Passenger Terminal Expo 2016 has been declared a resounding success with a record number of visitors, delegates and exhibitors attending the event on March 15-17 in Cologne, Germany.
Tony Robinson, CEO of UKIP Media and Events, organizers of the event, said, “From the minute we opened the doors on Tuesday [March 15] it has been extremely busy. We have never ever seen such a busy show. There has been a really fantastic turnout of people so far. The show was even referred to by one of our major exhibitors as an “incredible global turnout of top airport design and development and senior operations people”. It has definitely been a record breaking show and busier than we have ever seen it over the years. We are now set to go to the next level as we are already seeing people very excited about the prospects for Amsterdam 2017. Quite simply, Passenger Terminal Expo 2016 has been a knockout.”
With more than 5,000 visitors attending the three-day event, including CEOs, architects, airport and airline executives, suppliers and key decision makers from across the world, Passenger Terminal Expo provided an ideal platform for the industry to come together and share its latest news, views and developments.
“Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference is a great show. It is the one opportunity in the year where you can see everyone and catch up with everything that’s going on in the industry. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” enthused Declan Austin, airport systems manager at EasyJet.
There was a big focus on passenger experience this year, with many companies showcasing their latest technologies aimed at improving customer services and making the airport journey easier. One product that created a lot of interest was from Indy Associates, which showcased its airport concierge telerobot. The robot, called Caiba, has been developed to communicate with passengers to provide airport and flight information, to offer guidance throughout the terminal, and to generally improve the passenger experience. It will be trialled at Tokyo Haneda Airport in 2016/2017 and may be used at the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.
As always, security played an important role at Passenger Terminal Expo, with a number of exhibitors showcasing their latest technologies. Nuctech, an international supplier of security inspection systems, unveiled its new Kylin solution, which has been developed especially for inspecting carry-on baggage. Kylin is a computed tomography (CT) inspection system, which combines Nuctech’s dual-energy material discrimination technology with spiral CT technology.
Speaking during the event, Nuctech’s director vice president, Li Zhijun, said, “Passenger Terminal Expo provides a really good chance to promote our products. We are looking forward to seeing what the rest of the event holds, and we hope to speak with many new customers and promote the aviation security area. This year at Passenger Terminal Expo it has been extremely busy and our stand has been packed all the time.”
More information on all the latest product launches from the show can be found at PassengerTerminalToday.com
Passenger Terminal Conference
The conference, which was held alongside the exhibition at the three-
day event, hosted 1,040 delegates and more than 340 international speakers. Sessions covered everything from
airport design and planning to security, commercial development, customer service, check-in, self-service solutions, passengers with reduced mobility and sustainability.
Philip Etin, business specialist at Copenhagen Airports, said, “The conference sessions have been extremely useful. I am specifically interested in the sessions regarding persons with reduced mobility. There are also plenty of new solutions on show in the exhibition hall. I have already made some great contacts. It is all very interesting.”
Highlights from this year’s conference included a presentation from Catherine Mayer, vice president of SITA, who opened the Customer Service & Passenger Experience session on March 17 and discussed how customer experience goes beyond just creating a sense of place at the airport.
Peter Mayerhofer, chief infrastructure officer at AMG Airport Management Group in Kazakhstan, also gave a fascinating presentation on March 16 on the challenges of operating 11 state-owned airports in the country and how AMG aims to bring them up to international standards.
Other popular presentations included ‘Creating a seamless airport experience’ from Patrice About, director ground innovation at Air France-KLM, who suggested mobile may make today’s kiosk obsolete, and ‘The game-changer: Istanbul New Airport’, by Trevor Carnahoff, COO of the airport, who discussed how the project will make Istanbul an unrivalled aviation center.
Skytrax Awards
Passenger Terminal Expo once again played host to the Skytrax World Airport Awards on Wednesday, March 17, recognizing the best airports in the industry. Singapore Changi Airport was triumphant yet again, picking up the coveted Airport of the Year award for the sixth time. The airport beat a number of other world leading airports in the race to the title; other finalists included Hamad International (Qatar), Hong Kong International (China), Incheon (South Korea), Zurich (Switzerland) and Heathrow (UK).
Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport, said, “This is a significant achievement for Changi Airport and a clear affirmation that we continue to hit the right notes in our pursuit of service excellence. We do not take this recognition for granted; it is the extraordinary effort and commitment of the entire airport community that drives Changi’s success. We thank our passengers and partners alike for their continued support and confidence in us.”
Other winners at the awards included Zurich for Best Airport Security, Hong Kong International for Best Airport Immigration, and London Heathrow for Best Airport Shopping. In addition to the Airport of the Year Award, Changi also picked up the Best Leisure Amenities award. Munich International triumphed in the Best Airport in Europe award and Heathrow Terminal 5 picked up the World’s Best Airport Terminal accolade.
A full list of all the winners can be found here.
Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference 2017 will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands on March 14-16. For more information, click here.
More feedback from the show floor…
Exhibitors
“It has been extremely busy today and we have had a lot of interest in our systems. We have had many interesting talks with new and existing customers and the event has provided us with the perfect opportunity to showcase our latest developments to the right people.” Kim Madsen, senior systems manager, IT and Controls, Airport and Logistics, Beumer Group.
“We have found this year’s show very good. It seems a lot bigger and there are a lot more visitors than we had expected compared with the years before. We are very pleased with this year’s Passenger Terminal Expo and we’re looking forward to next year in Amsterdam.” Petra Ollhoff, marketing communications, Data Modul.
Visitors
“It is an excellent event to see all the latest technologies for the airport terminal. I am attending for the full three days and there is plenty to keep me busy. The Passenger Terminal Conference is also very insightful. There was a great presentation on Beijing Capital International Airport, which was very informative,” said Amolchandra Ware, manager, Airport Planning, Mumbai International Airport, India.
“This year has been bigger and better than previous years. There were many presentations in the conference that have been of great interest. This is also a great event for networking and to make new contacts. I have made many new connections with different people.” Denis Huet, senior expert, Eurocontrol, Belgium
“I have attended this event for the past five years and it really highlights all the different projects and technologies going on within the airport industry from around the world. It is also a great opportunity to hear about some smaller projects being undertaken and the unique opportunities and challenges they face.” Gary Warren, vice president, Planning, Development and Environment, Metropolitan Airports Commission, USA
“This is my first year at Passenger Terminal Expo and Conference and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. There is so much to see and do!” Karen Kavanagh, VP, Planning Department, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, USA.