Since the invention of the airplane, airports have become an integral part of modern life. Airports comprise a significant constituent of the transportation infrastructure. There are different types of airports that serve various needs on the local and international levels.
The future of airport development is predetermined by the freight and passenger needs as well as by the possibility of the acts of terrorism. It is not essential to build new airports because of the terrorist-driven declines in the air traffic though the demand for airports expansion varies in different countries due to the necessity to meet freight and passenger needs.
The development of the airport systems concerns three important aspects: runways, business hours, and warehousing. The length of runways is directly connected to the ability of the airport to serve large jumbo jets. Usually, this type of airplanes is used for international flights. Many airports face the problem of their expansion due to the processes of globalization. With the growth of cities, airports become landlocked.
Authorities have to build new airports far from the city centres to satisfy the freight and passenger needs. For instance, Malpensa airport in Italy is almost fifty kilometres far from Milan. The number of runways is another fact that influences the development of airports. Busy airports have more than four runways to keep the traffic at its regular rate. The increasing number of passengers makes airport build more runways than they have now.
The working hours is the second concern of airports. As far as most of them are located in large cities, they can work only during the business hours. However, cargo airplanes fly at night. There are cargo airports that operate twenty-four hours every day, and they are built far from cities. The last aspect refers to the existence of proper warehouses where cargo can be protected and stored (David & Steward, 2010).
The danger of terrorists’ attacks also influences the future of airport development. The events on 9 September in 2001 unsettled the airports’ assuredness of their protection systems. The authorities of all airports focused on the improving of the security. Currently, the statistics show the decline in terrorist-driven air traffic.
Modern airports employ systems of baggage and passengers screening to avoid the possibility of the acts of terror. Thus, before going to the airplane, passengers have to pass the individual screening. One has no right to take into the airplane particular items as well. Airports also work on the advancing of the baggage-screening systems (Travel Tips n.d.).
The globalization promotes the growing number of passengers and cargo flights. Because of these changes, airports have to find ways of expanding their capacity and improving working facilities.
The number and length of runways, business hours, and warehousing represent the most urgent problems concerning airports’ adequacy for passenger and freight needs. Some passengers find screening processes to be rather frustrating and stressful. Airport security systems are steadily improving. In my opinion, the future airports will modify security systems in such a way that makes them more efficient for security check and less stressful for passengers.
One may conclude that there is no need to build new airports, especially in large cities where airport infrastructure is well developed. There is a need to expand the existing airports to enhance their adequacy to meet the passengers and freight needs.
References
David, P., & Steward, R. (2010) International Logistics. Mason, USA: Thomson. Travel Tips. (n.d.).
