Today’s airports

All of us noticed after 9/11 that airports, first in Usa and UK, became very unpleasant places to be if they ever been that but after that it is not the place most of us want to hang out.

It is clear to all that security comes first, even to cost of passengers. Air traveling had major slowdown then and now, after many years of hard work airlines have more passengers and cargo than ever had.

Still airports do nothing to realise that situation. Security controls have become little easier than back then but people have to wait more and more with their luggages and tight space.

Let’s take an example, Warsaw, Poland. That airport is really a waste of anyone’s time. That airport needs a major improvement, friendlier staff, bigger halls etc. If you are a smoking person, don’t go there, no smoking signs are everywhere, not even one place where you can smoke. Of course, some may ask why do you smoke after all (like some pretty lady asked me there when I asked the place to smoke)…

Air travelling has grown way out of airline’s capacity and also from airports capacity. Heathrow have it’s new terminal 5 and there have been many many rumors that it is too small from the beginning. Althought Heathrow and BA have great plans to expand its capacity to take care more people than no other in the world.

Here is one from the official website:

Heathrow Airtrack is a proposal to create a new rail link between Heathrow and the South West rail network to the south and west of the airport. The proposal would see construction of a new rail link between Heathrow and Staines, with rail services to the rest of the rail network via Waterloo, Guildford and Reading.

BAA announced last year that it would fund a Transport and Works Act seeking permission to build Heathrow Heathrow Airtrack. In recent weeks, consultants have been appointed to study the options and the environmental impacts of the proposed new rail line. Once these initial assessments are complete BAA will consult widely with local residents and other interested groups to discuss the best way to develop and construct the new rail link. 

There will be two main stages of consultation prior to BAA submitting a Transport and Works Act application. The first stage, likely to be in early 2008, will consider possible options for the Heathrow Airtrack Scheme. After considering responses and conducting further technical work BAA will then launch a second stage of consultation, likely to be in late 2008 or early 2009. This second stage will seek views on the final preferred option for Heathrow Airtrack. BAA will continue to provide updates on progress and consult informally throughout the process.

BAA General Manager Rail, Mike Noakes said:

“We have been working with leading engineering consultants Halcrow to explore the options to enable Heathrow Airtrack to be connected to the existing Railway. We have also commissioned Temple Group to carry out an environmental assessment of the project. Once these initial technical assessments are complete, we will present options to the local community to begin discussions about how Heathrow Airtrack can best be constructed.”

“We are absolutely committed to keeping local residents as informed and involved during the Heathrow Airtrack development process. We have a good record of working with our local communities on projects such as Terminal 5 and Heathrow East and are determined to maintain that record on Heathrow Airtrack”.

That is only one solution and to only one airport but the question is how airports can improve themselves more of a nice place rather than a place you have to be if you’re going to fly.