COMFORTABLE airport terminals will be key for growing the number of passengers in the GCC's $100 billion worth of airport projects, industry experts announced Thursday. With the International Air Transport Association projecting Middle East passengers to grow by 4.9 percent per year to 2034, the GCC is fueling $100 billion in airport expansion and construction projects in Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and UAE, according to Deloitte. Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest international airport, and Al Maktoum International Airport is set to have one of the world's largest capacities at 160 million annual passengers. Abu Dhabi International Airport is set to reach 40 million passengers by 2017 with the new Midfield Terminal. "As Middle East airports expand, aesthetic and acoustic considerations are vital for growing passenger numbers, and providing a high-quality traveler experience, whether waiting, dining, or shopping. Good acoustics are essential for a serene airport atmosphere, such as by reducing loudspeaker sound, and perforated ceilings to minimize the noise of people talking or walking," said Mohamed Nawarah, country manager – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at Hunter Douglas, the international airport consultancy based in The Netherlands. Hunter Douglas has advised many of the world's leading airports, including Brussels Airport in Belgium, Dusseldorf Airport and Frankfurt Airport in Germany, Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport and Wroclaw Airport in Poland, Madeira Airport in Spain, and Manchester Airport Terminal 1 in the United Kingdom. At Brussels Airport, the Connector is an above-ground building connecting Piers A and B, which replaced a dark route through stairs, escalators, and elevators. The Connector allows departing passengers to walk straight from the check-in desk to their gate, and arriving passengers to easily walk to the baggage reclaim hall and exit. Connector also hosts Europe's largest screening platform with 25 lanes. Connector's curved, customized Hunter Douglas 300C series ceiling, which is perforated and has an acoustic membrane, meets aesthetic and acoustic requirements by absorbing the sounds of airplanes and the granite floor. While people inside the transparent building can see the planes, they do not hear them. The detachable ceiling also conceals the lighting and sprinkler systems for easy maintenance work. "The shell-like roof structure naturally raises the ceiling little by little, so that the passengers can get used to the open space without being overwhelmed by it. The curved shape of the ceiling does make it really difficult to realise good acoustics, though sounds are reflected in all kinds of different directions. This is why the sound-absorbing capacity of the material is extra important," said Erwin Persoons, an architect at the international agency CTHM. Hunter Douglas is market leader both globally and in the Netherlands for innovative, aesthetic, high-quality window coverings, sun control systems and architectural ceiling and façade panels. For almost 50 years, Hunter Douglas products have contributed to the sustainable thermal, acoustic and visual appeal of buildings across a wide range of branches and sectors, from trade to industry and from the catering business to government. These products consistently meet the needs of architects, designers and contractors, thanks to Hunter Douglas' intensive collaboration with these parties. Minimizing environmental impact and waste flows is a vital part of the development, production, distribution, servicing and reuse of each product. Hunter Douglas Group's main office is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Local units on every continent include over 60 factories, 100 assembly plants and marketing offices in over 100 countries. Over 16,500 staff members around the world invest their talents and skills in Hunter Douglas.
