Delta 8
What are we likely to see?
Probably not a lot over the next 2 - 3 years.
What would I like to see?
It's more a question of 'where are the choke points?; and what can be done to relieve them?'
1. Check-in. Provide incentives for someone to provide multi-airline self check-in facilities. Servisair have a product for charter and lo-co carriers. Others are available. Accept that higher and higher percentages of passengers will, whenever possible, use the internet to check themselves in and plan for it.
2. Separate out a dedicated 'bag drop' facility for internet check-in users and self check-in facilities. Keep this separate to 'standard' check-in, manned throughout the day. Swissport/Servisair common area, float between the number of desks open; minimum of 01 per agent throughout the day - HIGH penalties if found without one manned. Plan for this to become totally automatic - the DfT will concede this eventually.
3. Outbound baggage belt infrastrucure. This is a major choke point and needs some radical solutions. I'm not technical enough to know how to solve the problems but the present system just does not work.
4. The pier is probably the next biggest problem. I've voiced my view on a dedicated bussing facility before. With so many off-pier stands this is essential and could be provided and linked by a sky-walkway. it need to be somehwere where busses can come and go without, as much as possible, any interference from moving aircraft. The airport have invested in the Cobus fleet so now the ground facilty.
5. International arrivals and HMI. More space, more desks. HMI have got to better match their manning to passenger flows and not their antiquated roster pattern.
6. ...and get rid of the f
ing rotating doors in the arrival halls. Why is NCL the ONLY airport you can not get out of once you have cleared all controls!
Security now seems to have the space and number of machines - make sure the rostering is matched much more closely to the passenger flow rates. Not rocket science, you can, with a bit of work, get the flow rates off the DCS systems.
The longer term is where to build a terminal extension/new terminal and how this would link with additional airside gates. The current pier is probably 10 years past it's planned (extended) life and needs to be replaced - logistically this would be a nightmare without some other pier in place first.
..now, I MUST stop smoking that funny smelling stuff...