Operations of an Airport Terminal Building, the Airport Terminal Building as an Essential Part of an Airport - Essay Example

Operations of an Airport Terminal Building Name Institution Professor Course Date Introduction Airports are viewed as the mirror of a country. Passengers are the esteemed customers visiting a country or using a certain airport for the first time. They form and analyze the image of a country based on the terminal building and its surrounding. Airport terminals are termed as the buildings in an airport where the passengers can transfer between ground transportation and the other facilities that enable them to disembark and board aircraft. Subsequent to arrival in the building terminal, they try to discover the surrounding on a closer look especially in terms of cleanliness, furniture and comfort of the surrounding. After this, the customer can make judgments on the standard of the establishment. The space needs to have a welcoming atmosphere and that reliable and courteous service for the staff and the passengers. The service offered ought to be comfortable, clean and safe since satisfaction of the customer seems to be of great importance. All the areas in the terminal building, for example, the floors, building and glass panes ought to be clean and neat. Additionally, the entry point and its surrounding also need to be clean and neat, and it should also be free from all the obstacles so as to facilitate comfortable and easy access to the building terminal. This may also be beneficial in case of any emergencies that may arise. This essay sets out to describe and explain the fundamental operations of an airport terminal building, and no reference will be made to a particular airport thus the discussion will be in general that is inclusive of all airports. Discussion There are five major operations that take place in an airport terminal building. The first function is termed as the traffic function. This function is composed of all the critical areas as well as equipment that is necessary when it comes to dealing with the passengers and their baggage. This operation occupies at 45% to 50% of the usable space in an airport terminal building. Unlike all the other modes of transport, the air transport separates passengers and their baggage during their trip (Ashford, Stanton & Moore 2012). This in a way adds significantly to the complexity of the journey and complicates it in a serious way, the overall design of the terminal, since it seems essential to separate and unite baggage and passengers with optimum efficiency and with a high level of reliability. In relation to baggage handling, the process is made easier by the use of a baggage handling system. The system is a type of a conveyor that is installed in all airports that take the checked luggage from the ticket counters to areas where the luggage will be loaded into the airplanes. The systems also check baggage from the airplanes to baggage claim areas. This operation is closely linked to security screening. All baggage that get in and out of airport terminals have to be checked for explosives and any prohibited items. By checking this, security of the airport is guaranteed. At the same time through the checking the airport staffs ensures that no harmful drugs are brought in or taken out of the country (Neufville et al. 2013). At the same time, the baggage is checked to ensure that it does not exceed the allowed weight range. The other is the primary operation in the commercial activity. This contains the restaurants, shops as well as the airline sales points, and they account for 5% to 10% of the total usable area in the terminal building area. The products and services offered in the terminal areas are usually duty-free in some airports. This means that the outlets are exempted from the payment of taxes. The terminal building offers a broad range of gift shops in which passengers can buy locally made items to take along on their journey and most are offered at very affordable prices (Lopez 1995). Most of the eateries at the airport are branches of the local restaurants, cafes and bars making it possible for the passengers to sample real taste of the local food and drink regardless of where the passengers are heading next. This operation offers employment opportunities to a large group of people since they can work in the gift shops, restaurants and shops based at the airport. At the same time, it also generates revenue for the country where the airport is based (Wragg 2008). The other operations relate to administrative action. This includes the offices for individuals, and they are necessary for the operational and working management of the terminal building (Young & Wells 2011). The administrative function has the largest number of employees as compared to other areas in the airport. The area hosts offices for the duty terminal managers, the housekeeper and the senior managers (Horonjeff et al. 2010). The functions and responsibilities seem to be so demanding since the terminal building operates seven days a week and during the night and day. Hence, a large number of staffs work during the night and some during the day. The offices are located in the building to ensure that the passengers get the necessary assistance on time. There is also the operational function that entails the working offices also termed as the control tower, offices for the flight preparation, transit assistance offices and they occupy about 10% of the terminal building area. This area ought to be out of bound for unauthorized staff and the staff employed ought to have the necessary skills. The workers in these areas offer the services to the passengers arriving in the country and those leaving the country. The kind of services provided by the staff members ensures the smooth running of the operations at the terminal and their services play a critical role in the success or failure of the airport (Graham 2013). The transit offices also need offer adequate information to the transit passengers so as to achieve efficiency since if wrong information is given; it is likely to cause distractions to flights departure times. Thus at all times, the staff members need to offer adequate services to the passengers for them to create a lasting impression in the mind of the passengers. By so doing, the passengers are likely to recommend the airport to their family and friends and or make use of airport at a later date due to the excellent services offered (Salter 2008). The last operation relates to the technical services, and it relates to the maintenance and operation of the building. The terminal maintenance takes places into two major ways that are unplanned and planned maintenance. The planned maintenance is usually corrective and preventive and it is planned for and budgeted for in advance while, the unexpected terminal maintenance is due to corrective measures or due to emergencies and mostly it is not planned for in the budget (Gordon 2008). This maintenance needs to be occasionally made to ensure that the terminals building is in good shape and thus create an appealing image to the passengers using the facilities and also to the staff working in the building. If continuous maintenance is not done, it may cause disruption to the operation of the terminal building operations. Some of the maintenance done in the building is minor repairs arising from user complainants and request. The request may be done by passengers or the staff members who seems to be disrupted by the defective aspects in the building. The other maintenance is as a result of servicing, inspection, regular cleaning, alterations and replacements and repair (Bluffield 2009). Thus defective items and buildings need to always be maintained and on a timely basis to enhance service delivery and good working conditions for the employees at the airport. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, it is clearly evident that the airport terminal building is an essential part of an airport. Thus, it should be designed and modelled in such a way that it welcomes and makes the passengers feel comfortable since it is viewed as the mirror of a country. Thus, the terminal building and its surrounding ought to be clean and neat as well as comfortable. All the major operations need to be carried out consequently to ensure the smooth running of the airport. Baggage checking seems to be a critical operations since it enhances the security of the airport a great deal. Another major activity that takes place on the building terminal is the commercial function that increases the travel of people since they can relax, eat and drink while waiting to take their flights. The administrative function and operational function offers adequate, and the much needed support to the passengers and play an essential role in facilitating the efficient travel and service delivery of passengers. To sum up, the airport building terminal need to be maintained and repaired when defective places and items are detected. When all these major operations of an airport terminal building are done in the timely and efficient manner, it is certain that passengers will receive the required services on time and efficient thus enhancing their travel to their desired destinations. References Ashford, N, Stanton, H & Moore, C 2012, Airport Operations, McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, New York. Bluffield, R 2009, Imperial Airways – The Birth of the British Airline Industry 1914–1940, Ian Allan, United Kingdom. Gordon, A 2008, Naked Airport: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Revolutionary Structure, University of Chicago, Chicago. Graham, A 2013, Managing Airports: An International Perspective, Routledge, London. Horonjeff, R, McKelvey, F, Sproule, W & Young, S 2010, Planning and Design of Airports, McGraw-Hill Education, New York. Lopez, D 1995, The Inside Story Airports, Flight, Alexandria, VA: Time-Life. Neufville, R, Odoni, A, Belobaba, P & Reynolds, T 2013, Airport Systems: Planning, Design and Management, McGraw-Hill Education, New York. Salter, M 2008, Politics at the Airport, University of Minnesota Press, Minnesota. Wragg, D 2008, Historical dictionary of aviation, History Press, Britain. Young, S & Wells, A 2011, Airport Planning and Management, McGraw-Hill Education, New York. Read More