Introduction
Air transport has grown rapidly due to the increased number of passengers from one country to another and from one continent to another. This has been as a result of the growth of many nations economy where many businessmen can afford the air tickets. Before in-flight services to air passengers, there is a component of airport know as terminals. These terminals are divided into arrivals and departure terminals. This component of the airport is one of the facilities that have caused many airports fail in managing the increasing number of passengers in airports (Ashford, N., Coutu, P., Beasley, and J. 2013) . Typically, passenger’s number is rising but the same in which many airports are working in is limited. Even though this is the case, current passengers are expecting a seamless, enjoyable and easy journey through the airport. To achieve this airport management should, therefore, have more inventive in utilizing the available facilities in airports to ensure that they manage the large group of passengers through airports.
More precisely, although passenger terminals require little specific equipment, taking passengers through an airport terminal has become a significant challenge to many airports. Services such as information shelter and food as well as security are all required at this stage. Although this process tends to be simple in bus and train terminals, airports terminals are most of the complex (Ashford, N., Coutu, P., Beasley, and J. 2013) . This is because of security concerns where many passengers spend much time in this specific area of the airport. This results in congestion and low passenger passage in the airport due to the wide range of services that have to be provided to passengers.
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Although self-service solutions systems have failed in many airports, it is one of the modification and utilization of the available facilities in the airport that can increase the number of passengers in and out of the airport. This is because through installations of these systems there can be check-in –programs that ensure self-service check-in, put tags on bags permanently and bad drops. The program can reduce the number of stopovers where passengers are required to stop and be checked, stop for bag tags as well stops from bag drop checkup ( De Neufville, R. 2016) . This system ensures that the whole processes are done at one stage hence reducing the time for a passenger in the airport. For example, Qantas which is a carrier launched the Next Generation Check-in programmed which provide self-services such as bag tags and bag drop. The program is now two years and it has significantly increased the number of passengers through the airport.
Additionally, through a single terminal in an airport, the number of passengers through its can increase the movement of large groups of passengers. This is because, through the use of technology, a passenger will be kept informed throughout the journey to the departure gate and later to the plane seat one has booked. Typically, most passengers in the airport spend most of their time from the checkpoint to the departure gate. This cause congestion in airports as each passenger requires guidance on the direction to the departure gate , (Narciso, M. E., Piera, M. A. 2015) . Therefore through use of technology and use of the single terminal in airports can influence the movement of more large groups of passengers’ effectively. Through technology also, there can be simple tracking of the electronically tagged bag and luggage. For instance, long-haul has initiated this technology in its facilities and evidently, by 2020, it travelers will not be using much time in airports as they currently do. This is as a result of the combination of technologies in electronic bag tags, beacons, biometrics and real-time data.
To handle a pool of passengers, airports should also effectively design the environmental cues. There are three basic factors that should be considered in making these cues more effective. Among these elements is the spatial planning, which should position all physical objects and furnishings within airports. Many airports are faced with the challenge of spatial design which leads to channels which are slow and poor waiting environments. For airports to increase the number of passengers in and out therefore, there should be a smart terminal design in term of spatial, ( Kokkinou, A., Cranage, D. A. 2013) . This will create fast movement channels which keep operations orderly and comfortable for passengers. One of the ways to use is throwing cordoning which is a simple flexible method to establish routes, queues, and waiting areas. Secondly, through a smart spatial design, there will be avoidance of placing elements where they inadvertently disappoint an efficient flow of passengers.
Nevertheless, to increase effective movement of passengers in airports, there should be helpful signage. Typically, there are many airports that are hard to navigate and only add pressure to passengers and the airport staff. This is a challenge that many airports have been faced with thus causing congestion and low number of passenger through the airports. Therefore, for effective movement of a large number of passengers through airports terminals, there should be the use of helpful signage. Through this signage, there will be less or no missing of directions and of flight by passengers, ( Van Oel, C. J., van den Berkhof, and F. D. 2013) . This is because proper signage guides passengers more reliably through efficient processes. This signage can include way finding signs and banners which should be erected to guide passengers in the right direction. Additionally, use of dynamic information screens also can increase the number of passengers through airports. These screens provide the passenger with detailed information on the documents needed, last minute changes and floor markings.
Another major challenge that airports face in managing passengers flow is poor physiological ambiance. Many airports have materials, colors, and lightings that influence the behavior of passengers. They put up soft lights and colors that invoke the moods of passengers and impact to them thus move slowly. Putting up harsher fluorescents, for instance, can prompt passenger to be alert and move fast. Through this element, many airports are experiencing a delay in passenger movement; as a result, there is low passenger movement through airports.
Although self-service is part of the solution to the increasing challenge of passenger movement in airports, collaboration can be a future solution to this problem. This is because self-service can only solve the conundrum of providing seamless processing in a limited airport space, but will not entirely solve the problem. There should be a collaborative approach which will help in managing capacity and allowances need to be made for passengers and airline differentiation, ( De Neufville, R. 2016) . This can be done by putting automated border control e-gates which can reduce the queuing time by 50% as compared to many airports’ existing gates. For example, Gatwick Airport through the initiation of e-gates is said to be the first Airport in the United Kingdom to install the next-generation of automated border control e-gates.
Conclusion
Although airports have an increasing number of passengers through their terminals, they are faced with the problem of managing these passengers. This is because most airports are difficult to navigate, poor physiological ambiance and poor signage. To solve this problem and to the manage moving large groups of passengers through the airport, therefore; airports should have a smart spatial design, proper signage, and proper physiological ambiance. Considering these factors will reduce the time passengers take looking for directions as well as the time is taken for check-in and tagging luggage. It is, therefore, necessary for airports to improve the available facilities and put self-service systems to increase the number of passengers through airports.
References
Ashford, N., Coutu, P., & Beasley, J. (2013). Airport operations .
De Neufville, R. (2016). Airport systems planning and design Air Transport Management: An International Perspective , 61.
Narciso, M. E., & Piera, M. A. (2015). Robust gate assignment procedures from an airport management perspective: Omega , 50 , 82-95.
Kokkinou, A., & Cranage, D. A. (2013). Using self-service technology to reduce customer waiting times: International Journal of Hospitality Management , 33 , 435-445
Van Oel, C. J., & van den Berkhof, F. D. (2013). Consumer preferences in the design of airport passenger areas: Journal of Environmental Psychology , 36 , 280-290.
