Travelling through a busy airport isn’t always the most relaxing experience as you navigate through the hustle and bustle, try and listen out for announcements and make it to your gate on time.
However, Sydney airport is looking to make things a little more peaceful for its passengers, as it introduces a new ‘quiet’ terminal.
The airport’s Terminal 1 now has a reduced number of announcements, so there’s less background noise for holidaymakers as they wait for their flights.
In fact, announcements will be confined to the gate areas, with "only critical announcements to be broadcast beyond these areas".
That doesn’t mean passengers won’t be kept as informed.
The terminal will still have plenty of Flight Information Display Screens where travellers can check their gate number and flight status, not to mention there are also multilingual e-directories placed throughout the terminal.
And for those who are still unsure, there will be information desks available with staff on hand to answer passenger questions.
A quiet terminal is by no means a novel concept, as airports including Changi, Dubai, Hong Kong and Helsinki all already have similar initiatives in place.
However, the idea of being able to enjoy a little bit of peace before boarding your flight sounds pretty blissful to us. (Although that doesn’t mean the terminal will be silent, as passengers will still be able to use their gadgets, talk amongst themselves etc).
Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert explained in a statement that the move was to help further improve passengers’ experience and that careful consideration had gone in to ensure that travellers would still have access to the information they needed while waiting for their flight.
He said: "Passengers will now be able to relax without being interrupted by constant announcements.
"We’re always looking at how we can make the airport experience even more enjoyable for our passengers.
"This initiative leapt out as one that would make an immediate and material difference and would align us with the practices of the best airports globally.
"Leading airports around the world such as Changi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Helsinki and others have either quiet or silent terminals. As is the case at all airports, passengers are advised of their gate and boarding time upon check-in.
"We’ve worked closely with our airline partners and other stakeholders to ensure we’ve struck the right balance between providing a relaxing and stress-free environment and ensuring passengers have the information they need in terms of signage and updated flight information to assist them to get to their gate in a timely and efficient manner."
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