Japan Airlines flight attendants, wearing vintage uniforms that trace the carrier’s 60-year history, strolled past a table of cupcakes iced with “JAL New Haneda” to pose for photos with passengers boarding JAL flight 001. The flight was preparing to depart San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for Tokyo’s dramatically expanded and modernized Haneda (HND) Airport.
The event marked Haneda’s return to international passenger service after 32 years. In 1978, international flights moved to the then-new Narita International (NRT), leaving Haneda to serve domestic routes. That began to change with the opening of Haneda’s new international terminal on Oct. 31, and in 2011 carriers including All Nippon Airways, American Airlines and British Airways shifted many long-haul services back to Haneda. The terminal serves as a major connector for travel to China and other Asian destinations.
For JAL the move had historical resonance: the airline’s first international flight departed Haneda for San Francisco in 1954 on a Douglas DC-6 that took three days with island layovers; today JAL operates the route with a Boeing 777-200 and a nonstop trip of roughly 12 hours.
Haneda’s transformation—located only nine miles from central Tokyo and about 25 minutes away by monorail or the Keikyu train line compared with one to two hours from Narita—is one of several major airport upgrades travelers encountered in 2011. Airports worldwide have invested heavily in infrastructure while airlines and alliances enhance premium passenger experiences. Examples include Miami International’s (MIA) new Skytrain, the Finnair Via Spa at Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL), live sporting events at Munich International (MUC), a $350 million runway at New York’s Kennedy International (JFK) completed in November, and the scheduled opening of a new domestic terminal at SFO. Each project aims to reduce travel stress and improve connections.
Many larger undertakings are still underway. Projects in planning or construction include The Green Build, a $1 billion environmentally focused upgrade at San Diego International (SAN); Delta Air Lines’ $1.2 billion renovation of JFK’s Terminal 4; and a five-year redevelopment of Denver International’s (DIA) South Terminal that will add a new rail station designed by Santiago Calatrava and double the number of security screening lanes. These investments send a clear message to travelers: capacity and comfort are priorities.
The global recession caused passenger traffic to dip in 2009, but numbers rebounded in 2010 and 2011 was forecast as a busy year by Airports Council International, the Geneva-based trade organization representing airports worldwide. Haneda’s reopening has already eased congestion at Narita and become a destination for Tokyo residents who come to dine and shop. The terminal’s retail and dining areas, some designed like a traditional shopping street and located outside the security perimeter, have proven especially popular.
Oneworld alliance partners at Haneda organized clustered check-in desks and kiosks to speed connections, trimming average international-to-domestic transfer times from 90 to about 70 minutes. On Jan. 20, American Airlines joined the airport’s international roster with a daily nonstop between Haneda and JFK. Star Alliance members such as ANA, United and Lufthansa also grouped ticketing and check-in services to simplify transfers. Haneda has simultaneously modernized its domestic terminals and added a fourth runway, and the new Tokyo International Air Terminal is linked to the city by a purpose-built monorail that moves passengers and luggage through the Terminal Building Station.
Helsinki-Vantaa has also introduced innovations to streamline passenger flow: Finnair opened a fully automated passport-control area for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens holding biometric passports, allowing passport checks to be completed in about 20–30 seconds.
At SFO, the airport’s former international terminal—vacated after the airport opened a new expansive international facility in December 2000—was slated to reopen as Terminal 2 for domestic flights in spring, bringing new life to an abandoned space. The renovated T2 will house American’s domestic operations shifted from Terminal 3 and will welcome Virgin America, offering six security screening stations, a dozen restaurants, a wine bar and free WiFi throughout.
Several cities built entirely new large-scale airports in the past decade, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, and new major terminals have opened at London Heathrow (LHR), Beijing Capital (PEK), Madrid-Barajas (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN). While no massive new airports were scheduled to open in 2011, passenger growth prompted openings such as a new Quito International (UIO) airport in Ecuador, designed for 4 million passengers and featuring a longer runway at lower elevation to improve aircraft performance in mountainous terrain.
Dubai International (DXB) has been among the most ambitious, projecting continued rapid growth. Dubai Airports expected 52.2 million passengers in 2011, up from 46.1 million in 2010, and is building Concourse 3 to accommodate the Airbus A380. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, noted the city’s liberal aviation policies, tax-free environment and strategic location as drivers of growth while emphasizing the need to maintain capacity to handle rising traffic. DXB ranks among the world’s busiest airports for passenger and cargo traffic.
Miami’s extensive $6.4 billion renovation, begun in 1998 to strengthen its role as a gateway to Latin America, reached a key milestone with the opening of a mile-long Skytrain connecting 60 gates in the new North Terminal (Concourse D). The automated people mover reduces connection times, enabling passengers to traverse the terminal in minutes and carrying up to 9,000 passengers per hour.
Beyond major construction, many airports focus on passenger comfort and unique amenities. Munich International (MUC) has refined customer service with offerings such as last-minute massages near gates, the Kempinski Hotel Fit & Fly Health & Spa Club, Be Relax spas for manicures and pedicures, and a barber shop. Nap cabins with couches, soothing music, flat-screen TVs and workstations help travelers rest. The Munich Airport Center (MAC) stages live polo and volleyball events, displays premium cars, and features a beer garden where visitors can enjoy Airbräu, brewed on-site since 2003.
Toronto’s Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) continues to expand passenger amenities, providing complimentary WiFi, iMac workstations and additional lounges such as the second Porter Airlines lounge opened to serve domestic and U.S. routes. Porter’s leadership cited the airport’s success as spurring new infrastructure to meet demand.
In Finland, Helsinki-Vantaa’s Via Spa offers travelers short, restorative treatments tailored for transfers between Europe and Asia, including a mineral-water pool, spruce-and-stone sauna and traditional Finnish sauna with runway views. These kinds of on-site services and ongoing infrastructure investments reflect a global trend: airports and airlines are increasingly focused on easing the journey for busy, often time-pressed passengers.