Compare and Contrast Essay on Changi Airport and Heathrow Airport

Introduction

In the tourism industry, the success of the business, as well as destinations, is highly dependent on service. Customer service is essential and an integral part of delivering marketing expectations to customers (Internationalairportreview.com, 2019). Working for a global consulting company which has some large airport customers, the company has requested for an airport planning and development project. This report details two selected airports as case studies for teams which will work with the various airport customers. The airports chosen for the study are Changi airport and Heathrow airport. The report will compare and critically analyze the approach these two airports use based on their terminal buildings and airport security.

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Changi Airport

Changi airport is located in Singapore. The airport first welcomed its customers in 1981 (Changiairport.com, 2019). The airport today is renowned for its world-class passenger experience which is scaled to global connectivity, efficiency and uniqueness as well as thoughtful services (Changiairport.com, 2019). With the increasing passengers the airport welcomes, their needs are increasingly becoming sophisticated (Changiairport.com, 2019). As such, the airport is facing the challenge to raise its standards higher. The world business environment is increasingly becoming competitive with the advancement in technology and businesses must, therefore, be strategically placed to the dynamic changes such as in consumer needs. According to Changiairport.com (2019), the airport is already embracing this challenge with the use of creative solutions and experiences aimed at redefining air travel to future generations.

Changi airport has its mission as, "To be the world's leading airport company, growing a safe, secure and vibrant air hub in Singapore and enhancing the communities we serve worldwide" (Changiairport.com, 2019). Their vision is, "Exceptional people, connecting lives" (Changiairport.com, 2019). The core value of the company guides their operation, and they are the foundation of their decisions and the center of their organization. They define their world class services which are delivered through passion and a culture of excellence (Changiairport.com, 2019). The core values include valuing their people, commitment to their customers, integrity, being best at their business and succeeding with their partners (Changiairport.com, 2019).

Gilchrist (2019) indicated that Changi airport had been named "World's best airport" by Skytrax in 2019. This was for the seventh consecutive time the airport has taken the title. This is despite competition from countries such as Tokyo and Seoul who were also contenders of the title. The CEO of Skytrax, Plaidsted commented that "To be voted the world's best airport for the seventh consecutive year is a truly fabulous achievement for Changi Airport," (Gilchrist, 2019). Gilchrist (2019) also pointed out that Changi airport is set to open Jewel Changi Airport which will add a unique dimension to the airport's customer experience.

Changi Airport Terminal Buildings

Changi airport has several terminals with phase one having opened in 1981(Internationalairportreview.com, 2019). Since then, the airport has experienced rapid growth. Today the airport boosts of four major terminals with plans to construct a mega terminal 5 under review.

The phase one construction involved the first passenger terminal building, supporting facilities and structures, 45 aircraft parking bays, huge maintenance hangar, administrative offices and workshops, an airfreight complex, fire station, two cargo agent buildings, an 80m high control tower and catering kitchens(Internationalairportreview.com, 2019).

The terminal three opened in January 2008 expanded the airports annual capacity to 68.7 million which was an increase of 22 million. The estimated cost for the terminal was $900m and featured the new terminal building and a baggage handling facility(Internationalairportreview.com, 2019). Also, there is an automated people mover which connects the three terminals and 28 new aerobridge gates capable of handling the next generation large aircraft(Internationalairportreview.com, 2019).

The construction of terminal four which is 225000 square meters was completed in 2016 with a project timeline of three years. The operational readiness trials' of the terminal has been carried out since October 2016(Internationalairportreview.com, 2019). The trials have enabled the airport to ensure the system works well and also understand how the passengers navigate the new terminal. According to Internationalairportreview.com (2019), all the available space in terminal four has been leased. Besides, the construction of the Jewel Changi Airport which is considered as the new iconic lifestyle destination at the center of the airport has been reported to be progressing well(Internationalairportreview.com, 2019). The superstructure has been reported to be visible from other terminal buildings (Changiairport.com, 2019). The complex which will be ten stores with facades over 90000 glass panels is expected to house a waterfall 40 meter high with 100000 shrubs and includes 2500 trees with over 300 retail outlets(Changiairport.com, 2019). The terminal is set to open up in the year 2019(Changiairport.com, 2019). Changi airport boosts for its plan 'building before they come" which facilitates the need to plan for future needs and building ahead of the demand curve(Changiairport.com, 2019).

In support of the new mixed complex Jewel at the airport, Changi airport moved to the extension of the terminal 1 which was the first terminal to be opened up in 1981 (Airport Technology, 2019). While it was first upgraded in 2012 witnessing the addition of the 22000m square to provide for passenger flow in a better manner, additional facilities will be offered alongside retail offerings(Airport Technology, 2019). The ongoing expansion which has been dubbed as the second significant development is expected to handle an estimated 22 million passenger in a year(Airport Technology, 2019). The expansion was started to address the challenge of increasing passenger traffic and ensure continued growth in terminal 1(Airport Technology, 2019). The terminal 1 development is expected to be complete by the year 2019(Airport Technology, 2019). The jewel mixed-use complex is expected to strengthen the position of the airport in terms of integrating the operations of the airport, the travel facilities and leisure attractions as well as retail offerings(Airport Technology, 2019). The Jewel is architecture to be a five storey building which will hold floor areas of 134000m square and will feature cabin hotels, retail stores, aviation facilities in addition to other attractions(Airport Technology, 2019).

Changi Airport Security

Airport security at Changi has been reported to be a multilayered security system (Chik, 2019). The security personnel are employed with the use of integrated security technology and processes to meet the security challenges at the airport(Chik, 2019). The airline security is considered essential to the review of the airports' security system since security threats may extend beyond airport terminals and therefore necessitate the needs address the new challenges in the dynamic security environment(Chik, 2019). In respect to security measures at Changi airport, there are ten established fire protection coverage's which standards (Changiairport.com, 2019) are per the ICAO. There are highly trained Airport Emergency Service(AES) (Changiairport.com, 2019). The airports emergency plan coordinates efforts across mutual aid agencies which are in the airport's locality as well as immediate locality which has the responsibility to manage Airport Emergency Plan as well as rescue firefighting operations alongside crash site operations.

At any time the firefighting services are available within 2 minutes to bring any fire incidence under control in minutes upon arrival(Changiairport.com, 2019). As such this is followed by rescue as well as evaluation measures to any nearby facility(Changiairport.com, 2019).

Another security measure is the aerodrome safety measure which implements and maintains effective and robust safety management systems and ensures compliance with regulatory safety requirements(Changiairport.com, 2019). Overall, all management in safety reporting is mandated and committed to establishing processes in which hazards likely to jeopardize the safety of the airports are proactively managed(Changiairport.com, 2019). In conclusion, Changi airport ensures the safety and security of all passengers as part of their critical operations. As such the airport implements strict measures in securities which are under ICAO recommendations (Changiairport.com, 2019).

Heathrow Airport

A research by Skytrax (an air transport research firm) annual study which measured airports performance based on many metrics, indicated that London Heathrow-T5 was the best airport terminal globally in 2019(Gilchrist, 2019).

Heathrow airport is located in London. There are over 80 airlines which operate from Heathrow to more than 180 locations worldwide, and that carry more than 72 million passengers as well as over 1.4 tons of cargo in a year (Heathrow Airport Guide, 2019). According to Heathrow Airport Guide (2019), there is a wide range of public transport that is reliable and frequent including trains and Heathrow Express.

Ferrovia (2019) indicated that Heathrow airport is the only UK's hub and is, therefore, the primary transport network in the country. Heathrow is the UK's largest airport in the perspective of passenger traffic and is one of the largest airports in the world (Ferrovial, 2019). Also, it remains to be the most significant freight in the UK and handles more than 25% of the UK's total exports(Ferrovial, 2019). More than 75 million passengers are passing the Heathrow airport every year with over 194 destinations(Ferrovial, 2019).

Heathrow Airport Terminal Buildings

There are four terminals and two runaways in Heathrow. Heathrow airport provides a range of facilities which include children, business and disabled travellers(Heathrow Airport Guide, 2019). The terminal 2 which is also referred to as the Queens Terminal was opened in 2014 and today serves more than 20 airlines(Heathrow Airport Guide, 2019).

The Heathrow terminal 2 was replaced, after more than 60 years in operation, by a new building opened in 2014(Ferrovial, 2019). The new facility aimed at offering excellent views in the runaway and for the future new generation aircraft(Ferrovial, 2019). The terminal services at Heathrow consist of the latest technology trends including state of the art baggage handling and self-service check-in systems(Ferrovial, 2019).

Both airports have also received numerous awards for their effort in improving consumer experiences. For example, Changi airport has been listed as the world best airports in surveys by Skyrax. On the other hand, the Heathrow airport has also received numerous awards such as the South Ears Construction Excellent Award as well as awards for good practice in areas about accident prevention(Ferrovial, 2019).

Heathrow Airport Security

Heathrow boosts of its commitment to working with Metropolitan Police as well as Civil Aviation Authority and the Government in ensuring that the passenger's experience at the airports is as safe as possible (Heathrow, 2019). In line with the passenger's security concerns, the airport ensures that passengers are screened with the use of security scanning equipment's. About the airport's security, there are security controls at Heathrow which provide that passengers pass through the controls before getting in the departure lounge and they get help concerning what they are perm...