Aviation Business – October 2018

COMMENT

http://www.aviationbusinessme.com October 2018 · AV I A T I O N B U S I N E S S 21

c While airports across the world are embracing change, it’s critical that current and future innovations are considered in the airport master planning process.

the industr y has clearly moved in a dif-
ferent direction from what was anticipat-
ed. How quickly will airport investments
of the future become redundant? Or, are
advances going to happen so quickly
that investors will just need to learn to
stomach the inevitable losses?

Heathrow or Hawaii
What will happen to airports if they do
indeed become a relic of the past? Let’s
consider Tom’s sister, Georgia, for a
moment. Georgia fundamentally disa-
grees with pollutant carbon emissions
produced from air travel yet loves to
holiday as much as her brother. She in-
stead chooses to visit the old stomping

ground of Heathrow that has now been

turned into a commercial hub and tour-

ist destination in its own right.

Selecting her preferred experience

as ‘island getaway’ upon entr y, Georgia

pops on a pair of VR sunnies before

hurtling down a water slide, swimming

in a warm, salty sea, enjoying a custom-

made Mojito, then revelling in a one-

hour Shiatsu massage. Georgia enjoys

all these treats in the comfort of a VR

chair over a few hours, before returning

home without a speck of sand irritating

her slick, inner city wardrobe.

First Airlines in Japan already offer

two-hour virtual experiences where

passengers can view the sights of Paris

in a purpose-built cabin that is particu-

larly popular with elderly or mobility-

restricted passengers. However, there

is much greater potential for different

sensor y experiences to be included,

as evidenced by Disney’s new immer-

sive experience that ‘could ultimately

change how theme parks operate’, mak-

ing airports themselves viable holiday

destinations of the future.

The need to travel will certainly never

disappear, yet the way we travel, our ex-

pectations and customer experiences will

fundamentally change over time. Gone

will be the days of taxis versus parking,

interminable queuing, lousy fast food and

sketchy Wi-Fi. For this, we have to at least

in part thank the millennials, whose ex-

pectations and demand for a better airport

experience are driving these innovations.

Aurecon’s award-winning blog, Just

Imagine provides a glimpse into the

future for curious readers, exploring

ideas that are probable, possible and

for the imagination.

This is a distinct future prospect made

possible by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)

technology that will see Uber launch flying

taxis, expanding on the already available

UberChopper at Dubai International Airport.”