The passengers then tend to start their journey towards the gates almost ½ hour prior to their boarding times, splitting themselves into their respective gate wings. This creates a sudden influx of passengers in the waiting areas. And once near their gates, the passengers tend to not move far off spaces or leave their gates out of their sight. However, every different passenger would react differently to this configuration. Leisure travelers are more likely to arrive well in advance of flight departure time, have time to explore and use a wider range of terminal facilities. A traveling family is more likely to spend their time in the central zone engaging themselves whereas a person desiring to work will prefer to have a take-away or would like to have it delivered to his/her place near to the gate and work efficiently without any disturbance or worrying about missing the flight. In the case of elderly people, they would be more comfortable to be waiting peacefully near the gates and have their services delivered to them in hand on their seats rather than moving around adjusting in different places. In case of the gates being far off from the central zone, the passengers are likely to get worried and move to their gates earlier. This makes it essential to critically design the waiting area. Every member would have different expectations to be satisfied. The waiting area might require diversity to adjust and keep up with these expectations of the flyers. Figure 3.2 Passenger density 2-3 hours before departure below shows the concentration of the passengers’ hours before their departure times.
Figure 3.2 Passenger density 2-3 hours before departure
31