New Report Claims Airports Will Have To Change The Way They Do Business

Airports will have to reshape the way they do business in future if they are to see passenger numbers -- and indeed passenger satisfaction -- increase, according to a new report.

"Airports of the Future" has been launched in Hong Kong and comes from the minds of the people behind the CAP Strategic Research Ltd company, which "bases its forecast on 25 years experience & expertise in aviation research."

"Passengers no longer enjoy air travel, especially those based in Europe and the US. They regard flying as expensive, stressful, time-consuming and uncomfortable," the report notes.

As airlines struggle to make profits, costs at airports too will have to be cut.

"The aviation industry therefore faces a difficult future. Airports and airlines will need to adapt," claims CAP Strategic Research Ltd.

But it's not all doom and gloom -- by 2025 the company predicts air travel will be fun once more thanks to such developments as "Trusted Travellers" being able to bypass security; rapid, high-tech emigration and immigration; no shops at airports, just showrooms; airports operating 24 hours a day; totally new boarding procedures and no check-in desks or check-in luggage.

In analyzing its "key trends for the future," the report points out that the concept of "No Check-In Desks" is already in operation with online check-in and self check-in machines/kiosks at airports. Among those first to take on this practice were Qantas and easyJet.

Traditional emigration and immigration procedures are already being phased out with the INSPASS in the US, the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) at Heathrow, IACS at Changi in Singapore, ‘U-Airport' at Incheon in Seoul and SmartGate between Australia and New Zealand, the report notes. Here in Hong Kong, residents flash their identity card, and confirm their identity with a thumb print.

Traditional shops, too, are on the way out at airports, according to the report, to be replaced by online purchasing at showrooms. The report points out that some airports already have "You Shop, We Drop" programs with passengers able to buy items and have them delivered to their homes. "If companies like Amazon and Taobao were to get involved in airport retailing then the showroom concept would develop very quickly," says CAP Strategic Research.

CAP Strategic Research Ltd has offices in China, Hong Kong and Singapore and "specializes in surveying airline customer groups -- from business & leisure travelers and corporate travel departments to travel agents, airports, F&B operators and retailers."