Passenger Terminal Design

Introduction The IATA Level of Service (LoS) framework

provides a set of industry guidelines for passenger
As passenger terminals are important interfaces
terminal facilities, in terms of the space to be
where passengers transition from land-based
provided to passengers as well as the time
transportation modes to aircraft, special care
passengers can expect to be queueing at individual
needs to be given to ensure air travel is not only
facilities. These performance guidelines represent
safe, but also accessible, enjoyable and affordable.
international best practice at many airports around
While every passenger terminal’s design and the world.
requirements are different it is always
The guidelines strive to promote efficiently sized
recommended to follow consistent best practice
facilities by finding an optimal balance between
design principles:
infrastructure costs with passenger comfort. IATA
Provide a Safe and Secure Environment strongly recommends that all parties involved
collaborate to jointly provide terminal facilities with
Safety and security are of the highest importance in
an “Optimum Level of Service”.
the planning, design and operation of terminal
buildings. Passenger terminals provide a critical Provide Efficient, Consolidated Facilities
component in maintaining the safety and security
Providing intuitive and efficient navigation and
of the global aviation system through the
circulation throughout the terminal is a key planning
prevention of the passage of people and objects
and design objective. Consolidated processing
that can cause harm or lead to acts of unlawful
areas are generally desired and typically provide a
interference.
number of benefits, most notably for the
Passenger terminals, along with all other airport passenger, and also from a reduced land use,
facilities must meet both international and national operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and
safety and security requirements. Threats to safety sustainability perspective.
and security may be of malicious intent, such as
Consolidated terminal processing areas allow an
terrorists or criminals, or unintentional, such as
airport to be more efficient in terms of its own
people carrying large quantities of batteries. Due to
resource deployment. This efficiency applies to its
the evolution of threats planners should work
own staff, governmental agency staff, airline
closely with authorities to determine appropriate
partners, ground handlers, and other stakeholders.
solutions, including bringing in best practice
emerging from the global aviation community. Provide Seamless Passenger Journeys
Solutions for safe and secure terminal buildings will The best airport terminals are those that provide
be anchored in the building concept and will the most clear and direct path across all passenger
normally require a range of controls and journey paths (domestic, international, and transfer
surveillance with significant reliance on traffic). Intuitive wayfinding, limiting decision points
technologies such as access control, e-gates, and level changes, the use of materials, lighting,
CCTV, screening equipment, video analytics and outdoor views and other physical directional clues
communications. Technology can also be used to that enhance passenger orientation are
help minimize the impact of such controls on the significantly more effective than reliance on
passenger journey and experience. signage. Passenger orientation within the
passenger terminal can be greatly enhanced by
Provide Optimum Level of Service adopting a transparent building philosophy.
IATA's primary objective is to inform the planning
▪ There is no simpler way to orientate
process with recommendations to determine the
passengers than to allow them to see their final
optimum, balanced capacity and level of service.
destination.

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▪ The simplest way to maintain passenger flow Provide Cost-Effective Design Solutions
and orientation is to limit the number of choices Terminal design projects should identify cost-
available. “Straight ahead” is always the effective solutions seeking to ensure that
simplest way to maintain passenger orientation. functional requirements are addressed efficiently
▪ Convoluted circulation routes that include and that design solutions are selected in order to
changes in direction or level complicate the minimize operating costs for airports and users.
passenger journey.
▪ Passengers should not be subjected to Proposals to extend or construct new passenger
changes in direction greater than 90 degrees terminal facilities should consider a detailed
and should not be made to perform repeated business case and cost-benefit analysis. Business
90 degree turns within a short distance. Cases must demonstrate and quantify clear
▪ Passenger routes that backtrack or cross other benefits in terms of increased capacity, improved
flows should be avoided. passenger experience and operational efficiency,
▪ Walking distances from the forecourt to the as well as providing sustainable design solutions.
gate and vice versa should be minimized. Business cases must consider not just the required
▪ Walking distances in excess of 300 meters capital expenditure (CAPEX) but ideally the whole-
should be augmented with moving walkways. life-cycle cost of the project. It is also
▪ Commercial areas should be “on the way not in recommended to consider operating and
the way” and provide convenient access replacement costs (OPEX/REPEX), to achieve an
without impeding direct access to gates or optimum balance between initial investment and
increasing the overall walking distance. the need for ongoing maintenance.
▪ Quick, easy and direct routings through
terminals should also be accommodated. Airport capital investments should ultimately only
▪ Level changes should be avoided. When there proceed where a clear business case exists,
is no alternative, then level changes should be supported by a positive cost benefit analysis and
achieved by modes of conveyance (i.e., the explicit agreement of airlines. This recognizes
escalators and elevators) with an associated that a direct cost relatedness exists between
staircase and/or ramp as backup. airport infrastructure investments and airport
charges that airlines pay for. See IATA airport
Enable Efficient Operations infrastructure business cases position paper for
Before embarking on a capital investment program, further guidance.
it is recommended that airports review their current In order to facilitate future growth, designs should
operational processes and procedures to identify seek to ensure that airports can be expanded
any opportunity to improve efficiency. By adjusting incrementally. Additional infrastructure should be
current processes and procedures–thus, better added in an economically efficient manner on a
utilizing existing facilities–the airport can gain “just in time” basis to meet increasing demand.
efficiencies, increase the level of service, and often
add capacity with little or no cost. Furthermore, expansions must be planned to
ensure their compatibility with the airport master
Beyond process improvements, the planning and plan to avoid negative impacts to airport operations
design of passenger terminals (including and future constraints.
renovations and expansions to existing facilities)
should be based on sound planning guidelines. Provide Accessible Facilities
There should be a strong focus on efficiency which A key objective of every project should be to
should be a goal across all aspects of the terminal. ensure that airport facilities are planned and
This should be supported by a concept of designed to be used by everyone, including those
operations focusing on outcomes, agreed with with disabilities, without the need for adaptation or
airport users. specialized design.
Efficient outcomes mean higher levels of service, Airports should follow the principles of Universal
lower operations and maintenance costs, and a Design from the outset of all new projects. For
lower carbon footprint; three desirable outcomes brownfield projects where adapting legacy facilities
for any airport. can be challenging, every effort should be made to

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incorporate Universal Design principles, accepting Designers should ensure that all the core
that it might not always be possible to fully address components are resilient in their operation with
the needs of all passengers with disabilities. necessary redundancy to enable maintenance to
Greenfield projects, on the other hand, can benefit be carried out without affecting the journey.
greatly (and avoid subsequent costs) by
There is increasing public interest in airports
incorporating universal design and inclusion early
making positive interventions on important issues
on as part of the planning process.
such as sustainability and inclusivity and clear
Plan for Integrated Systems demonstration of such values will likely add to the
The systems environment of a terminal can be passenger experience.
complex. An extensive variety of sophisticated Consider the Local Context
mechanical and data systems support the
The journey through the passenger terminal
operation of the airport and its partners (i.e., the
provides an excellent opportunity for identification
airlines, governmental agencies, and others).
with the region that the airport serves, acting as a
Examples of such systems include, among many
gateway with its unique culture and sense of place.
others, check-in systems, Baggage Handling
Systems (BHS), data management systems The planning and design of the airport terminal
including Airport Operations Data Bases (AODB), or should consider the local context through
Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS). showcasing the culture, heritage, spirit, and
amenities that can be expected. Input from local
Many of these systems exchange data information
communities is to be encouraged.
with each other in order to provide a
comprehensive airport operational system. The design of the terminal will also need to meet all
Integrating and coordinating the input and output local standards and regulations. This may result in
of these various data systems is an important part different layouts for similar functional
of airport management. requirements, in particular for fire protection,
security, seismic, religion, sustainability and climate
One of the most important systems, and the one
conditions.
that has the biggest impact on terminal design is
the BHS. BHS are expensive to build, maintain and Plan for Flexible, Modular Expansion
operate, and are an important factor in the footprint Each of the interconnected subsystems in an
and cost of the terminal building. The BHS has a airport terminal will likely need to adapt as
bigger impact on the design and spatial planning of passenger traffic evolves. Whether it is capacity
a passenger terminal than any other processing enhancement, a modification in operating
systems and can be difficult to retrofit into an protocols or the regulatory environment, utilizing
existing passenger terminal design. modular, expandable building designs, materials
For new terminals, the BHS needs to be considered and systems facilitates accommodating such
early in the design process and should be aligned required changes over time.
with the terminal's planning assumptions. Terminal facilities must be designed so that they
The processing of passengers and baggage are can respond to growth in a logical, phased manner.
fully interdependent therefore any constraint in the It is recommended that, on an unconstrained site, a
handling of baggage can limit the overall passenger plan be based on modular flexibility and
capacity. expandability, starting from a single terminal
complex or “campus” capable of accommodating
Design for Passenger Satisfaction
the passenger handling needs for as long as
Designing for passenger satisfaction should follow possible before embarking on the implementation
all the journey steps and for all different users of further terminals.
including staff and visitors. Particular attention
should be paid to journey steps that can create Each of the terminal sub-systems must be in
higher levels of stress in passengers. Good balance with the others as there is no benefit in
facilities for staff are important in their delivery of having surplus capacity in one sub-system if others
service excellence. are constrained.

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A modular design philosophy enables capacity Champion Collaborative Partnering in
enhancements to be added to individual Design and Development
subsystems and facilities without unnecessarily
The process of collaborative partnering brings
disrupting existing operations.
together all project development team members,
Clustered siting of physical elements that are including owners, architects, engineers,
difficult, costly and disruptive to relocate (i.e., construction managers, and contractors, and all
structural elements, vertical circulation and service project stakeholders, including airport users,
cores) is effective. operations, maintenance, properties,
environmental systems, security, inspections,
Airports must be designed to minimize the physical
concessionaires, airlines, and regulators, in a formal
constraints each element imposes on future
cooperative working environment. With
expansion by ensuring that all elements address
collaborative partnering, common goals to achieve
flexibility.
improvements in key project performance
Safeguard for Innovation and Future outcomes such as safety, quality, schedule, and
Operational Changes cost, are established and agreed at the beginning
As the aviation industry continues to be an of the project and steering committees measure
extremely dynamic business, major changes will performance throughout the life of the project.
continue to affect the way airlines operate, Consultation with stakeholders is a key component
passengers interact with airlines, and airlines and of a successful collaborative partnering
passengers use airports. In addition, changing arrangement. A collaborative approach between
governmental regulations, new industry standards, airports and airlines is essential to the overall
availability of user data and the constant search for success of a project and, when managed correctly,
new revenue opportunities will further drive will ultimately deliver benefits for all parties.
change.
Meaningful consultation requires identifying key
Airlines and passengers will continue to challenge stakeholders early in the planning process before
airports to optimize their processes and operate irreversible decisions are made. While there are
efficient facilities at the least cost generating many stakeholders who vary by location, airlines
efficiencies that can be passed on to the should be regarded as a primary stakeholder. In
passenger. particular, a regular, structured dialogue between
Airport owners, developers, and designers are subject matter experts is beneficial, to ensure user
faced with the challenge of providing cost-effective requirements are captured during concept and
airport facilities that respond to airline options selection.
requirements and changing business models, all Supporting Documents
while offering the greatest possible flexibility.
IATA Airport Development Reference Manual 12th
It is recommended that forward looking edition.
opportunities to improve safety and operations,
IATA Level of Service (LoS) Best Practice
increase efficiencies, reduce costs (all with a focus
on meeting the level of service), should be a IATA Airport Infrastructure Business cases
constant airport initiative. IATA Infrastructure Investment – Best Practice
consultation

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