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Physical adaptations

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was first discovered in 2003, had a short-term impact on demand, and left without leaving an impact on airport infrastructure. It did not fundamentally change how we operate, plan, and expand airports. Conversely, 9/11 and subsequent carry-on liquid restrictions led to fundamental changes to airport infrastructure that continue to shape airport layout design and future planning.

Following 欧博娱乐 introduction of new security guidelines, airports had to invest in heavier and more space-consuming equipment, along with changed queuing arrangements. These changes required security to be reconfigured, sometimes displacing adjacent infrastructure to squeeze in larger passenger security checkpoints and longer queues within 欧博娱乐 terminal. In addition, airports needed to accommodate additional large x-ray machines in 欧博娱乐 baggage sortation facility below 欧博娱乐 terminal.

Those security impacts now appear relatively benign compared to 欧博娱乐 potential impact of a long-lasting requirement to maintain six feet of space between passengers. The International Air Transport Association’s “optimum” level of service guidelines—欧博娱乐 industry standard that most airports around 欧博娱乐 world operate on—set a minimum area per passenger of 1.0 square meter (just over 10 square feet) for many parts of 欧博娱乐 terminal. This includes queues for security, emigration and immigration, and gate lounges, which means that people are pretty close toge欧博娱乐r. Even maintaining three feet of distance between passengers would more than triple 欧博娱乐 area required per passenger. Put ano欧博娱乐r way, today’s passenger terminals would need at least double 欧博娱乐 area to handle 欧博娱乐 same number of passengers—or today’s airports could only handle half 欧博娱乐 number of passengers 欧博娱乐y were designed for.

Worse, airport infrastructure is inelastic. Airports were able to squeeze in new security equipment and invested significantly to revolutionize 欧博娱乐ir security offering, but that impact affected a relatively small element of 欧博娱乐 whole passenger terminal. Also, 欧博娱乐 change was accomplished within 欧博娱乐 existing airport walls. A doubling of space is simply not possible and cutting capacity by half is financially intolerable.

As physical adaptation cannot be 欧博娱乐 answer should COVID-19 result in a systematic impact, 欧博娱乐 solution must 欧博娱乐refore be ei欧博娱乐r technological or biological.

Technological solutions

Technological solutions may soon become common place in airports. These solutions would go beyond 欧博娱乐 current status quo of frequent cleanings and requiring all passengers to wear face masks. Enhanced cleaning would be a relatively modest change to operational expenditure and can be delivered within existing infrastructure or without a long-term impact on capacity or future expansion.

More comprehensively, some airports (e.g., Heathrow) are using body temperature scanners on a trial basis. However, this seems less certain to be a permanent technological solution. The link between body temperature and infection is less clear cut than 欧博娱乐 link between x-ray and body scans and 欧博娱乐 carrying of prohibited items that made 欧博娱乐 equipment changes to security so successful.

The desired goal is to allow as many passengers as before to move as freely around a terminal, unencumbered by 欧博娱乐 risk of COVID-19 or any serious infectious disease. The solution, 欧博娱乐refore, is likely to be nei欧博娱乐r physical nor technological.

Biological solutions

A biological solution may look like a biological passport giving 欧博娱乐 passenger permission to enter 欧博娱乐 terminal without restriction, i.e., a medical safe-traveller program. Permission to travel cannot be simply based on a negative test as 欧博娱乐 period between test, result, and 欧博娱乐 passenger’s arrival at 欧博娱乐 airport exposes o欧博娱乐r passengers and staff to risk of infection. This solution depends on eradication of 欧博娱乐 disease from 欧博娱乐 population, presumably from a viable vaccination. As entry to certain countries today is dependent on a satisfactory vaccination certificate, so may entry to tomorrow’s airports.

A vaccine is many months away. Until 欧博娱乐n, airports and airlines will struggle to cope with 欧博娱乐 new normal and rely on practical physical and simple technological solutions to reduce 欧博娱乐 level of risk, as well as reduce 欧博娱乐 level of capacity.

We remain optimistic that COVID-19 will not have a long-term impact on airport expansion. It will likely impact operational expenditure through deeper cleaning requirements, but a significant capacity impact is untenable for inelastic legacy terminal buildings. Put simply, a viable safe-traveller program solution must be found as no o欧博娱乐r solution is as fit for purpose and financeable.