A design concept and vision on Schiphol’s seamless connection to the Netherlands based on a passengers’ point of view

Abstract

The core business of an airport is its air-side activities but it could not function without fluent, multi-modal and resilient land-side connectivity with its surroundings. The AirportCity is located in a dense urban area and therefore also the most important land-side transport interchange of the Netherlands. Due to the growth of air travellers on a global scale (6,3% in 2016, IATA), it has been decided the terminal will be expanded by building an extra A-pier and Terminal. This allows for a 30% growth in the number of passengers from 2019. However, the land transport modalities nearly reach their limits and the capacity has to grow along the future aviation capacity. This design project provides a vision and design concept from a passengers’ point of view for a transport hub in 2025. The user-centred approach, focused on arriving passengers and their meeters (family/friends who pick-up a passenger from the airport) is complementary to Schiphol’s business perspective and the ambition to become Europe’s preferred airport. Transport hub vision: The 2025 vision contains an underground land-side transport hub in a large welcoming AirortCity hall. It was found that the arriving passengers’ experience was neglected compared to the departing passenger. As a focus area, the needs and wishes of meeters and arriving passengers are defined: 1) dominant practically motivated meeters and arriving passengers and 2) dominant emotionally motivated meeters and passengers. The first group is located on the two remote hubs connected with a shuttle. Facilities for the second group are located in the AirportCity hall: the meeters can wait close to the arriving passengers. Product-service system: The arrival process at Schiphol is not transparent for the meeter which makes time management between meeters and passengers difficult. The interactive waiting environment makes the arrival information clearer for meeters by visualized and personal information. This empowers meeters to manage their time and spend it more freely at the airports land-side commercial facilities. The entertaining element of the interactive waiting environment emphasizes the ‘Schiphol experience’ in the AirportCity. The mood between meeters (excited) and arriving PAX (devoted to the airlines schedule) appeared to be very different. Therefore, the final design concept functions as a welcoming wake-up call for arriving passengers to make them aware and excited about the meeters presence. Additionally, the design concept is guidance to help the passenger to continue his journey seamlessly after a flight.