terminal addiction

5 things the philospher learnt about Heathrow Terminal 5

2009-09-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Nice piece from philosopher Alain de Botton in today's Guardian about the things he learnt while being writer-in-residence at London Heathrow airport.

I particularly liked point #2

2 There's a British Airways check-in employee at Terminal 5 who, if you manage to be especially rude to her, will pretend that her machine has suddenly designated you for an upgrade. Then, just as she observes your scowl turn into a deferential smile, she will take a second look at her screen, sigh empathetically and announce that sadly the system has mysterious changed its mind and there won't be an upgrade after all. "That's a lesson that normally lasts a lifetime," she reckons.

Kim Høltermand captures Copenhagen Airport with a cool clarity

2009-09-16T09:44:00.001-07:00

A new job does not time for blogging make. Thankfully things are settling down. Here are some stunning shots of Copenhagen Airport taken by the architectural photographer Kim Høltermand. Back soon ... (via computer love)

Hey dude, how far is the airport?

2009-09-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

You know the drill. Buying budget airline tickets often needs a close examination of the small print. Airports listed as serving major cities are often miles away from their supposed location. According to Skyscanner, a flight-comparison website, "if you jumped on a train that said it was going to London, but it was actually bound for Oxford, you’d be pretty annoyed ... so how come they can get away with it when it comes to airports?"

The service has gotten out the map and the tape measure and come up with a definative list.

Here's a list of the worst offenders:

1. Munich West (Memmingen) – 70 miles (112km) from central Munich
2. Oslo (Torp) – 68 miles (110km) from central Oslo
3. Frankfurt (Hahn) – 68 miles (110km) from central Frankfurt.
4. London (Oxford) – 60 miles (97km) from central London
5. Stockholm (Skavsta) – 59 miles (95km) from central Stockholm
6. Barcelona (Girona) – 58 miles (94km) from central Barcelona
7. Barcelona (Reus) – 58 miles (94km) from central Barcelona
8. Paris (Beauvais ) – 55miles (88km) from central Paris
9. Dusseldorf (Weeze) – 50 miles (80 km) from central Dusseldorf
10. London (Stansted) – 40 miles (km) from central London
11. Tokyo (Narita) – 37 miles (60km) from central Tokyo
12. Verona (Brescia) – 33 miles (53km) from central Verona
13. Glasgow (Prestwick) – 32 miles (51km) from central Glasgow
14. London (Luton) – 32 miles (51km) from central London
15. Milan (Bergamo) – 31 miles (50km) from central Milan

Living in the parking lot of LAX

2009-07-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bruce Sterling for pointing us towards this facinating story about a community of airline workers living in the parking lot of Los Angeles International.

As Bruce Sterling points out: "What’s really surprising is the drifter community that nucleated there and had to be chased off. Makes one wonder who would dwell in the parking lots of *abandoned* airports. Whoever they were, they’d be reading a lot of JG Ballard."

Sneak peak: Facelift for LAX Theme Building

2009-07-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

First look at the refurubished Theme Building at LAX (above). It has been under wraps since a great, half-ton section of stucco crashed to the floor in March 2007. The iconic building is finally shedding the web of scaffolding in preparation for a relaunch in the fall.

Since the early 60s the Theme Building has been celebrated for its Jetson-like styling and its long, arching, parabolic legs. The building has been under wraps since it the accident, although the famous Encounter Restaurant has since reopened. We hope that the rooftop platform, which has been closed since 9/11 for security reasons, will also be open to the public.

We like the Theme Building. It's a fine example of an architectual style known as "Googie" or "Populuxe", once memorably described by William Gibson as "raygun gothic" thanks to its retro-futuristic styling.

Japanese airport trials 'personal mobility vehicles'

2009-07-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

A Japanese airport has taken delivery of several futuristic people movers, allowing airline staff and security guards to patrol the ticket halls and baggage areas in some style.

A quartet of three-wheeled "i-Reals" have been put into service at Chubu Airport in Tokoname City, Japan. The three-wheeled vehicles, manufactured by Toyota, have a top speed of 15kph and a range of 30km. A combination of right- and left-hand levers control movement: pushing the sticks accelerate the i-Real - pulling them back slows it down.

According to tech site The Register, one of the I-Real's has been fitted with a medical kit, including a defibrillator, and a PC that passengers can use to check-in for their flights.

Spaceport America gets off the ground

2009-06-24T06:03:00.001-07:00

The world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport began construction in the New Mexico desert earlier this week. The groundbreaking of Spaceport America initiates construction on a cutting-edge, 110,000-plus square foot facility which promises to herald an exciting new age for space exploration and development, at least for the super-rich.

The design for Spaceport America's terminal hangar facility, which in the image (above) looks suspiously like the Millennium Falcon, was created by a team of American and British architects that were selected after competing in an international design competition. URS Corporation, one of the world's largest design and engineering firms, teamed with lead designer Foster + Partners of the United Kingdom. The terminal should be completed some time in 2010.

Located near the White Sands Missile Range in state-owned desert 45 miles (72 km) north of Las Cruces and 30 miles (48 km) east of Truth or Consequences, it is currently under active development and is expected to be completed in 2010.

Seoul's Incheon: number one for passenger satisfaction

2009-06-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Seoul's Incheon airport has won this year's Skytrax World Aiport Awards. The awards, which are based on passenger satisfaction ratings, rated the South Korea's main hub as the best across 38 seperate categories.

Incheon beat last year's winner Hong Kong International Airport, while Singapore Changi Airport was ranked third. It's been a good year for the airport which has already bagged laurels for being the Best Worldwide Airport from Buying by Business Travel magazine and Best Duty Free Airport from Australia's Luxury Travel & Style magazine.

Over 8.6 million questionnaires completed by airline passengers in 2008/9, covering more than 190 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates traveller experiences across 39 different airport service and product factors - from check-in, arrivals, transfer through to departure at the gate. (via)

WORLD'S TOP 10 AIRPORTS

1 Incheon International Airport
2 Hong Kong International Airport
3 Singapore Changi
4 Zurich
5 Munich
6 Osaka-Kansai
7 Kuala Lumpur
8 Amsterdam
9 Centrair Nagoya
10 Auckland

© 2009 Copyright Skytrax (All rights reserved)

The world's weirdest airport names

2009-06-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

In a brazen call for a bit of extra publicity, Skyscanner - actually an incredibly useful flight price comparision tool - has published a list of the oddest airport names. We don't usually approve of this kind of thing, but we couldn't hold back our giggles at #5

Skyscanner's Top 10 Personal Favourites:

1. Batman Airport (BAL) Turkey

2. Useless Loop Airport (USL), Australia

3. Black Tickle Airport (YBI), Canada

4. Mafia Airport (MFA), Tanzania

5. Moron Airport (MXV), Mongolia

6. Ogle Airport (OGL), Guyana

7. Brest Airport (BES), France

8. Eek Airport (EEK), USA

9. Pickle Lake Airport (YPJ), Canada

10. Raspberry Strait Airport (RSP), USA

First look: Barcelona T1

2009-06-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

After months of delay, Barcelona El Prat new Terminal (T1) was officially opened yesterday by the primeminister of Spain.

One of the biggest civil engineering projects in Europe, the aluminum roofs cover an area 2.5 times the size of the Camp Nou football stadium (itself the largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 98,772 seats), home to the city’s mighty football club, which recently won the European Champions League. The total surface area of the airport is the equivelent of a staggering 850 football pitches.

The terminal will almost double capacity at El Prat from around 30 million to 55 million. It has been suggested in the Spanish press that the new terminal will enable El Prat to consolidate its position among Europe's top ten airports. First impressions seem to suggest that it T1 forms a utilitarian counterpoint to the more beautiful and colourful Barajas airport in Madrid, which now has a smaller capacity of 40 million passenger per year.

The retail offering is impressive, 23,866sq m of shopping space, including many famous Spanish brands , including Adolfo Domínguez, Zara and Desigual. With a smattering of international brands, most notably Ferrari. Initially the terminal has 81 shops and catering establishments that will open for business over 2009. Eventually this will be extended to 73 shops and 43 bars and restaurants.

The superhub, your next generation airport

2009-06-16T03:01:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has just published a fantastic piece describing the airport just over the horizon, which it describes as a "superhub", probably "constructed offshore on a man-made island". It then runs through a bevy of emerging airport technology trends: online check-in and ticketing; biometric security portals; monorails and underground trains. Nice pic too courtesy of Grimshaw Architects.

"The airport is designed like a wheel: at the center is the control tower, rising above a central hub encircled by airport and airline offices and topped by gardens; the outside rim houses the terminals, which are connected to the central hub by spokes — thin, glazed concourses with moving walkways."

Why it is even less of a Lonely Planet in Sydney

2009-06-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

The first Lonely Planet concept store will open at Sydney International airport terminal one early in July. The new branch will offer the brand's award-winning travel guides and digital guides, as well as a range of travel accessories and merchandise. The store will have a special booth that will allow travellers to print there own guidebooks from the publisher's pick-n-mix chapters.

According to DFNI Digital, a leading travel-retail analyists, the new store will be Designed by Sydney-based agency Studio Red and will feature a graphic montage of book covers that appear to "spring from the wall". Products will be framed in a 3D-designed bookcase offset by intersecting suspended ceiling fins to suggest movement and travel. The shop’s interior design will also include a world map displaying Lonely Planet images from around the world.

Lonely Planet sales and marketing director Howard Ralley said: “Airports are strange places; travellers are half-excited and half-bored. Everyone waiting for a flight wants to be inspired or have their attention diverted, so we thought where better to open the world’s first Lonely Planet store presenting all that we do, from digital services to guidebook content? As well as more than 500 books, videos and quality travel gear, there will be i-touch screens to deliver expert information from our authors, plus the ability to print your own custom guidebook from our Pick & Mix chapters.”

Engineers reject London's estuary airport

2009-06-09T10:16:00.001-07:00

Boris Johnson's, the flamboyent - and controversial - Mayor of London has suffered a fresh setback to his plans to build a massive airport on an artificial island in the mouth of the Thames Estuary. A set of the world's leading engineers have rejected the plans on the grounds that the proposed airport's catchment area is too small, when compared to London's main hub, Heathrow.

But the point about Thames Esturary Airport is that it is on the right side of London. The River Thames opens out onto the English Channel and into the main flight path into London. Heathrow lies to the west of the city, forcing practically all flights to fly over the city. We like the idea a lot and think that an airport in the Thames is the only solution to London's overcrowded airports, the expansion of which causes much unhappiness and controversy.

Such concerns certainly don't seem to have deterred the developers of other offshore airports. And it shouldn't deter Boris.

First sight: Free wifi and power poles in Hong Kong International

2009-06-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong International led the way last year when it became the first airport to offer free wireless internet access to its customers. Now they've go one better with the installation of a network of "power poles" that allow you to plug in your electonic items and recharge them. This is such an innovation, as many weary travellers will testify. Being able to recharge your laptop or mobile or iPod after a long flight, or on a connecting flight, is an absolute godsend.

Update: Power poles and recharging points also seen at London City Airport and Heathrow T5. Any more out there?

(via)

Final call: a history of airport identity

2009-06-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick nod towards the excellent exhibition on airline identity at the San Francisco Airport Museum which includes more than 125 vintage and present-day items from 45 airlines, plus flight attendant uniforms, airline signage, flight bags, in-flight service items, luggage labels, ticket jackets, safety cards and model aircraft to boot

The exhibition is on until August.

Beijing airport bags Building of the Year

2009-05-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Breaking news: Beijing Capital International Airport has just been named the Building of the Year by the UK’s architecture sector during the prestigious AJ100 survey and awards. Terminal 3 at the airport, designed by Foster + Partners, was selected unanimously as the winner from a shortlist of five buildings by the judging panel.

According to Dexigner.comthe judges were impressed by the airport's elegant form and light-filled interior, "which will create a memorable and inspiring environment for the 50 million passengers who will travel through the terminal by 2020.

"The jury felt that the new terminal building incorporates subtle references to Chinese architectural traditions, giving it a strong sense of place.

"Integrated public transport and short walking distances for passengers have also been carefully addressed in the design, and the jury also recognized the challenge of delivering such a technically complex building in this location.

The changing face of London City Airport

2009-05-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

London's airports are much maligned. Over priced, over capacity and often overshadowed by sleeker hubs overseas. But that's because most passengers overlook (that enough over prefixes - ed) London City Airport, the modest European terminal situated in the City's regenerated former docklands. The recent extension to the Dockland's Light Railway, however, is helping revive the airport's fortunes.

Hidden Europe, a bi-monthly magazine with a sideways look at the art of travel, has published this thoughful short article on the changing face of Silvertown, the location of London City Airport.

Last time I went to Silvertown, about ten years ago, I travelled on a train that creaked and screeched on ancient tracks, skirting derelict docks and gaunt shells of long abandoned factories to reach a single railway platform just by the Albert Road post office. hidden europe returned to Silvertown yesterday, to find the nineteenth-century railway tracks replaced by a sleek modern light railway. The relentless redevelopment of London's docklands marches on to the east, engulfing the remnants of old working class communities with adventurous new office blocks, warehousing and chic riverfront apartments.

On my first visit to Silvertown, an old man on Albert Road who had worked for years as a yard gang foreman in the nearby Tate and Lyle factory, told me how, until he was twenty years old, he had never once travelled out of the docklands. The factory still stands, but most of the buildings around have been levelled in recent years, including the old Tate and Lyle front office which was embellished with a verse from the Old Testament: "Out of the strong came forth sweetness." A decent enough motto for a factory that produced golden syrup from sugar cane.

Rathbone Street market in Canning Town, just two stops up the train line from Silvertown, was the furthest most Silvertowners ever ventured. A Saturday special. Pie and mash at Mrs Olley's café followed by ice cream at Murkoff's were Canning Town treats before Silvertowners hopped back on the train for the short ride home. Silvertown catered to all everyday needs. It had a barber, a cinema, a Congregationalist chapel, Herringshaw's grocery store, and even - for those wanting to splash out - a place to take lunch in style: the Beehive Dining Rooms run by Michael Heaslip.

And Silvertown today? Barred and shuttered, a tiny community that lives on its memories and waits for the bulldozers. The post office has closed and no ships from the tropics ever arrive at the lifeless Tate and Lyle pier. Silvertown has new horizons - and no longer are they limited to a Saturday train ride to Canning Town. For nowadays Silvertown is home to London City Airport, which offers flights to some three dozen destinations across Europe. You can fly to Nice or Madrid but no longer can you buy a stamp and have a natter at the Albert Road post office.

Prince George's "wooden" terminal grabs award

2009-05-28T04:39:00.001-07:00

Skylight at Prince George Airport, originally uploaded by dora_explorer (biking in France).

Wood: simple, honest, lightweight, cheap and sustainable. It is undoubtedly the most underused and undervalued building material when it comes to air terminals. So it's nice that British Columbia's Prince George Airport has been rewarded for its excellence for innovation in architecture by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for making good use of wood.

According to a report in the Prince George Citizen, the judges remarked that the terminal's "durability, sustainability, elegant detailing and cost were all weighed in the decisions to develop a simple natural palette for the building," while adding that the creation of "simple beautiful surfaces and minimalistic detailing," openness of the interior to the extensions, "stressed and enhanced by an elegant roof that appears to float. " In sum, they called it an "elegant creation in the context of normal cost constraints."

The effect is breathtaking: creating a seamless"indoor-outdoor" experience for travellers in the departure lounge. Prince George is one of the few airports in the world where it is common that bears and other wildlife wander just opposite the terminal and beyond the runway. Don't worry there's a thick layer of paw-proof glass, just in case the beasties get too close.

Sneak peak: Barcelona Terminal 1

2009-05-25T04:12:00.001-07:00

huge, originally uploaded by popatrapat.

Barcelona's shiny shiny Terminal one - an extension to its main hub - is due to open on June 16. We've found a few pre-launch pix for you - and it looks HUGE. Designed by Ricardo Bofill, the new terminal will increase capacity in Barca's long overcrowded airport from 30m to 55m passengers annually and will stretch over 1.000,000 m2. You can see many more images here. What is immediately apparent is that the new terminal will serve as a minimalist counterpoint to Madrid's technicolour Barajas, which opened a couple of years ago.

"The design of the building combines an international, multicultural character with the luminosity and warmth of Mediterranean architecture. Its transparency allows natural light to flood into all public spaces and provides panoramic views of the runways, the sea and the natural landscape. By combining maximum functionality, local technology, respect for the environment and unique architecture, the new airport terminal will become an intercontinental hub, a reference and original prototype for forthcoming hubs in the rest of the world."

Finntastic! Finnair's 40th anniversary reminds of the silver age of travel

2009-05-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

Finnair remains one our favourite airlines. It's business class is second-to-none. But these pictures recently released to celebrate its 40th anniversary of its first flight to New York reveal that its heyday was the late 1960s when the companies embraced the futuristic, space-age aesthetic like no other.

(via the airline blog)

Overheard at Honolulu

2009-05-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Tyler Brule in this weekend's Financial Times has recorded this rather amusing exchange between an irate customer and a saintly check-in agent from Hawaiian Airlines:

Serviceman no 1: Is this the check-in for Japan Airlines?
Nice lady from Hawaiian: No, this is the check-in for ANA, operated by Air Japan.
Serviceman no 2: So we can check-in for JAL here?
Nice lady from Hawaiian: No, that’s down the concourse. Just beyond those counters to the left.
Serviceman no 2: So why are there separate check-ins for the same flight?
Nice lady from Hawaiian: Ummmm ... there’s not. This is for ANA, operated by Air Japan. Japan Airlines is the other national carrier.
Serviceman no 1: You mean there’s an airline called Japan Airlines and another one called Air Japan? That’s really f**ked-up.
Nice lady from Hawaiian: Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true.
Serviceman no 2: But JAL and Japan Airlines are the same thing, right?

He adds: "I didn’t linger long enough to see if the pair made it beyond security, but it was one of those moments when you question whether passport applicants should have to pass some type of exam."

Carrasco International: Montevideo's new superdome

2009-05-21T02:36:00.000-07:00

The global recession may still be taking its toll, but it remains boom time for the world's airport enthusiasts. The latest opening to salivate over is the supremely space-age extension to Montevideo's
Carrasco International, whose gleaming dome is due to open later this summer, a few months behind schedule. We are impressed by Rafael Viñoly dome-like structure, which seems to offer both an abundence of open and space and natural light. Another reason, if one were needed, to head to Uruguay's undervalued capital.

Is Yotel bound for San Francisco?

2009-05-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Rumours abound that Yotel, the European capsule chain, with branches in London Heathrow and Gatwick airports as well as Amsterdam Schiphol, is bound for its first stateside opening. The San Francisco Chronicle reported this morning: "The airport is seeking a concessionaire to build and operate what it calls "sleep units" in the International Terminal. SFO officials don't want a traditional hotel, but rather a collection of tiny rooms - like Japanese-style pod or capsule hotels - that fliers could rent for a couple of hours between flights.

Airports we love #3: Washington Dulles International

2009-05-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Some airports we love because they are so useable. Others, like Hong Kong, because they offer a consumer paradise. Washington's main hub, Dulles International, is none of these things. Indeed it can be a miserable experience to be delayed there (as the Terminalator was last year) but there's one thing that makes even a four-hour wait just just so bareable and that's the timeless architecture of Eero Saarinen with its huge sweeping roof looks as fabulous now as it did when it was opened in 1962.

"While Dulles remains a modern monument to the confluence of use and imagery... it is also handicapped by its uniqueness. No lessons flowed from this building because, apart from copying it, there was no way to expand its application. In the end Saarinen's was, like Wright's, an architecture of emotion applied to specific requirements and sites."

Carter Wiseman in Shaping a Nation, 1998

Face off: Standsted trials new biometric gates

2009-05-20T04:57:00.000-07:00

Stansted Airport, on the outskirts of London, is encouraging its passengers travelling back to the UK to make use of "queue-busting" facial recognition technology at its arrivals gates.

The new system is open to any British or European passenger who has a new passport fitted with an electronic chip. Travellers simply have to stand in front of a machine that scans their face and checks the image against their passport photo before allowing them to pass through an automated gate.

Stansted Airport has been trialling the technology since December last year and there are plans to extend it to ten more UK terminals in August.

Inside South Korea's "ghost airports"

2009-05-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

The mood may be buoyant at the Airport Show in Dubai but in South Korea many airports are empty and new developments are being postponed. BBC News has this interesting report from Yangyang International in the North East of the country which may enjoy the dubious honour of being the world's quietist.

One of its newest terminals, which cost almost US$400m to build, has not seen a single passenger in more than six months.

Pic of the Week: Munich Terminal II

2009-05-19T12:12:00.001-07:00

Munich Airport - Terminal II, originally uploaded by yushimoto_02 [christian].

A small child walks with his father down a deserted Terminal II in Munich. Or is it a snapshot from some unmade Stanley Kubrick movie. I dunno. If only every terminal was so splendidly isolated.

If you've a great airport picture for us please feel free to email it at terminaladdiction AT gmail DOT COM

« Airport Show » opens in Dubai promising greener, cleaner aviation

2009-05-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hearing airport developers promising green development is a bit like listening to an alcholic claiming that he is just popping out to top up on tea. The ninth annual « Airport Show » opened in Dubai today with much talk of sustainability.

Yeah, green airports. We'll all for them. But we'll be keeping a sharp eye for real developments rather than just the usual PR spin.

Despite the global recession the airport development is continuing almost unabated in the region. Not least in Dubai itself where a new airport, Al Maktoum International Airport is being built 40 kilometres away from the existing Dubai International airport. The budget is an eyewatering $33 billion. The first passenger terminal is 80% complete and will have a capacity of seven million passengers, however it will handle up to 160 million passengers annually after completion. The airport will have an annual cargo capacity of 12 million tons, more than three times that of Memphis International Airport, today's largest cargo hub

How green the new airport's six parallel runways will be is anyone's guess.

Changi, Singapore and SFO rated as world's best

2009-05-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

According to the latest issue of Dwell Magazine has rated Changi Airport in Singapore as the best in the world.

It woos the common traveler who may be stuck here for a few hours ... thanks to a straightforward design that incorporates open-air spaces, including rooftop terraces and an out- door swimming pool. Its atrium-like  terminals are lush with indoor tropical gardens that exhibit botanical thought-fulness. ... Ultimately, however, the vines, tasteful wood trim, and  warm tones help offset the coldness commonly found in international  hubs. A 24-hour cinema, spa, showers, children’s play areas, and free Internet service provide the means to kill  time or freshen up before the next  leg of your trip.

While San Francisco Airport gets the nod as best US airport:

SFO makes a big impression on those approaching by car or aboard the airport’s nifty AirTrains. The terminal elevates expectations with its sweeping, winglike roof and custom lettering oozing cosmopolitan style. The feeling doesn’t dissipate indoors, either. The concourse is a light and airy space—– if a bit oversized for current traffic levels—–that hums quietly and instills confidence and calm in the traveler. International food vendors afford  nontravelers quality good-bye time; security checks operate smoothly;  and there are no pretzel-like corridors to get lost in. Waylaid travelers can busy themselves with an aquarium,  an aviation museum, thoughtful art and culture exhibits, spa treatments, quality restaurants, and wireless Inter- net. Convenient metro rail services connect the terminal to the city.

A quiet belief in Angels

2008-06-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Airport Angel is a new service that gives you access to airport lounges around the world and will send you text messages when your plane is ready to board. The basic package starts at around $130 per year, with a $30 fee for per lounge visit. The UK-based service will tell you where and when to check in, how to get to your registered lounge and where to board when the final call is announced. Texts cost an additional $3 each. There is also an arrival service that ou can nominate someone to receive details like the estimated time of arrival and updates of any delays.

Man dubbed security risk for wearing a robot T-shirt

2008-06-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Taken from today's Telegraph (of London), struck me as one of the dummest security decisions ever made.

Airport guards have stopped a man boarding a plane for wearing a Transformers T-shirt showing a cartoon gun.

Brad Jayakody, 30, was told he had to change his T-shirt if he wanted to catch his flight from Heathrow's Terminal 5.

His top showed the Transformers film character Optimus Prime holding a gun.

Mr Jayakody, an IT consultant, was scheduled to board the British Airways plane to Dusseldorf, Germany, with four work colleagues.

London Heathrow branded a "dump" by US airline executive

2008-04-29T16:59:00.001-07:00

Despite its shiny shiny new terminal, London heathrow had been branded as the worst in Europe by Don Langford, head of customer services Europe for American Airlines.

According to a report
in today's Guardian of London, the executive with the world's largest airline has has said the overcrowded airport was no longer bursting at the seams because "the seams have burst".

He went on, "I would have to say that Heathrow is in many ways the worst of all the airports that my company flies to in Europe," he said in an interview with the BBC. Langford added that the airline's Terminal 3 base was "a bit of a dump" while the airport was "trying to put 10 pounds of sugar in a five-pound bag".

He then went on (and remember AA is a direct rival of BA) : "It has suffered from lack of investment over a period of time. If you look at the fabric of the building, if you look at where customers check in - missing light bulbs, duct tape on the floor."

Why the time is nearly up for Templehof

2008-04-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

Berlin

Originally uploaded by Minstermen and Peacocks

Templehof International Airport, site of the Berlin airlift and arguably the most classically beautiful airport in the world is set to close this October. I for one will be a little sad as, although UK flights haven't flown there for some time, it was one of the places i used to fly into when i started travelling to Berlin.

Although tainted by the Nazis, and used to be a Zeppelin station, Templehof always for me spoke of the 50s. It was also small, under-commercialised and fantastically located, just south of Kreuzberg. It also didnt' have the usual style gates that stick out like spokes, just one sweeping curve that opened onto the runway, in the way you imagine airports to be in your dreams

Terminal failure

2008-03-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

The eagerly anticipated launch of Terminal five (T5) at London Heathrow couldn't have been worse. Flights to Manchester, Paris, Brussels, Newcastle and Edinburgh were among those cancelled. As the Leader in the Guardian of London observed, "it would be no bad thing if they never resumed. The world's most overworked airport has become a bloated catastrophe, a transit point for travellers who could be carried more efficiently and environmentally by other routes. The chaos of the last few days has been awful for passengers and fairly humiliating for Britain, but it might in the end do some good if it leads to a rethink of endless airport expansion in a country where transport policy appears to be dictated by the needs of Fortress Heathrow."

Hydrabad: first look

2008-03-25T03:50:00.000-07:00

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has finally opened for business. Flickr photographer Jason D Almeida has produced an exaustive set of images [via Jaunted] of the new airport some are dubbing "Shamshabad", due to its shambolic opening and poor transport connections.

The airport is so new that, the Telegraph of London reports, that yesterday an airline pilot took his passengers on a 1,200-mile detour after refusing to land at a new airport in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, claiming he had never heard of it.

US airports increasingly do it doggy-style

2008-03-11T04:02:00.000-07:00

According to USA Today a growing number of 24-hour "pet hotels" are being built inside or near several north American airports.

Travelers can find "pet hotels" near the airports at Jacksonville, New Orleans and Portland, Ore. Pet hotel operators have plans to open facilities or are in discussions with Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Houston Hobby and Minneapolis.

"Given that more people have pets, it's just a natural progression of services that airports should offer," Saq Nadeem, founder of Paradise 4 Paws told the newspaper. Paradise 4 Paws, which will open next month near Chicago O'Hare, will even operate a long-term, 22-spot parking lot on-site, so that its customers can take the shuttle directly to the airport. Daily rates for dog hotels can range widely — from $15 a night for a cage at the local veterinarian office to $70 for a large room with extra perks. The company has two locations within a mile of the airports at Jacksonville and New Orleans and plans to open at Houston Intercontinental and Houston Hobby.

Little more than a glorified shopping mall

2008-02-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Guardian has had a sneak preview of the retail space of Heathrow's shiny-shiny T5.

According to the newspaper, passengers will be able to dine at Gordon Ramsay's first airport restaurant - for which he is boldly aiming for a Michelin star - while there is a "footballers' wives' dream" of a shopping avenue where the first Prada in a European airport rubs shoulders with Paul Smith, Gucci, Tiffany & Co, Mulberry and Christian Dior.

When the shopping gets tiring, refreshment beckons: on a corner site is Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food, offering a "time-guaranteed" menu to ensure passengers will not be late for their flight. The Wagamama restaurant is also another airport first, but, breaking with tradition, there will be no McDonald's in the "grab and go" section. Upmarket stores are clustered together for the convenience of the big spenders. "There is Paul Smith - with "virtual" garden views through French windows - Prada, Mulberry, Gucci and luxury stationers Smythson. Leather-covered seats in the public areas are designed by Foster + Partners and, airport authorities claim, there are 9,000 of them."

Beijing's new airport is an Olympic construction

2008-02-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Independent of London has an excellent article on Beijing's new airport.

Its praise is extremely fullsome: "To descend the walkways into Beijing's gleaming terminal 3 is to enter China's vision of 21st-century air travel and, more than that, Chinese authorities' vision of their country. That most ancient of Chinese symbols, the dragon, is overlaid with state-of-the-art technology to produce an airport building that is beautiful, efficient and environmentally sustainable."

The very long and winding road

2008-02-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

What the hell is happening at the brand spanking new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad? The new airport, which will open on March 16, is equipped with a 70m high air traffic control tower, India's longest runway (capable of handling the world's largest aircraft the Airbus A380) a seven-storey passenger terminal, 42 parking bays, 60 check-in counters, a business hotel with 308 rooms and shopping outlets ... but officials seemingly forgot to build a decent road, let alone a modern metro top the airport.

Hyderabad, often dubbed cyberbad, is meant to be one of India's hi-tech cities, super-keen on winning more foreign visitors, business and investment. It seems obvious that 25km of bad roads to the new airport does not a good first impression make, even if a modern elavated highway is in the pipeline.

Time for a new airport for London?

2008-02-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Honestly, Lord Foster's shiny new T5 has yet to opened to the public and already people are sniping that Heathrow is too small. The leader/editorial in today's [London] Times calls for a new aiport to be built out in the Thames Estuary.

"Most countries have built new airports well away from the cities they serve. Heathrow, the world’s busiest international airport, grew out of an old RAF fighter station, not careful planning." There is, it opines, a simple and affordable solution: "A new airport could be built on artificial islands in the Thames estuary, away from the overcrowded city but close enough to be served by fast transport links." Airport nuts will say we've heard it all before. A Thames Estuary airport was planned from the 1960's onwards, but shelved in the 1970s, by the Tories.

Hats off to new exhibition

2008-02-01T02:23:00.000-08:00

The hiring of the first female cabin crews by airlines in the 1930s necessitated the creation of uniforms for a new profession. The San Francisco Airport Museum is currently exhibiting a celebration of one element of that the uniform that has all but dissappeared: the cap. Visitors to the entrance lobby of Terminal 3 will be able to see for themselves the evolution of a garment that has often added the "crowning touch in the fashions of flight."

Airports we love #2: Portland, Oregon (PDX)

2008-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Oh Portland, why do we love thee? Let me count the ways. Free WiFi in every terminal; "business centers" with power ports that are perfect for killing time before a flight; light rail directly to the city center. The "Mexican" food chain store near Terminal C has power ports along the baseboards near the tables. But maybe most of all its the connections. We loved being able to take well-designed public transit to our hotel downtown for just $3.

Major plus: It extra fun shopping because of the lack of sales tax.
Major drawback: The conservative interior design of PDX belies a cosmopoliatan and outlooking cities in the US

Us airports face ever longer delays

2008-01-26T03:29:00.000-08:00

Wired Magazine has rated the US airports that face the longest delays and rendered it in a useful Google Map. It makes grim reading for anyone flying in or through the States. "The year 2007 was the worst for flight delays," it reads, "since the [US] government began keeping stats more than a decade ago. In 2002, 17 percent of flights arrived late (defined by the Federal Air Authority as delayed 15 minutes or more). Last summer it was nearly a third, and travel in 2008 won't be much better."

Newark Liberty is bottom of the list, racking up an astonishing average of 72.8 minutes for arrival delays and 67.3 minutes for departures

Airports we love #1: Helsinki Vantaa

2008-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

Bright, gleaming, super-efficient Helsinki-Vantaa is one of the reasons we chose to build this blog in the first place. It takes just minutes to get through security (who rank among the most pleasant staff we have encountered). Branches of Marimekko, Iitala and Stockman make shopping an uplifting experience (hunt out bars of delicious Fazer chocolate in the latter). Good coffee, a well-stocked newstand full of international media and German Weissbeir on tap in the bar. Need we say more?

Major plus: Beyond Gate 33 is one of the most stylish smoking rooms remaining in any aiport.(unfortunately you have to pass through passport control to reach it)
Major drawback: No metro connection from the city centre (although an excellent local bus service more than compensates).

Brandenburg International is taking shape

2008-01-20T08:19:00.001-08:00

Although not due for take-off until 2011, a steady flow of images and architectural drawings are flowing out of the offices of Berlin Brandenburg International (BBI). The overdue replacement for Berlin-Schönefeld BBI will replace the three airports currently serving the German capital. As you can see from the image to the left, the development promises some fantastically futuristic architecture, such as the
Infotower, which is already under construction.

Berlin clearly needs a world-class airport, but in gaining BBI, it will perhaps lose one of the world's most historic and interesting. It's worth recalling the architectural grandeur of Tempelhof, scene of the Berlin airlift, a beautiful little airport that remains operational to this day (but only just).

Found in airports #1: the curious signage of Milan Malpensa

2008-01-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

Milan's third airport is a rather dull, rundown affair, although one that's reasonably functional. It is certainly not one of our favourites. One of the hardest things to find in terminal 2 is the right sign for departures. There are, however, lots of ideosyncratic signs for plenty of other things. On the right is a sign for news, the middle is one for the church and, our favourite, second on the left, is one for the cafeteria (we made the mistake of thinking it looked like a DJ turntable).

Ease equals MP2

2008-01-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Going back to the Jonathan Glancey review of the new terminal at London Heathrow, I notice that he makes an excellent point towards to foot of the article about the possible future of all airports. Glancey, The Guardian's architecture critic summons praise for Marseilles-Provence terminal two [in French], commonly known as MP2.

Glancey writes: "The new MP2 serving the French Riviera ... suggests an alternative to the notionally glamorous example of [Heathrow] T5. Designed and built to serve no-frills airlines, MP2 is essentially a revamped cargo shed. Passengers carry their own bags and walk to the aircraft. Services are kept to a minimum. Who really needs more than a straightforward cafe-bar, a newsagent and clean lavatories?"

Maybe. But the most surprising thing is the cost. The funky little boutique airport(see the flickr image above) cost just $25m.

Dial M for Mobile

2008-01-13T04:50:00.000-08:00

Taking shape just outside Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, Citizen M is a new hotel concept making a virtue out of self-service and good wireless connectivity.

In an increasingly mobile world (M stands for mobile), I reckon that many guests would happily swap the luxury of expensive room service in favour of a hotel that offered free international calls to landlines, touch-screen self-check-in and wifi throughout. The hotel's bold, modernist design, moreover, is also likely to attract the design-loving masses.

The new hotel, which starts taking bookings in October, which will compete with the more podlike Qbic, easyHotel and Yotel!, is similarly hi-tech. The site thinks that we "will love the Philips designed touch screen mood pad. It allows you to control everything in your entire room– television, window blinds, temperature, coloured lighting, and wake-up alarm themes." Downstairs looks especially good. A self-service 24-hour food outlet, canteenM, sells fresh wraps, sashimi, Dutch beer and Italian coffee.

It is just a shame that the company has not announced a city-centre hotel (although the Happy Hotelier reports that the second Citizen M is causing controversy in Amstelveen, a suburb of Amsterdam) as a Citizen M in the centre of any major city would surely clean up.

Paris airpors rate as the worst in the world to sleep

2008-01-13T00:53:00.000-08:00

The excellent Sleeping in Airports has recently published its top 10 best and worst airports to sleep in across the world. Regular visitors to the site will have no surprise that Singapore once more tops to favourites list, followed by Hong Kong, Seoul Incheon and Helsinki.

Surprisingly, Paris Charles de Gaulle now tops the "airports we most hate to sleep in poll". Paris's premier airport once hosted Merhan Karimi Nasseri (the inspiration for Stephen Spielberg's Terminal) for 16 years. But, according to the user-generated comments on the site, people wouldn't want to sleep there right now. According to one anonymous sleeper: "the terminals were full of homeless people who smelled bad, touched themselves in inappropriate places" ... another wrote .... "We moved several times because of homeless people bothering us and other travelers mocking us". Paris actually featured twice on the list, its third airport, Beauvais which is used mostly by Ryanair was described by one user as " a kind of portababin with a gazebo attached". The airport came sixth in the worst of all poll after JFK, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Los Angeles and Manila.

New aiport for Lisbon

2008-01-11T03:35:00.000-08:00

Reuters is reporting that the Portugese government has finally decided to build a new international airport on the south bank of the Targus River. According to the report, "the announcement comes after a decade of deliberation, and ahead of the ruling socialists stand for re-election in 2009. It is dependent on an environmental impact study which must be approved both by Brussels and Portugal."

Although this will mean a huge boost to the Portugese economy, I for one will be a little sad about the passing of Lisbon Portela Airport, although it remains incredibally old-fashioned it is perfectly functional. Best of all you could catch the little yellow number bus 44, right outside the airport arrivals hall. The local single-decker takes about 10 minutes to travel about four miles to the city centre and costs around a euro. How many capital cities can count on such an easy ride into the centre of town?

Heathrow Terminal 5 ready for take off

2008-01-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

The Guardian's Jonathan Glancey takes a first look at Heathrow Terminal 5.

"Without doubt, what you see at Heathrow, after so many years, is very impressive indeed, an architectural and engineering tour de force that raises the standards of British airport design by 100%. T5 exists in a design airstream thousands of feet above that of the rest of the sprawling and much derided Heathrow estate, and puts its cluttered and neglected precursor, the once revelatory Foster-designed terminal at London Stansted airport, in the shade."

The British are coming

2008-01-10T01:38:00.001-08:00

Gridskipper is reporting that British Airways, that is taking advantage of "open skies" agreements between the European Union and United States.

" BA will launch the creatively named OpenSkies sub-airline next year. The new line's mission is to link up American flyers with the lucrative European market by providing transatlantic flights a la the just-tanked MAXJet. Flights are meant to begin in June 2008 and will run from New York to either Brussels or Paris.

Airport alarm call

2007-11-25T23:32:00.000-08:00

The last two times I have flown out of Heathrow airport the exact same thing has happened to me. While queueing to get through the metal detector and have my bags scanned, the fire alarm has gone off and I have been forced to leave the building and wait about half an hour to get the all clear. The friend I travelled with the first time this happened has also reported that it has also happened to him on a separate occasion.

Now, this could be simple coincidence or one of three things is happening:

a) someone is lighting small fires beyond passport control quite regularly

b) BAA has been sold some duff smoke alarms

c) since the smoking ban was introduced in England, a few naughty people have been smoking in the toilets.

If the answer is C (and staff at Heathrow suggested that it might be) then this represents one hell of an overreaction. Quite aside from crying wolf, hundreds of people are inconvenienced, stress levels are raised in an already tense situation and flights are delayed. Before I start calling BAA to find out what on earth is going on, I just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. Have you noticed the fire alarm going off in English airports with any frequency?