COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the aviation industry, with global flights down by nearly 80 per cent as of early April 2020. Airports have already made major operational changes like limiting concessions hours, consolidating terminals and security screening operations, implementing new health and safety measures and increasing cleaning schedules, among others. Passengers are placing greater emphasis on airport cleanliness and expressing a reluctance to engage in processes that require physical touch.
The pandemic is paving the way for a new normal where airports will need to challenge traditional orthodoxies in how they serve their customers and meet the needs of their employees. Airports must instill confidence in both business and leisure travellers while enabling employees to feel safe and comfortable returning to work.
In this paper, Deloitte examines five existing orthodoxies in the airport experience that are challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic: