WASHROOM
Montreal Airport is asking passengers to sign up online for a security time-slot to reduce the risk of long queues and overcrowding at checkpoints.
These measures are mainly designed to improve the safety of airports on the passenger’s journey from check-in to gate. However, activities such as shopping and dining provide lucrative revenue streams for airport operators while enhancing the travelling experience for the passenger.
Dubai International Airport has responded by offering a concierge service for its duty-free shops which allows passengers to choose their products remotely. These purchases are then delivered to the customer’s aircraft seat with a minimum level of staff interaction.
But while airports are upping their game to bring themselves in line with the ‘new normal’, they face a set of ongoing challenges.
“Delhi International Airport has introduced a disinfection system that cleans all checkpoint trays and baggage.”
For example, many operate 24/7 and need to cope with high volumes of traffic that can fluctuate dramatically throughout the day.
The fact that the airports are large, enclosed spaces with little natural ventilation means they provide an ideal environment for infections to spread.
People spend their time in the terminal building eating, drinking and shopping, all activities that involve human interaction and hand contact with surfaces, goods and other items such as utensils and menus.
Airports also face increasing pressure to compete with one another to provide an optimal customer experience. Passenger satisfaction is measured by Airport Service Quality scores and those facilities that consistently score highly tend to receive higher numbers of returning passengers. Studies also show that lower passenger satisfaction rates equate to a lower spend in the terminal.
As sustainability moves higher up the political agenda, air travel has become a source of environmental concern which means airports are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint.
Every passenger’s airport experience is different. Some will arrive just in time for their flight and rush straight through security, while others will spend some time in the bar or restaurant, and some will prefer to browse the designer shops or scour the bookshops for in-flight reading matter.
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But one thing most passengers will have in common is the fact that many will use the washroom. This is particularly the case during the global pandemic when the use of washrooms on board may be restricted and queueing in the aisles discouraged.
So, in order to keep those all-important quality scores high, airport managers should ensure their washrooms are clean, hygienic and pleasant facilities where waste is kept to a minimum. Queueing should also be avoided since this will cause frustration and impact on social distancing.
High-capacity systems that control consumption and deliver soap and paper quickly and easily will help to make the process more efficient. For example, the Tork PeakServe Hand Towel Dispenser works particularly well in the busy, high-traffic airport washroom because it can cater for over 1,000 washroom visitors between refills - 600 more than most other dispensers.
The dispenser is also particularly easy to use because it requires an exceptionally low pull force which makes it accessible to everyone, even those with low hand strength. The fact that it also takes just three seconds for a visitor to take a towel and move on helps to speeds up washroom traffic.
Tork Foam Soap is also highly suitable for airport washrooms because the dispenser contains 2,500 shots of soap compared with around 1,000 in most liquid soap systems. The dispenser is easy to use and the refill cartridge can be snapped into place in seconds which reduces the amount of time the cleaner needs to spend in the washroom.
And the Tork SmartOne Twin Mini Toilet Roll System helps to ensure a long-lasting supply of paper because the system delivers one sheet of paper at a time, reducing consumption by up to 40% compared with jumbo roll dispensers.
Run-outs of paper and soap will be avoided if a digital system is used to keep tabs on cleaning needs and refill requirements. For example, Tork EasyCube uses sensors to monitor usage and dispenser status. Cleaners can tap into this data remotely via their smartphone or tablet, removing the need to physically check for run-outs and extra cleaning requirements.
There are other measures that will help improve efficiency in airport washrooms. For example, visitor traffic could be sped up significantly if the mirrors were removed. Separate wash and brush-up facilities could then be situated outside the washroom – and pre-booked online – for passengers who are particularly keen to check their appearance before a flight.
Flying abroad will inevitably pose some level of risk in the future unless COVID-19 is eradicated altogether. However, with a combination of good management, innovative systems, vigilance by staff and the right choice of products and systems, travelling can be managed safely. And the lure of the sunshine at the end of the journey will no doubt make the experience feel well worth the risk.
www.tork.co.uk/safeatwork TOMORROW’S FM | 51
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