Now that the Adani group has taken over six airports from the Airport Authority on India (AAI) and the Mumbai Airport from the GVK Group, everybody is waiting to see how these airports will be upgraded under the new management. Of particular interest will be Ahmedabad, which is the Adani group’s hometown. Enquiries by VOI reveal that the Adanis are yet to finalise a plan for revamping the airports it has acquired from AAI in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow,Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati and Mangalore. Meanwhile, many expect Ahmedabad Airport will be the showpiece for the next phase of airport privatisation.
What goes into the design of a good airport? For one thing, the layout of an airport must ensure smooth movement of people, both at arrival and departure. The logistics of airports can be very complex, especially when passengers catch connecting flights from different terminals. The corridors that connect different sections of the airport need to have clear signage so passengers do not get lost. The waiting areas in the departure section need to have ample facilities for passengers in transit, since they spend a good amount of time waiting.
Airport architecture is a specialised field globally, and it is unlikely that the Adanis will hand over the contract for the reconstruction of its airports to a local firm. The architect for Mumbai’s Terminal 2 is Skidmore Owings & Merill, a Chicago-based firm that also built Terminal 3 at Changi Airport in Singapore, Terminal 3 at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and the Haj Terminal at the King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah. With its roomy corridors, housing the finest of Indian art, Mumbai’s T2 is considered to be one of the best airport terminals in India. The Adanis would do well to take inspiration from Mumbai T2 as well some of the airports featured in World’s Top 10 Airports listings for 2021.
The World’s Top 10 Airports of 2021
The World’s Top 10 Airports of 2021, voted for by airport customers from across the world during the 2020-2021 World Airport Survey.
During the period of the global pandemic, Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar is named the World’s Best Airport 2021, with Tokyo Haneda Airport in 2nd place and Changi Airport Singapore ranked 3rd
World’s Best Airport:
Doha Hamad
Hamad International Airport is the international airport for Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The airport has been described as the most architecturally significant terminal complex in the world, as well as being the most luxurious. It is the hub airport for Qatar Airways .
Tokyo Haneda
Tokyo Haneda International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, and is Japan’s busiest airport being located less than 30 minutes south of central Tokyo. The airport has three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and the international Terminal 3.
Singapore Changi
Singapore Changi Airport is one of the busiest passenger hubs for south east Asia, and is renowned for its unrivalled passenger experiences.
Seoul Incheon
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea and one of the busiest airports in the world. It is a former winner of the Airport of the Year title at the World Airport Awards.
Tokyo Narita
Tokyo Narita Airport is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. Narita serves as the international hub for Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.
Munich
Munich Airport is the second busiest airport in Germany and the secondary hub for Lufthansa German Airlines. With over 150 retail stores and some 50 places where you can eat and drink, it’s like a city centre, offering travelers and visitors plenty to see and do.
Zurich
Zurich Airport the busiest airport in Switzerland, and is the primary hub of Swiss International Air Lines, and is located 12 km from downtown Zurich.
London Heathrow
Heathrow Airport is one of the world’s busiest international airports and is the primary hub for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways. It has four passenger terminals, reduced to 2 terminals in use during much of 2020.
Kansai
Kansai International Airport opened in 1994, and has become an important international hub for Japan, providing one of the largest networks for both domestic and international routes with 24 hour operations.
Hong Kong
HongKong International Airport is one of the world’s largest passenger and cargo airports and is the hub for Cathay Pacific Airways. The new airport opened in July 1998
