DESIGN & BUILD

John Brash, founder of global branding agency, Brash, explains why he believes that the rebranding of Abu Dhabi Airports is an ode to the future of aviation. It’s no secret that the aviation sector has been beset by challenges since the outbreak of the global pandemic. However, as with any challenge, comes great opportunity. This […]

We shine the spotlight on a handful of exciting ongoing or recently announced development projects across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. NEW RIYADH MEGA HUB AND AEROTROPOLIS Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a new mega hub for Riyadh which will be called King Salman International Airport. According to the master plan, King Salman International […]

Asia-Pacific Airports takes a closer look at a handful of key infrastructure development projects making headlines across the region. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport’s new Terminal 3B Construction of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport’s $3.5 billion Terminal 3B and fourth runway are said to be going well, with the new terminal seemingly on target to be completed […]

MXD Development Strategists’ Chris LeTourneur outlines what we can expect from Jeddah Airport City and explains why he believes it represents the potential future of airport centric development. Jeddah Airport City at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) is arguably taking airport-centric development to a new level, enhancing the western gateway to the Kingdom of Saudi […]

Construction of Changi’s planned Terminal 5 is set to resume in two or three years’ time, ensuring that it is operational by the mid-2030s, according to Singapore’s Transport Minister, S. Iswaran. Work on the project was halted in May 2020 when the global COVID-19 pandemic began to bite in Singapore, and passenger numbers at the […]

Being one of the world’s most environment friendly and sustainable gateways is a top priority for Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, writes CEO, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar. Airports have always been in the spotlight when it comes to their impact on the environment and the steps taken by them to operate in a sustainable manner, and […]

Hamad International Airport’s chief operating officer, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, tells Joe Bates more about the latest traffic trends, IT innovation and expansion plans of Qatar’s gateway to the world. DOHA’S ANNUAL THROUGHPUT SOARED FROM 12.3 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2008 TO 38.7 MILLION IN 2019 MAKING IT ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING AIRPORTS. WHAT […]

Brisbane Airport is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for its largest non-aviation project undertaken to date, BNE Auto Mall. The EOI is calling for reputable businesses and groups with experience and capability in managing exemplar entertainment, hospitality, events, and track facilities to become the Track and Event Operator. BNE Auto Mall will be located […]

It might not seem like a priority right now, but ACI World has revealed that more than $2.4 trillion will have to be spent on enhancing the infrastructure of the world’s airports by 2040 in order to meet future demand. The size of the task ahead – which will include modernising existing facilities as well […]

Queenstown Airport today questioned the need for a new Central Otago Airport in New Zealand. The new airport is being proposed by Christchurch Airport on the basis of a preliminary aeronautical assessment of its proposed location in Tarras. The assessment suggests that the site is able to support an airfield with a single runway of […]

Bahrain Airport Company CEO, Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, tells Joe Bates more about what passengers can expect from the airport’s new state-of-the-art terminal. Bahrain International Airport (BIA) celebrated a major milestone on January 28 when its eagerly awaited new terminal opened for business. The new state-of-the-art facility is the crowning jewel of a massive and comprehensive […]

China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and The Design Solution today provided a sneak preview of their design scheme for the 4,000sqm airside commercial area at Chengdu’s new Tianfu International Airport (TFU). The airport is due to open in mid 2021, ready for the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Chengdu 2021 Summer World University Games in […]

Infrastructure Australia (IA), the nation’s independent infrastructure advisor, has today announced that Newcastle Airport’s proposed upgrade has been added to its 2021 Priority List. The associated Williamtown Special Activation Precinct, which surrounds the airport and was recently announced by the NSW Government, has also been included. In response, Newcastle Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, said […]

Saudi Arabia’s planned new Red Sea airport is to be managed by daa international, the international business subsidiary of the operator of Ireland’s Dublin and Cork airports. The Red Sea Project is a major development being built over 28,000 square kilometres on Saudi Arabia’s west coast to create a new luxury tourism destination. The first […]

Delhi Noida International Airport will boast a passenger terminal designed by architects Grimshaw, Nordic – Office of Architecture, Haptic and Indian practice STUP. The team was selected from a shortlist of three by Zurich Airport International for “demonstrating a proficiency in balancing passenger comfort with sustainability, and timeless design with flexibility for future needs”. The […]

The Design Solution is to work with the China Duty Free Group (CDFG) as the retail giant accelerates its growth in China and the extended region. It joins a select group of retail design agency partners that will work with CDFG on a range of projects to support it in bids for new space and […]

Mainland China has fully embraced the aerotropolis concept with over 100 hugely ambitious  projects now underway across the country, writes Dr John Kasarda. Asia leads the way in airport city and aerotropolis development and China is the region’s most enthusiastic adopter of the aerotropolis model, with more than 100 of its airports and their surrounding […]

The NZ Airports Association (NZ Airports) has welcomed the government’s announcement that the Chatham Islands will receive NZ$40m in COVID-19 recovery funding, the great majority of which will go to upgrading the runway at Tuuta Airport, allowing larger aircraft to land. The association’s chief executive, Kevin Ward, said the investment will be a real and […]

Sustainable design must be high on the agenda of the world’s airports post COVID-19 to enable the industry to build back better, writes Roger Swinbourne, Arup’s sustainability leader for the Australasia region. Sustainability is a concept that aims to optimise outcomes for human and natural environments, both now and with a view to the long-term […]

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a new airport to serve what has been described as a new “ultra-luxury destination” on its Red Sea coast. The new destination is called AMAALA and the airport, which is slated for completion in 2023, will boast a design that that is said to have been inspired by the […]

Cambodia’s Sihanouk International Airport has unveiled a new master plan to accommodate its projected traffic growth for the next 20 years. Construction of a second passenger terminal between now and 2030, extending the airport’s runway by 800 metres to 3,300 metres, a new taxiway and additional aircraft stands are the key projects of Phase 1 […]

Brisbane Airport (BNE) and construction partner Skyway are today celebrating the practical completion of the gateway’s new runway. Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, recognised the milestone event, but noted that while today marked the end of the project, its was just the beginning for BNE and operator, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC). “In many respects this […]

Work will commence on the expansion and renovation of Singapore Changi’s Terminal 2 next month as operator, Changi Airport Group (CAG) strives to make the airport bigger and better to cope with growing demand. The work marks the beginning of a multi-year expansion project which will increase T2’s handling capacity, as well as to replace […]

What next for Hamad International Airport? Joe Bates reviews the gateway’s newly unveiled development plans. Qatar’s Hamad International Airport, one of the world’s newest hubs having only opened in 2014, is to expand its concourses to raise its capacity to 60 million passengers per annum. The expansion project will feature a spectacular 10,000sqm indoor tropical […]

Karl Lyndon, global aviation sector leader at integrated engineering consultancy, BuroHappold, explores the growing focus on greening airport terminal buildings. The aviation sector has been attracting a lot of attention recently – and not all of it for the right reasons. The new trend of ‘flight shaming’ in a bid to discourage air travel and […]

Joe Bates reports on Wellington Airport’s new master plan, which is designed to ensure that it has the infrastructure to handle the doubling of passenger traffic over the next 20 years. Wellington Airport has unveiled the master plan that it believes will ensure that it is equipped for growth for the next 20 years. With […]

It will be all systems go for Indonesia’s new Yogyakarta International Airport in 2020 when it fully opens its facilities, writes Joe Bates. Built to replace the old and outdated Adisutjipto International Airport (JOG), Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) is Indonesia’s newest gateway, although it won’t really come into its own until its infrastructure fully opens in 2020. […]

New images give travellers a sneak preview of what they can expect from Sydney’s new A$5.3 billion airport when it opens for business in 2026. Zaha Hadid Architects and Cox Architecture have won the international competition to design the new Western Sydney Airport (WSA). The ZHA/COX team, which will now act as master architect for the […]

Van Don International Airport in northeast Vietnam has been named ‘World’s Leading New Airport 2019′ at the 26th annual World Travel Awards (WTA).This is only the second year WTA has presented an award for this category, which assesses a new airport’s performance based on the overall design, service quality and passengers’ satisfaction, and how the complete passenger […]

Asia-Pacific Airports takes a closer look at the design and development of China’s new mega hub, Beijing Daxing International Airport. The world’s newest major airport, Beijing Daxing, opened for business in late September as China marked another major milestone in the modernisation and expansion of its aviation infrastructure. The new $12.9 billion gateway is one of […]

Smart-tinting glass can have a hugely positive impact on the airport experience for passengers and potentially boost commercial revenues, writes David Yim. Airports are some of the most visited places in the world, and they are expected to become even busier in the years ahead as they evolve into more than just transit hubs. The recently-opened Jewel at […]

We pay tribute to the 2018 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer experience award winners and talk to some of the CEOs of the successful gateways. It’s official, Beijing Capital, Delhi-Indira Gandhi, Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji, Singapore Changi, Shanghai Pudong and Seoul–Gimpo are some of the best airports in the world for the delivery of customer service. All […]

Asia-Pacific Airports finds out more about Singapore’s new mega retail, hospitality and leisure development, Jewel Changi Airport. The highly anticipated opening of Singapore Changi’s mega retail and lifestyle development, Jewel Changi Airport, has arguably taken non-aviation related activities at an airport to a new level and provided one of the world’s biggest hubs with a […]

Sarah Samuel, Amadeus’ head of airport IT for Asia-Pacific, argues that the adoption of a common vision on new passenger-enabling technology will help airports address the challenge of rising demand. Airports across the Asia-Pacific region share a number of common capacity challenges, and if they are to meet them effectively, they must work collaboratively, towards […]

Chengdu’s $11 billion second airport is set to open early next decade and transform air travel to the region. Sichuan province’s planned new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport is being designed by the China Southwest Architectural Design & Research Institute Corp Ltd (CSWADI) in partnership with ADP Ingénierie. Located 50 kilometres from downtown Chengdu and slated […]

Van Don International Airport, Vietnam’s impressive new gateway to Halong Bay, was one of three major new pieces of infrastructure to open on the same day in Quang Ninh province, writes Joe Bates. Van Don International Airport has become Vietnam’s first privately developed, constructed and operated commercial gateway after opening for business in the final […]

Egis has been awarded a contract by Riyadh Airports Company to provide it with design and project management consultancy services as it looks to replace the hold baggage screening (HBS) machines in Terminal 5 at King Khaled International Airport. Egis has been supporting development and expansion of Saudi Arabia’s second biggest airport for the last […]

Joe Bates takes a closer look at some of the many development projects going on across the region. ACI’s Asia-Pacific region remains the hottest ticket in town for infrastructure development with a number of new airports being built while existing gateways continue to add new facilities. Indeed, as you may have read in the news […]

With people living longer than ever before, catering to an aging population is now an essential part of the airport design process, writes Corgan’s Jonathan Massey. As airport terminals move beyond being buildings that are simply a necessary part of the mode of transportation to an accommodating and thoughtful experience, we must look closely at […]

Vietnam’s planned new Long Thanh International Airport promises to be one of the most modern, innovative and exciting gateways in Asia-Pacific, writes Heerim’s Byungkoo Lee. Vietnam’s much-awaited new international airport is set to be built in Long Thanh, Dong Nai Province, around 40 kilometres east of Ho Chi Minh City. Slated to open in 2025, the $16.3 billion airport […]

With a new runway, terminal, SKYCITY and other airport city projects being developed on the airport site, these are busy and exciting times for Hong Kong International Airport, writes Joe Bates. Like all busy hubs, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is constantly striving to make best use of its existing facilities while busily planning for […]

Airbiz managing director, Greg Fordham, tells Asia-Pacific Airports more about the company’s new Express Access Swing intelligent (EASi) Gates concept. Imagine flying without waiting at the departure gate. What if you could browse the shops, have a meal or relax in your airline lounge until it was time to board? What if a self-driving vehicle […]

Gensler’s Keith Thompson and Terence Young and Heerim’s Byungkoo Lee tell us more about the concepts behind the design of Incheon International Airport’s impressive new Terminal 2. As you would expect from an airport whose name is synonymous with top quality customer service, Incheon International Airport wanted its new Terminal 2 to be something special […]

Gulf gateway’s eagerly awaited new terminal to open in 2019. KEY facts Location: Kingdom of Bahrain Airport: Bahrain International Airport Project: New terminal and associated infrastructure Price tag: $1.1 billion Delivery date: 2019 Key players: Bahrain Airports Company (BAC), ADP Ingénierie (ADPI), Hill International, Arabtec, TAV Construction, Fraport The key project of its $1.1 billion Airport Modernisation Programme (AMP), the new […]

Improving surface access is a commercial and environmental challenge facing airports across the globe, write ICF’s Angus Reid-Kay and Rob Rushmer. To focus on airlines and the development of an airport’s route network would provide only a partial view of a gateway’s connectivity. This is because surface access matters, and failure to meet demand on […]

NACO’s René Marey takes a closer look at plans to create an airport city at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, located at the crossroads between the Middle East and Asia. Iran, one of the last untapped emerging markets, is beginning to open up to international trade and investment again after returning to the global economic […]

Due to open any day now, Singapore Changi’s new Terminal 4 promises to be positively surprising with a unique boutique design and host of facilities for passengers to explore. Singapore Changi Airport has set the bar pretty high when it comes to customer service levels and the opening of innovative new facilities, so when it […]

How are Kazakhstan’s airports faring and what are the plans for their future development? Lufthansa Consulting’s Askhat Torshin answers the big questions. What are the most recent major developments in Kazakhstan’s aviation sector? Kazakhstan has demonstrated its intention to comply with international standards and accepted IATA’s Operational Safety Audit as a compulsory requirement for the maintenance […]

ACI World’s head of Airport Service Quality (ASQ), Dimitri Coll, discusses the publication of a new guide designed to help airports better understand passenger profiles and motivations. We have launched an innovative new guide called ACI passenger personas: A new approach to passenger profiling, which is designed to support airports in developing a deeper understanding of the […]

Gez Johns provides an update on the ongoing upgrade and expansion of the terminal building at Auckland International Airport. Once considered something of an outlier in the Pacific, Auckland Airport is rapidly becoming an aviation hub – one Airbus predicts will be welcoming over 10,000 long-haul passengers a day by 2030.  In its most recent […]

Asia-Pacific Airports finds out more about the blueprint for a pioneering aerotropolis development at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysia Airports has unveiled plans for what it claims is its “most exciting endeavour” to date, the creation of a huge, national economy boosting aerotropolis at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Identified as one of the strategic pillars […]

Spotlight on Male’s Ibrahim Nasir International Airport development. KEY facts Airport: Malé, The Maldives Project: New terminal, runway, cargo facilities and fuel farm. Delivery date: 2019 Key players: Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG); Saudi Bin Laden Group. Male’s Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, the capital city gateway of the Island nation of the Maldives, has started work on the biggest […]

Asia-Pacific Airports magazine turns the spotlight on Hong Kong International Airport’s multi-billion dollar third runway project. Hong Kong International Airport has begun construction work on the new three-runway system (3RS) that it believes will guarantee its long-term success. The airport, which currently has two runways, claims that a third is vital to ensure that it is […]

Work is underway on the new Terminal 2 at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. KEY facts Airport: Mactan-Cebu International Airport Project: New Terminal 2 Key players: GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), Integrated Design Association (IDA), Budji Layug + Royal Pineda Design Architects, Kenneth Cobonpue Asia Completion: February 2018 A concrete pouring ceremony earlier this year marked the start of the construction of the […]

Asia-Pacific Airports takes a closer look at what’s in store for passengers using Dubai International Airport’s new $1.2 billion Concourse D. After months of intensive testing and a successful operational trial involving 2,000 members of the public, Dubai International Airport (DXB) celebrated another milestone moment on February 24 with the official opening of its new Concourse D. […]

Spotlight on ADPI’s projects in China and South Korea. Winning the contract to design the new 100mppa capacity Beijing Daxing International Airport appears to be just the start for ADP Ingénierie  (ADPI) in China, which continues to expand its business interests across the country. Indeed, in addition to Bejing Daxing, ADPI – a wholly-owned subsidiary […]

The next phase in the growth of Hong Kong International Airport is now cleared for take-off following approval of a major redevelopment based around a third runway, writes Peta Tomlinson. Landmass-wise, Hong Kong is one of the smallest world cities, but it has always had a big vision. Nowhere is this more evident than in […]

When Incheon promises to do something it generally does, so it should come as no surprise to anyone to learn that its giant new Terminal 2 is on schedule for completion in September 2017 as planned.  The timing, to ensure an early 2018 opening, will actually be perfect as at the current growth rate Incheon’s existing passenger […]

In September 2013, Newcastle Airport received long-awaited news – its application to the New South Wales (NSW) government for an A$11.1 million grant to fund the expansion of its terminal had been successful. Fast-forward 14 months and construction of the 2,600sqm extension is well underway as part of a A$14.5 million project that will also involve […]

Joe Bates discovers more about the ambitions and growth plans of arguably the Gulf state’s first gateway to make a global impression on the world – Bahrain International Airport. Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), has no doubts about the impact the planned new terminal will make to Bahrain International Airport. “Our […]