Risk assessments
Through the forums there is a wide consensus that passengers don’t really want to fly from shopping malls, but airport business plans revolve round them. My real concerns are;
There is no need for passenger time from arrival at airport to boarding to be more than two hours. This would still allow time for a cup of coffee, visit to the loo etc.
There is only limited space for passengers in terminals.
Airport terminals are high profile targets for terrorists.
Giving unnecessarily early check-in times means there are excessively high numbers of passengers in the terminal(s) at any given time. In case of emergency, albeit a false alarm over an unattended bag, or faulty smoke alarm, an evacuation will take longer, and present a higher risk to passengers/staff. Additionally the return to normality will take longer. Also, crowded conditions lead to frustrated and/or bored passengers, some of whom will take solace in the bar while others will be plain grumpy. (Me).
Sadly airport operators would rather risk evacuating 5,000 passengers, 2,000 of which need not be there, than evacuate 3,000. They make more money that way.