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MANAGING AIRPORTS TODAY May 2015 airportbusiness 13 that the point of an airport is to get passengers from Point A to Point B. We can't interfere with that process." Lobel recommends looking at residual space for concessions and retail opportunities. "There may be pockets of space that are not really pro- grammable, but can be made available for retail and concessions," he says. "It's fairly easy to find these pockets, you just have to think out- side the box." Rossbach says the first thing they consider when looking for available space is the amount of available apron space. There must be enough aircraft parking and space to circulate aircraft behind it. "Sometimes we can push out a lit- tle bit into the apron area between gates and create more space," he says. Another opportunity might be to construct a second-floor mezzanine, though Dubbe points out it can be difficult to get baggage-toting passengers to go to a second floor with their bags. "But if there is enough space to put in an elevator or escalator, that helps get people up there," he says. Often the terminal houses non-essential office space or storage rooms that can be easily moved to another area, or even off site. These areas also can produce pockets of space for concessions and retail build outs as can areas that once housed banks of pay phones. In really tight spaces, kiosk-type vend- ing or shallow wall front-type stores can offer up retail and concessions to travelers in the hold rooms. Sometimes kiosks interfere with passenger flow through the concourse, if it is particularly narrow, says Rossbach. However, passengers seem to like and use self-service kiosks, adds Lobel. "Building on a smaller square footage is really convenient for the customer," says Brad Lenz, senior vice president of Hudson Group. "They are very convenient and quick. For the retailer it's a less expensive build out than a larger store." IF YOU BUILD IT… The old saying, "If you build it, they will come" is only correct in retail and concessions areas michael.boeger@flexolite.com +1 314.239.9183 Request a sample kit at FLEXOLITE.COM airLINES™ VS. The alternative. MARKING SYSTEM Photo courtesy: Sightline, LC High Visibility Glass Beads High Durability Paint On-Site Application Assistance Increase pilot visibility Improve markings longevity Exceed FAA and ICAO recommendations DESIGNED FOR SAFETY. ENGINEERED FOR DURABILITY. GUARANTEED. www.aviationpros.com/10131836 "Today, the load factor averages 90 to 95 percent, and it presents a significant problem, especially in older terminals that were never designed to handle that many people." TOM ROSSBACH, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION ARCHITECTURE, HNTB