Vietnam: three major airports need over 5 billion USD for upgrading

More than 5.11 billion USD is needed to build Long Thanh airport and upgrade Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports for the 2018-2021 period, with a vision to 2025, according to the State-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) investment plan.

The number of passengers coming through 22 airports nationwide managed and operated by ACV is expected to grow 10 percent each year between 2018 and 2021 and is estimated to reach about 137 million by 2021.

Annual passenger growth rate between 2022 and 2025 is estimated to average 7 percent, hitting 185 million by 2025. Based on these numbers, ACV estimated investment on the three key airports.

During 2018-2021, Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi will expand international terminal T2 to reach capacity of 15 million passengers per year and terminal T3 with capacity of 10 million passengers per year, while upgrading parking areas and supporting facilities. The upgrade looks to enable the airport to serve 30 million passengers across all terminals by 2020 and 60 million by 2030.

The total estimated investment for the upgrade is nearly 11.2 trillion VND (493.3 million USD).

Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City needs over 12.6 trillion VND (555 million USD) to improve its capacity. Terminal T3 is planned to be constructed to serve 10 million passengers per year, along with an expansion of parking areas, runways and assisting equipment. The airport expects to welcome 45 million passengers per year by 2020.

Long Thanh Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai is in need of over 92.1 trillion (4 billion USD) for the first phase of its construction by 2025.

Source: Vietnam News Agency (VNA)

Malaysia Airports launches new passenger experience app based on big data analytics

Malaysia Airports, the operator of Kuala Lumpur International, has launched a new mobile app which uses big data analytics (BDA) to boost passenger experience.

The app, MYairports, enables its user to plan their journey to the airport ahead of time and be navigated intelligently through the checkpoints, designed to help passengers go from home to the boarding gate in the shortest time possible.

This digital airport experience is made possible with the integration of BDA and aims to elevate the service level as one of the initiatives under the total airport experience (TAE) pillar of the organisation’s business plan.

The app also signifies the progression of Malaysia Airports towards embracing Arthur Little’s Airports 4.0 whereby real-time digital interaction with passengers is key and regarded as a must have.

Malaysia Airports is currently undergoing a digital transformation that encompasses the use of BDA and the Internet of Things (IoT) devices to enhance the airport operations by anticipating foot traffic flows, managing facilities for passenger comfort and reducing queue time and congestion.

With this app, you will be able to get live updates on flight information, time left to board your flights, shopping and dining promotions and important airport information. More excitingly, MYairports app will feature dynamic wayfinding around KLIA,”.

For now, the app features information about KLIA Main Terminal. However, information on klia2, the second terminal will soon be made available, followed by the rest of the international airports. There will also be a Mandarin version of the app as it is now available in Bahasa Malaysia and English. Other more exciting features in the coming phases will include live queue times at various touchpoints at the airport such as check-in and immigration counters, as well as security checkpoints. For shoppers, the ecommerce feature will enable purchases to be bought online and picked up at the airport upon arrival.”

Source: International Airport Review 

Hamad International to open lounge for people with learning disabilities and autism

Hamad International Airport (HIA) will be opening a special handling lounge focused on the requirements of passengers with learning disabilities and autism. The announcement follows a partnership struck up between the Qatari airport and the Shafallah Center, one of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work’s (QFSW) affiliated centres.

Both parties formalised their partnership on Monday (June 11), with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

In the MoU, HIA committed to adding the special handling lounge, with the centre overseeing its set up to ‘ensure the comfort and convenience’ of the passengers it serves. According to the airport, which is the second busiest in the Middle East, the lounge will feature certain aspects of a sensory room, specially designed to be used for the therapy for children with limited communication skills, including electronic carpets, which allow children to play games and activities.

Shafallah Center will also provide specialised training for ground handling staff at HIA on how to provide special care and assistance to passengers with special needs including those with autism.

Source: International Airport Review 

NY: Upgrades Planned for Albany Airport Concessions

The Hudson Valley Wine Bar will become the Hudson Valley Beer Union, Silks will be remodeled, and The Local, Adirondack Lodge and Dunkin Donuts under a $1.6 million remodeling program that HMS Host will undertake at the Albany International Airport’s main terminal.

Work is expected to start later this year after renovations of two other concessions are complete.

Work on the new Chick fil-A, the first in the Capital Region, is expected to get under way Tuesday, airport spokesman Doug Myers said. The new eatery will take the place of Villa Italian Kitchen. When work is complete, HMS Host will begin renovations on the wine bar, probably in late summer, Myers said.

HMS Host operates six of the 10 food concessions at the airport, including a Starbucks. OHM Concession Group, which will operate the Chick-fil-A, also plans a Wolfgang Puck American Kitchen that will replace Greenleaf’s Beyond Great Salads, and a Todd English American Market that will operate outside the secure area across from the Dunkin’ Donuts.

Work initially was expected to begin in March on the Chick-fil-A. The restaurant will be closed on Sundays, as are all Chick-fil-A locations, and OHM will operate a small kiosk on those days.

The airport terminal also has a McDonald’s.

Source: Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)