Hub airports lure travelers with layover frills

 
 London's Heathrow airport © Reuters

TOKYO -- With ever-expanding direct-flight and transit options, major international airports can no longer rely on their convenient location alone to attract travelers.
     Since fewer airport users means a loss of jobs and businesses, airports are keen to upgrade their facilities and develop enticing services to keep the traffic coming.

Fighting back with fun

At Singapore's Changi Airport, construction is underway on a commercial complex slated to open in late 2018. The facility, named Jewel, aims to integrate entertainment and shopping with traditional airport functions in novel ways.
     With a glass ceiling, a five-story indoor botanical garden and even a 40-meter waterfall, the facility will be unlike anything currently found at airports.
     "The Jewel can become a destination of its own for local residents and tourists," the management company said.
     Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiled plans for the facility in 2013, describing it as a way to protect local businesses and jobs that would be threatened if Changi Airport lost its status as a key hub for air travel. The price tag indicates the level of concern over this prospect: The upgrade is estimated to cost 1.5 billion Singapore dollars ($1.05 billion).
     Changi Airport remains highly popular among air travelers. It was named the best airport in the world by Skytrax, a rating company for airlines and airports, for the third consecutive year in 2015.
     But in terms of the number of international passengers, it slid to sixth in 2014, down a notch from fifth a year earlier. The figure grew just 1% on the year to roughly 53 million travelers.
     "Traditional hub airports have been losing their status in recent years as budget carriers, as well as airlines operated by oil-producing nations in the Middle East, have lured passengers with their low air fares," said Kotaro Toriumi, an aviation sector analyst.


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