An airport represents a country’s portal, very often its main one. And as the number of global tourists and business travellers continues to increase, airports need to keep pace with renovations, expansions and upgrades – no more so than in major cities.
The Asia-Pacific region in particular has experienced rapid economic growth, this expansion matched by a burgeoning aviation sector. But the sheer pace of growth has meant that some airports in the region have found it hard to modernise at the necessary rate, while major infrastructure projects, such as the building of a new
airport from scratch, can take
many years to achieve. In some countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, insufficient ground-handling facilities can lead to flight delays, crowds and inefficiencies.
Some nations, however, look well beyond improving efficiencies, aiming instead to become regional aviation hubs. For example, South Korea’s Incheon Airport is in the process of constructing a second terminal. The building has seven floors with a total area of 384,000 sqm. Scheduled to open in 2017, it should result in a 41 per cent increase in passenger numbers. There are also plans for another terminal and three runways by 2020, with a projected passenger transfer capacity of 100 million.
And to meet the need of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japan plans to increase flights at both Narita and Haneda airports, and is considering adding another runway to the latter.
Beijing, whose Capital airport is among the world’s busiest, will start work on its second airport, scheduled to open in 2018, this year. It will have six runways and will
be able to handle more than
100 million passengers a year.
Below are more examples from around the globe of this drive to meet demand.
Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport
Al Maktoum International Airport is Dubai’s second airport, and opened in October of last year, after delays caused by the global recession. The airport is 140 square kilometres in area, and is a part of the US$32 billion invested in the Dubai World Central commercial, logistics and residential complex. The airport
will have five runways, and will become the world’s largest airport once fully completed.
The passenger terminal, which opened under the first phase of development, can currently handle up to 7 million passengers per annum. It has 64 aircraft stands and a runway that, at 4.9 kilometres, can handle the Airbus A380. When the airport is complete it will have four terminals and be able to handle up to 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo per year.
Al Maktoum airport is 40 kilometres from Dubai International Airport. The construction process, which includes the building of a terminal dedicated to low-cost airlines, will continue in phases,
and is expected to take some
20 years.
www.dwc.ae
Hamad International Airport, DOHA
Another Middle Eastern airport much in the news is Doha’s new Hamad International Airport, which has been under construction for five years and has suffered several delays; the first phase has cost US$15.5 billion and the full opening, at press time, was reportedly slated for the middle of this year. At 22 square kilometres, it is 13 times the size of current Doha International Airport.
Initially the airport will be able to handle 24 million passengers a year, projected to accommodate up to 50 million on completion. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is to be hosted by Qatar and the airport will be more than able to meet demand. There will also be a separate terminal
for VIPs.
The crescent-shaped passenger terminal, at 600,000 sqm in area, is certainly airy, and with 135 check-in counters and 20 e-channels at the immigration, it can handle up to 8,700 passengers per hour. As Doha is an important transit hub, the terminal will have a transit time of just 45 minutes (in some cases, as short as 30 minutes). It is also equipped with 41 air bridges, 80 gates and a 100-room hotel situated inside the terminal, with another hotel located close by.
www.ndiaproject.com
John F Kennedy International Airport, New York
Delta Air Lines’ Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport opened in May last year, as part of the airline’s US$1.4 billion investment at the airport, which with six terminals is one of the world’s busiest. Terminal 2 has also recently undergone renovation.
Terminal 4 is equipped with self-check-in counters and self-service centres, speeding things up considerably. Delta’s Skyteam Priority check-in area is located near the security checking area and is the most convenient counter.
There are nine new and seven newly renovated gates in Terminal 4, and the facility also has more luggage carousels. There are many shops and restaurants within, including outlets from renowned chefs Danny Meyer from Shake Shack and Marcus Samuelsson from Uptown Brasserie. Outside, the taxi pick-up system has been improved to reduce waiting times.
Delta has set a 2,230 sqm lounge at the terminal. It is Delta’s biggest Sky Club, and also has the only outdoor terrace of the airport. Private Circo rooms are available for guests who want an extra degree of exclusivity. The second phase of construction, scheduled for completion in a year or so, will add 11 gates: 27 gates in all for Delta in area B at T4, replacing the airline’s facilities in Terminal 2.
www.jfkiat.com
Los Angeles International Airport
The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX opened in September last year, marked by the landing of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. The new terminal has cut the boarding and alighting time by one third compared with the facility it has replaced, and can handle up to 4,500 passengers an hour compared to 2,800.
Some US$1.5 billion has been invested in the new facility. With a total area of more than 116,000 sqm, it is the largest construction project ever to have taken place in Los Angeles, and besides providing employment for thousands of people, has strengthened LAX’s position as the preeminent West Coast hub.
The new terminal has 18 gates, half of them able to receive Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s. The new gates for these large aircraft will have three air bridges; several Asian airlines will move to this terminal, including China Eastern and
China Southern.
The design of the terminal’s roof means that plenty of natural light gets into the building. Each seat within is equipped with a power outlet, making the use of smartphones, laptops and other electric devices more convenient. There are four times the number
of shops and restaurants (some 60 of the latter) compared to the previous facility, while luxury boutiques are sure to be popular with Asian passengers.
The second phase includes demolishing the east wing of the current boarding area, improvements to air bridges, the aircraft parking area and customs and immigration, as well as the addition of a bridge linking Terminal 3 with Terminal 4; these are scheduled to be completed at the beginning of next year.
www.lawa.org/welcomelax.aspx
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai
The aviation sector in India continues to expand at a rapid rate, with many airports undergoing renovation. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s Terminal 2 received a lot of media attention when its own renovation was completed in January this year; it is now the biggest and the most advanced facility of its kind in India.
The 408,000-sqm terminal’s design is based on the national bird of India, the peacock. It can accommodate 40 million travellers a year, and has international and domestic flight check-in counters, 52 boarding bridges, automatic luggage carousels which can handle 9,600 luggage per hour, and a retail area of 18,000 sqm. It also contains the largest multi-level car park in India, which with a capacity of 5,200 vehicles.
Passengers using Terminal 2 will be greeted with planet of material that’s easy on the eye: it contains more than 10,000 works of art. The area between the check-in counters and luggage carousels sports a three-kilometre-long “art wall”, showcasing modern pieces and cultural artefacts.
www.csia.in
Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2
KLIA2, which cost RM4 billion (US$1.23 billion) to build, is scheduled to open this month, with a target handling capacity of 20 million passengers for the first year, eventually rising to 45 million. The facility, which has faced delays, is built for low-cost carrier operations, and will replace the current LCCT terminal; 12 low-cost carriers, including AirAsia, Malindo Air, Jetstar Airways, Tigerair, Cebu Pacific and Firefly will move to the KLIA2. The total area of the facility is 257,000 sqm. It has 60 gates and a 32,000-sqm area for more than 250 shops. The runways, of which there are two in the first phase, can accommodate Airbus A380s. Three more runways are planned for the future. An unusual feature of this facility is an elevated corridor that allows people to look down on aircraft movements on the ground.
KLIA2 is just 1.5 kilometres from KLIA, allowing for easy transits. There is a greater choice of hotels around the new facility compared with KLIA. The Tune Hotel is due to open when the new facility opens.
www.klia2.info
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, previously known as Kolkata Airport, changed its name in 1995 to commemorate one of the leaders of the Indian independence movement. Some US$434 million has been invested in Terminal 2, which was opened in January last year and has a total area of 195,000 sqm. The five-level building can accommodate up to 20 million travellers a year: a four-fold increase. The facility has 48 international and 80 domestic check-in counters, and can handle 18 parking aircraft at a time, including Airbus A380s. There are also 38 immigration counters, and 23 international and 33 domestic security-checking channels. The new terminal is linked to the existing domestic terminal. Travelling time to and from the terminals is about five minutes.
www.aai.aero/kolkata/index.jsp
Haikou Meilan International Airport, Hainan
A new international terminal was added to Hainan’s Haikou Meilan International Airport last August. The building, at a cost of RMB230 million (US$37 million) and with a total area of 13,200 sqm, is situated to the east of the main terminal, which will soon lose its international passenger business to the new one. Elements of Hainan’s rich natural environment have been incorporated into the design: coconut palms grace a recreational area, while a garden features the island’s native plants, giving arriving travellers a taste of what’s to come.
Bays for international flights will be increased from three to 10, in order to accommodate the projected figure of 1.06 million people per year. In recent years, Hainan has launched a series of incentives to attract airlines; starting from this year, the authorities in Haikou plan to give each intercontinental flight landing in Haikou a RMB200,000 (US$32,000) bonus.
Last year, Haikou Meilan International Airport served 13 international routes, including seven regular flights serving Singapore, Bangkok and Taipei. The airport authority is hoping to add flights to Berlin, Ukraine and Seoul, among other destinations. In addition, the old terminal will start to undergo renovations from the beginning of next year. China’s National Development and Reform Commission has approved this second-phase project, which is expected to handle up to 30 million passengers each year by 2020.
www.mlairport.com/autoweb/autoweb/mljc_eng.html
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
Terminal 3 of Shenyang Taoxian International Airport opened last August, in time for the 12th National Games of China which took place in the city, the provincial capital of Liaoning. Terminals 1 and 2 have since been closed. The new terminal has a total area of 248,000 sqm and can accommodate up to17.5 million passengers a year, and up to 6,430 travellers every hour, which is planned to meet demand until 2020. The terminal has a U-shaped design, serving both international and domestic travellers – arrivals are on level 1 and departures are on level 2, while immigration lies between. It features 37 bays and 30 air bridges. The facility has handy connections for the metro, tram, bus and taxi.
http://tx.lnairport.com
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Terminal 4 of this airport, which is reminiscent of a soaring bird, is expected to open this year, and will comprise a basement and two levels above the ground. The exterior, in metal and glass, is distinctly modern, while the interior has elements of traditional Min Nan style. Currently, terminals 2 and 3 are still in operation, while Terminal 1 is now used for other purposes.
In 2013, the airport handled nearly 20 million passengers, which is above its operating capacity. Terminal 4’s first phase of development will help enable the airport to handle a further 12 million passengers, and there are plans for future expansion.
www.xmairport.com.cn
Bao’an International Airport, Shenzhen
Shenzhen’s airport plays a big part in bringing visitors from Mainland China, and elsewhere, to Hong Kong, just 40 kilometres away. It handled more than 29 million passengers in 2013.
Terminal 3 opened last year. Designed by Italian architects Massimiliano Fuksas, it cost RMB8.5 billion (US$1.37 billion) and has an area of 450,000 sqm – four times bigger than the original terminal. There are 200 immigration counters and 76 flight bays and it’s predicted that the passenger capacity and cargo capacity will reach 45 million and 2 million tonnes respectively.
This futuristic and modern building can also claim to be one of the greenest in China. It is the first airport in the country to use solar power, and can generate 10 billion watts of electricity for the airport’s use. The appearance of the building is somewhat reminiscent of a manta ray, the Chinese name of which sounds like the word for “fortune”. More than 100 white air-conditioning “trees” dot the terminal, which features nearly 200 shops. In 2016, the terminal will get its own metro station linking it directly to the city centre. For now, travellers need to go to the old terminal to take the train.
www.szairport.com
Taichung Airport, Taiwan
Taichung Airport was originally designed for flights within Taiwan, but the launch of high-speed rail services has seen a decline in the number of internal flights. The demand for international air travel has increased, however, resulting in a need to improve facilities at the airport. A new international terminal opened its doors last year, while the old terminal now handles domestic operations.
Though some had doubts about the potential of an airport nearly half way down the island’s west coast, the number of passengers continues to increase. The commencement of direct flights between Taiwan and Mainland China since the mid noughties has had a marked effect, with the number of travellers using the airport reaching 1.59 million in 2012. The terminal can handle up to 2.55 million passengers a year.
The design of the new international terminal is based on a flying buzzard. Most of the building materials employed are environmentally friendly, while consumption of energy is relatively low. Solar power provides part of the electricity for the terminal.
The new terminal has 24 airline counters, five air bridges, two restaurants and 18 duty-free shops. In the past, the passenger check-in and luggage check-in areas were in different locations, but now the procedures take place at the same place.
Many of the airport’s passengers travel to and from Macau, Hong Kong, Hangzhou or Nanning, while Taichung’s location on the west coast makes it convenient for tourists to visit Sun Moon Lake, Xitou, Sun Link Sea and Alishan.
www.tca.gov.tw
Another Middle Eastern airport much in the news is Doha’s new Hamad International Airport, which has been under construction for five years and has suffered several delays; the first phase has cost US$15.5 billion and the full opening, at press time, was reportedly slated for the middle of this year. At 22 square kilometres, it is 13 times the size of current Doha International Airport.
Initially the airport will be able to handle 24 million passengers a year, projected to accommodate up to 50 million on completion. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is to be hosted by Qatar and the airport will be more than able to meet demand. There will also be a separate terminal
for VIPs.
The crescent-shaped passenger terminal, at 600,000 sqm in area, is certainly airy, and with 135 check-in counters and 20 e-channels at the immigration, it can handle up to 8,700 passengers per hour. As Doha is an important transit hub, the terminal will have a transit time of just 45 minutes (in some cases, as short as 30 minutes). It is also equipped with 41 air bridges, 80 gates and a 100-room hotel situated inside the terminal, with another hotel located close by.
www.ndiaproject.com
John F Kennedy International Airport, New York
Delta Air Lines’ Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport opened in May last year, as part of the airline’s US$1.4 billion investment at the airport, which with six terminals is one of the world’s busiest. Terminal 2 has also recently undergone renovation.
Terminal 4 is equipped with self-check-in counters and self-service centres, speeding things up considerably. Delta’s Skyteam Priority check-in area is located near the security checking area and is the most convenient counter.
There are nine new and seven newly renovated gates in Terminal 4, and the facility also has more luggage carousels. There are many shops and restaurants within, including outlets from renowned chefs Danny Meyer from Shake Shack and Marcus Samuelsson from Uptown Brasserie. Outside, the taxi pick-up system has been improved to reduce waiting times.
Delta has set a 2,230 sqm lounge at the terminal. It is Delta’s biggest Sky Club, and also has the only outdoor terrace of the airport. Private Circo rooms are available for guests who want an extra degree of exclusivity. The second phase of construction, scheduled for completion in a year or so, will add 11 gates: 27 gates in all for Delta in area B at T4, replacing the airline’s facilities in Terminal 2.
www.jfkiat.com
Los Angeles International Airport
The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX opened in September last year, marked by the landing of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. The new terminal has cut the boarding and alighting time by one third compared with the facility it has replaced, and can handle up to 4,500 passengers an hour compared to 2,800.
Some US$1.5 billion has been invested in the new facility. With a total area of more than 116,000 sqm, it is the largest construction project ever to have taken place in Los Angeles, and besides providing employment for thousands of people, has strengthened LAX’s position as the preeminent West Coast hub.
The new terminal has 18 gates, half of them able to receive Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s. The new gates for these large aircraft will have three air bridges; several Asian airlines will move to this terminal, including China Eastern and
China Southern.
The design of the terminal’s roof means that plenty of natural light gets into the building. Each seat within is equipped with a power outlet, making the use of smartphones, laptops and other electric devices more convenient. There are four times the number
of shops and restaurants (some 60 of the latter) compared to the previous facility, while luxury boutiques are sure to be popular with Asian passengers.
The second phase includes demolishing the east wing of the current boarding area, improvements to air bridges, the aircraft parking area and customs and immigration, as well as the addition of a bridge linking Terminal 3 with Terminal 4; these are scheduled to be completed at the beginning of next year.
www.lawa.org/welcomelax.aspx
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai
The aviation sector in India continues to expand at a rapid rate, with many airports undergoing renovation. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport’s Terminal 2 received a lot of media attention when its own renovation was completed in January this year; it is now the biggest and the most advanced facility of its kind in India.
The 408,000-sqm terminal’s design is based on the national bird of India, the peacock. It can accommodate 40 million travellers a year, and has international and domestic flight check-in counters, 52 boarding bridges, automatic luggage carousels which can handle 9,600 luggage per hour, and a retail area of 18,000 sqm. It also contains the largest multi-level car park in India, which with a capacity of 5,200 vehicles.
Passengers using Terminal 2 will be greeted with planet of material that’s easy on the eye: it contains more than 10,000 works of art. The area between the check-in counters and luggage carousels sports a three-kilometre-long “art wall”, showcasing modern pieces and cultural artefacts.
www.csia.in
Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2
KLIA2, which cost RM4 billion (US$1.23 billion) to build, is scheduled to open this month, with a target handling capacity of 20 million passengers for the first year, eventually rising to 45 million. The facility, which has faced delays, is built for low-cost carrier operations, and will replace the current LCCT terminal; 12 low-cost carriers, including AirAsia, Malindo Air, Jetstar Airways, Tigerair, Cebu Pacific and Firefly will move to the KLIA2. The total area of the facility is 257,000 sqm. It has 60 gates and a 32,000-sqm area for more than 250 shops. The runways, of which there are two in the first phase, can accommodate Airbus A380s. Three more runways are planned for the future. An unusual feature of this facility is an elevated corridor that allows people to look down on aircraft movements on the ground.
KLIA2 is just 1.5 kilometres from KLIA, allowing for easy transits. There is a greater choice of hotels around the new facility compared with KLIA. The Tune Hotel is due to open when the new facility opens.
www.klia2.info
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, previously known as Kolkata Airport, changed its name in 1995 to commemorate one of the leaders of the Indian independence movement. Some US$434 million has been invested in Terminal 2, which was opened in January last year and has a total area of 195,000 sqm. The five-level building can accommodate up to 20 million travellers a year: a four-fold increase. The facility has 48 international and 80 domestic check-in counters, and can handle 18 parking aircraft at a time, including Airbus A380s. There are also 38 immigration counters, and 23 international and 33 domestic security-checking channels. The new terminal is linked to the existing domestic terminal. Travelling time to and from the terminals is about five minutes.
www.aai.aero/kolkata/index.jsp
Haikou Meilan International Airport, Hainan
A new international terminal was added to Hainan’s Haikou Meilan International Airport last August. The building, at a cost of RMB230 million (US$37 million) and with a total area of 13,200 sqm, is situated to the east of the main terminal, which will soon lose its international passenger business to the new one. Elements of Hainan’s rich natural environment have been incorporated into the design: coconut palms grace a recreational area, while a garden features the island’s native plants, giving arriving travellers a taste of what’s to come.
Bays for international flights will be increased from three to 10, in order to accommodate the projected figure of 1.06 million people per year. In recent years, Hainan has launched a series of incentives to attract airlines; starting from this year, the authorities in Haikou plan to give each intercontinental flight landing in Haikou a RMB200,000 (US$32,000) bonus.
Last year, Haikou Meilan International Airport served 13 international routes, including seven regular flights serving Singapore, Bangkok and Taipei. The airport authority is hoping to add flights to Berlin, Ukraine and Seoul, among other destinations. In addition, the old terminal will start to undergo renovations from the beginning of next year. China’s National Development and Reform Commission has approved this second-phase project, which is expected to handle up to 30 million passengers each year by 2020.
www.mlairport.com/autoweb/autoweb/mljc_eng.html
Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
Terminal 3 of Shenyang Taoxian International Airport opened last August, in time for the 12th National Games of China which took place in the city, the provincial capital of Liaoning. Terminals 1 and 2 have since been closed. The new terminal has a total area of 248,000 sqm and can accommodate up to17.5 million passengers a year, and up to 6,430 travellers every hour, which is planned to meet demand until 2020. The terminal has a U-shaped design, serving both international and domestic travellers – arrivals are on level 1 and departures are on level 2, while immigration lies between. It features 37 bays and 30 air bridges. The facility has handy connections for the metro, tram, bus and taxi.
http://tx.lnairport.com
Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Terminal 4 of this airport, which is reminiscent of a soaring bird, is expected to open this year, and will comprise a basement and two levels above the ground. The exterior, in metal and glass, is distinctly modern, while the interior has elements of traditional Min Nan style. Currently, terminals 2 and 3 are still in operation, while Terminal 1 is now used for other purposes.
In 2013, the airport handled nearly 20 million passengers, which is above its operating capacity. Terminal 4’s first phase of development will help enable the airport to handle a further 12 million passengers, and there are plans for future expansion.
www.xmairport.com.cn
Bao’an International Airport, Shenzhen
Shenzhen’s airport plays a big part in bringing visitors from Mainland China, and elsewhere, to Hong Kong, just 40 kilometres away. It handled more than 29 million passengers in 2013.
Terminal 3 opened last year. Designed by Italian architects Massimiliano Fuksas, it cost RMB8.5 billion (US$1.37 billion) and has an area of 450,000 sqm – four times bigger than the original terminal. There are 200 immigration counters and 76 flight bays and it’s predicted that the passenger capacity and cargo capacity will reach 45 million and 2 million tonnes respectively.
This futuristic and modern building can also claim to be one of the greenest in China. It is the first airport in the country to use solar power, and can generate 10 billion watts of electricity for the airport’s use. The appearance of the building is somewhat reminiscent of a manta ray, the Chinese name of which sounds like the word for “fortune”. More than 100 white air-conditioning “trees” dot the terminal, which features nearly 200 shops. In 2016, the terminal will get its own metro station linking it directly to the city centre. For now, travellers need to go to the old terminal to take the train.
www.szairport.com
Taichung Airport, Taiwan
Taichung Airport was originally designed for flights within Taiwan, but the launch of high-speed rail services has seen a decline in the number of internal flights. The demand for international air travel has increased, however, resulting in a need to improve facilities at the airport. A new international terminal opened its doors last year, while the old terminal now handles domestic operations.
Though some had doubts about the potential of an airport nearly half way down the island’s west coast, the number of passengers continues to increase. The commencement of direct flights between Taiwan and Mainland China since the mid noughties has had a marked effect, with the number of travellers using the airport reaching 1.59 million in 2012. The terminal can handle up to 2.55 million passengers a year.
The design of the new international terminal is based on a flying buzzard. Most of the building materials employed are environmentally friendly, while consumption of energy is relatively low. Solar power provides part of the electricity for the terminal.
The new terminal has 24 airline counters, five air bridges, two restaurants and 18 duty-free shops. In the past, the passenger check-in and luggage check-in areas were in different locations, but now the procedures take place at the same place.
Many of the airport’s passengers travel to and from Macau, Hong Kong, Hangzhou or Nanning, while Taichung’s location on the west coast makes it convenient for tourists to visit Sun Moon Lake, Xitou, Sun Link Sea and Alishan.
www.tca.gov.tw 
