Our Airport at first glance
When you arrive at Changi Airport you'll immediately know you're in Singapore
Airports are the international travelers’ first point of contact when they arrive at their destination, and its infrastructure and facilities provide them their first impression of the expected quality of their visit. Infact, not only is the airport their first impression of a place but also their last recall when they leave. It’s all about creating environments with a kind of warmth that de-stresses incoming or outgoing passengers.
At first glance, an airport’s role is all about managing the movement of passengers and luggage through the terminal to or from aeroplanes. Easier said than done, because the ‘customer journey’ through the airport for passengers can be tense and complicated, and this alone can make the difference between a negative experience, that is memorable for the wrong reasons, and a positive experience for the right reasons.
When it comes to airports, intent and size matters. The aesthetic design of its terminals must be considered holistically and in volumetric terms. The building must provide clear lines of sight, signage and a landscape that enables passengers to seamlessly navigate to all the services they need – such as travel information, accessible facilities, check-in/out points, retail, and food & beverage spaces, toilets including baby change and feed areas, currency exchange, smoking areas and prayer rooms. Also important is the integrating of technology. Furthermore, the airports quality of service, product and cleanliness must meet the passengers’ expectations and satisfaction.
It all begins with one’s arrival: disembarking from the plane, strolling through the terminal to passing border control, to the public space surrounded by shops, to the carousal to pick up one’s bag, to walking pass customs, before finally exiting the terminal.
As far as the Colombo International Airport goes…its light-years behind of what an airport should be. That wonderful sensation of having arrived quickly dissipates when forced to maneuver past rows and rows of densely packed retail shops where passengers get harangued with wildly beckoning sales staff on all sides. It’s no different when passing the money exchange and transportations desks.
That Airports still need passengers to spend money is a given. But they need to be clever about it. Stores at airports need to make people feel they are being enticed inside, rather than forced. People who feel harassed can start to close up. People who are comfortable, relaxed and happy in their environment are much more likely to spend money.
It doesn’t stop there. Get to the carousal to pick up your bag and as you position yourself to grab it, a ‘baggage handler’ will step in to lift it off the line - even when you don’t need help. Those who unwittingly submit to this uninvited assistance are forced to ‘tip’ the employee.
No sooner you push your bags-laden trolley, a couple of ‘baggage porters’ will rush towards you to wheel it – for a fee of course. You politely say ‘No thank you’ and exit the terminal to where your taxi awaits you. That’s when an airport employee, out of nowhere, will swoop in to offer to lift and pile the bag/s into the car (again for a fee).
The difference at Changi Airport is that it is a reflection of Singapore and you want to spend some time there before moving off into the city, whereas, at the Colombo Airport you wanna get away quickly because it serves as a ordinary vessel to receive and send passengers.
Ilzaf Keefahs is a freelance writer who enjoys focusing on hospitality related matters that he is passionate about, and likes to share his views with hoteliers and customers alike. He delves into the heart of hospitality to figure out both customer service and consumer trends that impact the industry
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