CUSTOMER SERVICE
Touch down!
Sport and major sporting events have influenced airports and proved the catalyst for growth and development for over half a century, writes Robin Stone.
F
ifty years ago when the designers first sat down in earnest to discuss a new international terminal for Tokyo-Haneda they had one major goal in mind – it had to be ready in time for the city hosting the 1964 Olympic Games.
New ‘jetliners’ such as the de Havilland Comet meant that the
airport desperately needed a new terminal, but the fact that the eyes of the world were going to be on Tokyo for a fortnight in October 1964, meant that the facility had to be special. It had to symbolise the new Japan and it had to be memorable, as
did the new airport monorail system that was being built to link Haneda with downtown Tokyo. Nobody probably realised it at the time, but Haneda provided one
of the first indications of how airport development, traffic growth and international sport would become inextricably linked. For the huge influx of people in a relatively short space of time for
major events such as the Olympics and World Cup football tournaments, invariably means that existing airports have to be upgraded or expanded as witnessed at Haneda and more recently in China, where Beijing Capital International Airport opened the biggest terminal building on the planet in time for the 2008 Olympics. It needed to, as an estimated five million people attended the
Beijing Olympics and passenger traffic through the gateway has since soared to such an extent that it is only a matter of time before the airport officially becomes the busiest in the world. In addition to Beijing, several standby airports near the Chinese capital were upgraded for the Olympics by renovating
84 AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010
terminals, enlarging aprons, lengthening runways and improving services. Upgrades and expansions aside, the other option for airports
needing extra (short-term) capacity is hiring a mobile terminal, like those used at Lisbon during Euro 2004, at Qatar two years later for the Asian Games, and at Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth at this year’s football World Cup. Installed by Siemens Mobility, they provide an extra 1,800 square
metres of space and can be equipped to handle up to 4,000 passengers a day. In August, Singapore Changi staff discovered for themselves
the challenges posed by hosting a top international sports event. Split into three shifts working round the clock, and supplemented by scores of volunteers, they were the first point of contact for 8,500 extra visitors pouring into Singapore for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. As one of the principal sponsors, Changi Airport Group (CAG)
shouldered a major responsibility in ensuring the Games ran smoothly, and all three terminals were equipped with extra help desks to deal with enquiries from athletics fans, competitors, VIP guests and the world’s press. And in a bid to make sure all went smoothly, all 350 volunteers
and staff underwent 12 hours of special training to make sure they were ‘on their marks’ for the start of the event. At international arrivals, dedicated immigration lanes were set aside for ‘Singapore 2010’ accredited guests, ensuring speedy
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