-ray equipment.
Munich
Among the myriad activities at Munich was the annual Citroën 2CV meeting in the visitors’ car park, which attracts hundreds of owners of the famous French car. The MAC (Munich Airport Center) hosted a polo tournament, with riders and their horses competing on a ground covered in sand, while a huge screen was also erected in the Center for people to watch the FIFA World Cup in a ‘beer garden’ setting. A variety of games and activities were put on for children in the visitors’ car park – the highlight being a flight simulator, where children were taught how to fly a passenger aircraft. Munich has the only brewery located at an airport – the ‘Air Bräu’ – which staged a concert with a band covering Rolling Stones songs. Finally, a regular flea market was held for customers to buy and sell all kinds of items.
Stuttgart
Stuttgart's most popular radio programme – SWR 1 – broadcast regularly from the airport; VIPs, such as Harald Schmidt, Germany's most popular entertainer, were invited on to the station's talk shows and they could be watched live on stage.
In an innovative initiative, Stuttgart Airport invited university students to participate in a project entitled ‘Airport: Stuttgart Airport of the Future’. Their task was to develop hotel ideas around the airport and the results were displayed in an exhibition for passengers to see. The most popular radio programme in the state – SWR 1 – broadcast regularly from the airport; VIPs, such as Harald Schmidt, Germany’s most popular entertainer, were invited on to the station’s talk shows and they could be watched live on stage, with passengers then able to obtain autographs. Continuing the World Cup theme followed by many airports, Stuttgart installed giant football tables that travellers were able to play for free.
Stockholm-Arlanda
The City of Stockholm held a 14-day party – ‘Love Stockholm 2010’ – from 6 to 19 June, in which Stockholm-Arlanda participated with a ‘mini-airport’ and the title of ‘Official Love Airport’. The event was inaugurated in conjunction with Sweden’s National Day celebrations on 6 June and reached a climax on 19 June when the wedding of HRH Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling took place. The mini-airport showcased the best that Stockholm-Arlanda has to offer and was located at Skeppsbron in the Old Town. There were 100,000 delighted visitors, with the most popular elements including the tax free shop, Travellers’ Corner (airlines) and the Visitor Centre.
Liverpool John Lennon
Liverpool John Lennon Airport introduced a summer scheme whereby nine students, aged 16-18, from St Helens college worked as airport ‘Ambassadors’, helping passengers with any queries. The students are hoping for potential future careers based at an airport in areas such as airline cabin crew or working for a handling agent looking after passenger check-in. The scheme is part of the airport’s growing work with schools and colleges, aimed at giving students the opportunity to experience at first hand the workings of a busy regional airport. The Ambassadors played a key role in guiding passengers through some of the disruption caused by the ongoing £12 million (€14m) development works currently underway at the airport.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport introduced a summer scheme whereby nine students from a nearby college worked as airport 'Ambassadors', helping passengers with any queries.
Dave Otter, head of training and development at Liverpool John Lennon, explained that the Ambassadors worked with airport front line staff, “dealing face to face with our passengers, and making a real contribution to the airport’s business”. “There is no better way than this, to help those looking for a future career in aviation, to understand just what makes the airport tick,” he said.
This diverse range of initiatives highlights just some of the myriad activities undertaken by airports Europe-wide to engage with passengers. It demonstrates a clear commitment to enhancing the passenger experience, which it is particularly important to convey in light of the European Commission’s campaign on air passenger rights.
