Incorporating Usability into Airport Design

Last week, I received a press release for the expansion of the Abu Dhabi International Airport.  In it they noted:

“There are three key areas to consider in design and benchmarking when undertaking such a substantial airport redevelopment project.

First, we consider our passengers and how we engineered their journey through the airport.  Taking into account everything from walking times to way-finding and immigration, our airport design has ensured the optimal journey.

The second consideration was the aircraft.  We considered all the factors that affect aircraft using the airport, such as runway capacity, classifications and taxi times.

Thirdly, we took into consideration airport support facilities such as catering and cargo automation.

These three considerations are the foundation for any airport design project to ensure optimum functionality and usability is achieved.”

As someone who has spent more than my fair share of time traveling to and through airports, I can attest that most need to better incorporate human factors principles in an effort to increase the usability for passengers, flight crews, employees, etc.  I’ll be interested in seeing if the architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox, can achieve these reported project goals.

If you’re interested, you can learn more about the expansion, including viewing a slide show, here.