A surge in the middle class globally, rapid urbanisation, and a rise in disposable income has led to an increasing demand for air travel. Nowadays, more people are choosing to fly for business and leisure, and airports are experiencing an increase in passenger traffic, which is driving the need for additional services and infrastructure. Research shows that the global airport services market is expected to hit around USD 485.99 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 17.09% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032.
For millions of us, airports are as much associated with shopping as travel, with retail still the primary experience at airports, prompting one airport retailer to comment that they are quite simply “huge shopping centres with runways attached.” Such is the demand for retail space, that large airports like Heathrow have a number of applicants for every retail unit, and have become one of the most sought-after retail locations in the world. Each shopper is around for just 60 or 70 minutes on average, and despite being considered a “captive audience”, they still expect the overall retail experience to be effortless and appealing. The challenge for retailers is that the airport trading environment is nothing like the high street and they are having to work even harder to deliver to customer expectations, as the high street also continues to evolve and to create truly engaging experiences.
For designers, airport terminals can throw up a number of challenges, such as awkward spaces, negotiating brutal commercial deals, retail design management and demands for extra-ordinary concepts and short dwell-time potential. However these can in turn stimulate truly creative responses with hard-edged commercial realities.
We are also seeing a different design approach to Airport lounges, with what were previously rather mundane spaces, now being looked at by designers in the same way that a high-end hotel concept would be. They are gearing towards creating more unique and personal atmospheres, with design elements and technology that are not generally seen in commercial projects. In addition, the boundaries between leisure and retail have become blended propositions, which means that exclusiveness in retail can now filter into these ‘exclusive’ lounge spaces and deliver a VIP experience – mimicking the experiences of the finest shopping malls.
rpa:group has extensive experience in terms of designing and project managing various types of Airport experiences from First and Business class lounges to Retail, Restaurants, Airline check-in and more, which makes us the ideal partner for your next airport lounge project. We are also familiar with the process of obtaining the necessary external and internal airside passes and of navigating stringent airport approvals, managing the coordination of approved consultants and site access for a range of schemes. If you would like to know more, or need our help, please get in touch.
