C&S’s Mike Butler featured in Airport Magazine
C&S is proud to highlight a recent article by Mike Butler, senior consultant in the aviation group, and Yi Gao, Ph.D., of Kent State University, featured in the June/July issue of Airport Magazine, titled “Preparing Airport Terminals for the Future.”
In the article, Butler and Gao explore how airport terminals—once designed around stable aircraft models and steady passenger growth—are entering a period of transformational change. As legacy aircraft designs reach their limits and new, more specialized aircraft emerge, airports must rethink how terminals are planned, designed, and operated.
Rather than focusing solely on passenger volumes as the driver of terminal improvement, Butler and Gao emphasize the need for a more strategic, data-driven approach. Today’s airlines are prioritizing profitability through fuel efficiency, and personalized passenger experiences over passenger growth, resulting in a more segmented market with diverse traveler expectations.
To meet these evolving demands, the article outlines three critical priorities for airport leaders:
- Understand the passenger through detailed data and segmentation
- Map the full passenger journey, ensuring accessible and tailored experiences
- Design infrastructure around that journey, aligning terminal layouts with when and where services are needed
The article underscores that simply building larger terminals is no longer the answer. Instead, airports must focus on flexible, reconfigurable spaces that support next-generation aircraft and deliver differentiated, passenger-centric experiences.
With terminals built today expected to serve for decades, Butler and Gao’s message is clear: the most successful airports will be those that move beyond traditional growth models and design for the specific needs of their passengers and communities.