The mobile food ordering and delivery service at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is on a roll thanks to a new ambassador that barely sees eye-to-eye with most kids and doesn’t speak a word. Yet, it invites double-takes, smiles and pointed fingers from travelers as it rolls by on its delivery missions.

In partnership with AtYourGate, MSP ASAP has unleashed a rolling droid, called a gita (jee-tah), as part of a pilot program that enhances contactless food ordering capabilities in Terminal 1.
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"There is convenience and safety for customers to be able to order food from their phones or laptops, and within 15 to 30 minutes, the gita rolls up and opens its cargo doors for the customers to grab their order,” said Eric Johnson, director of commercial management and airline affairs for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which operates MSP. “It’s fun and whimsical, but there is also a purpose behind the technology for customers to feel more confident in avoiding queue lines and having their order delivered.”

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Source: Aviation Pros
Date of Article: April 9th 2021

After a year of curtailed activity due to the pandemic, this spring people are beginning to reveal and act upon a pent-up desire for excitement and travel, said Steve Sisneros, managing director, airport affairs for Southwest Airlines.

Speaking on the weekly industry call hosted by the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association (ARRA), Sisneros acknowledged the challenges facing airports and concessionaires in reopening during such tumultuous times, but he urged concessionaires to open as many venues as possible to feed the enthusiasm for leisure travel.

Travelers “are looking to have fun,” Sisneros said. “They’ve been locked up for months. They’re looking to do something different. They want to spend some dollars – they’re going to have a drink, they’re gstoing to sit down and [have a meal].”

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Source: Airport Experience News
Date of Article: April 1st 2021

Travelers are starting to fly again, offering some relief to beleaguered airport shops and restaurants after the pandemic brought most travel to a standstill.

Duty-free outlets and other airport stores have been a rare success story in the slumping bricks-and-mortar world in recent years. Airport retail enjoys a captive audience. Travelers often have time on their hands and can be susceptible to buying a souvenir or luxury product on a whim, or as last-minute presents. The shops are especially popular with Chinese tourists.

But the sharp decline in air travel last year pounded these operations, and airports around the world have reported that annual revenues shank by more than half last year. U.S. airport shops and restaurants stand to lose $3.4 billion from July 2020 to the end of 2021, according to estimates from the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association. That’s more than three years of profits.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal
Date of Article: March 10th 2021

The two-day (March2-3) AXN Passenger Experience Conference featured panels of airport directors/CEOs, major concessions companies, technology service providers discussing the challenges and the future for airport concessionaires and the airport industry.

AIRPORT DIRECTOR OUTLOOK
Panel:
Chelle Cameron, CEO, Philadelphia International Airport
Justin Erbacci, CEO, Los Angeles World Airports
Lance Lyttle, Managing Director, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Bryan Ryks, Executive Director and CEO, Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission

The panel of airport directors and CEOs opened the AXN Passenger Experience Conference and discussed their efforts to manage through the pandemic and provide MAG and rent relief to airport concessionaires. Lance Lyttle, Managing Director, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Brian Ryks, Executive Director and CEO, Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airport Commission, Justin Erbacci, LAWA CEO, and Chelle Cameron, CEO, Philadelphia International Airport all discussed the importance of airports assisting concessionaires and that the CARES Act and additional federal relief are very helpful to their ability to provide relief.

Justin Erbacci for Los Angeles World Airports said they responded quickly to the pandemic and put in initial MAG relief before there were any federal relief funds. He also provided assistance with refurbishment requirements and extended terms to allow more time to figure out what to do in the future. The current relief runs through the end of June, he said, and LAWA will need to do more to help concessionaires. “Federal money is a huge help and we couldn’t do it all without it.” All of the airport CEOs said they could not provide the level of relief to concessions without the CARES Act and most recent grants, and said they must have more federal assistance so they can continue to help concessionaires.

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Airline executives said they are starting to see a path out of the coronavirus pandemic as more passengers resume travel, following a weekend when airport volumes hit their highest levels in a year.

Delta Air Lines Inc. bookings began picking up five or six weeks ago as people have begun making plans for spring and summer, Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said at an industry conference Monday.

“We’ve seen some glimmers of hope over the last year, but they’ve been false hope,” Mr. Bastian said. “But this seems like it’s real.”

Airline stocks climbed Monday. Shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc. rose 8.3%, while shares of American Airlines Group Inc. climbed 7.7% and Delta shares rose 2.3%.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal
Date of Article: March 15th 2021

A group of Harvard health experts gave airports high marks for taking steps to ensure passenger safety, but stopped short of saying it is safe to fly during the pandemic.

Researchers with the Aviation Public Health Initiative at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health unveiled their second report to reporters on Thursday, saying that a multilayered approach similar to that recommended for schools and offices is in place at airports across the country. That approach, which consists of upgraded ventilation, sanitized surfaces, technology that encourages contactless transactions, as well as the familiar hand hygiene, mask wearing, and physical distancing, can reduce exposure to any virus that travelers may carry.
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The researchers said that redoubled personal commitment can provide an added measure of safety for those who must travel. That starts with staying home if you feel ill, being diligent about mask wearing, and stepping back from crowds at unavoidable choke points like boarding gates and baggage claim.

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Source: The Harvard Gazette
Date of Article: March 10th 2021

Airport finances and the extent to which they rely on contributions from concessionaires were the focus of the weekly industry call hosted by the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association (ARRA) Wednesday. Stephen Martin, chief commercial officer, Vantage Airport Group, and Warren Adams, managing partner of WJAdvisors, shared their expertise.
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The amounts food and beverage and retail concessionaires pay in rents and percentage of sales contributions pale in comparison to contributions from airlines and other sources, Adams noted. He says in-terminal concessions account for five to seven percent of total airport revenue, while airline payments range from about 40 percent to 60 percent.

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Source: Airport Experience News
Date of Article: February 18th 2021

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