Airport Business - 6

INSIDE THE FENCE

Published by

AUTHOR Joe Petrie, Editor-in-Chief

1233 Janesville Ave
Fort Atkinson WI 53538
920-563-6388 * 800-547-7377

VOL. 34, NO. 5

Break the Brittle
THE ECONOMIC shutdown brought on
by the COVID-19 outbreak is going to
be a massive challenge for all facets of
the travel industry in year's to come.
Even if the bans were lifted today, polls have
shown it will take at least another four months before
people start thinking about traveling again. And a
lot of business travel could become obsolete now
that companies are accustomed to Zoom meetings.
Winning back the public to air travel is going
to take a lot of work. Airlines have to woo travelers
to use their services. Destinations have to build
overwhelming appeal. Airport must do both to break
the brittle aspects of the industry.
As we stumble through the pandemic, it's time
to look at operations and design to determine what
the new normal will need to look like. Business as
usual has to become unusual.
The classical gatehold has to go on hold. Does
anyone think travelers that were against sitting close
to one another in tightly packed holdrooms are going
to change post-social distancing? Will centralized
kitchens delivering food and snacks via mobile
ordering replace the crammed quarters of many

airport eateries? Curbside pickup is very popular
outside of the airport now thanks to COVID-19.
The much maligned security checkpoint isn't
going to see its favor rise. Packing into cramped
security lines had little appeal in a pre-pandemic
world.
And how many touch points will your customers
really want in an airport after this?
Making the right plan now will benefit your
airport for years to come. It's especially important
for smaller airports trying to compete near large
international hubs. Airlines pulling service now could
find little reason to return. Knowing your airport can
provide less crowding and more social distancing is a
powerful tool that large airports can't compete with.
The length of the impact
downturn is still unknown,
but the return to normal isn't
likely. Planning for a new way
of doing business will give you
the proactive approach for success
long after this state of the world
has passed.
- Joe

Have a story to tell?
Coming up in the
August/September issue
Cover Story: P3 projects in North America
Airports: Landside revenue
FBOs: Customer service
Special Feature: Terminal Seating
Product Focus: Pavement maintenance

Contact Joe at joe.petrie@aviationpros.com
6 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / MAY 2020

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Airport Business

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