Functional Facility Assessment, You Need One

While airports cannot control every facet of the passenger experience as travelers transition from ground to air transportation and from air to ground transportation, they can enhance the experience by tracing and reviewing every detail of passengers' movement through the terminal. We can also take every opportunity to assist passenger flow with ease and comfort.

At Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, our motto "First in Service" emphasizes our commitment to provide passengers with a "first-class" experience from the minute they arrive on airport property to the minute they depart - coming or going. Even though our facility was inaugurated in May 1994, and still appears new, we felt the need to review and reassess our property from top to bottom, landside to airside, to ensure that we address our future needs and meet the objectives we have set for ourselves:

• To keep the terminal and property not just looking new, but to make it new
• To anticipate future customer service needs based on best practices worldwide
• To anticipate the effects of changing technology and their impact on airport facilities
• To anticipate the changing needs of our tenants and passengers
• To maintain Savannah/Hilton Head's preeminence in providing exceptional customer service

To this end, the Savannah Airport Commission hired consultant Ben Lao, the original design architect of our terminal, to perform a Functional Facility Assessment and help us develop a modernization program. His study began with an on-site visit and walking tour of the entire facility to observe current conditions and assess all the terminal components from both departure and arrival sequences. Sessions and interviews were conducted with airport commissioners, airline station managers, airport tenants and airport staff in all operating departments.

Various aspects of airport operations were discussed to elicit employees' observations and passenger perceptions of the facilities, their functionality and their utilization. Due to limited time, passengers were not interviewed. They were, however, observed in the parking areas, curbside, queuing and check-in at the departure lobby area, security processing, concessions and baggage claim areas.

Findings were documented and categorized in a comprehensive report with close to 100 recommendations, spanning both the departure and arrival areas. The recommendations include:

• Rework access road to alleviate traffic congestion at I-95 interchange
• Replace old green DOT roadway directional signage
• Replace and redesign all terminal overhead green signs and rental car directional signage
• Construct a "Thank You" sign
• Number each parking stall in addition to existing automated directional system
• Install additional lighting in the parking structures and pathways leading to the terminal
• Provide free luggage carts
• Install protective bollards at all entrances at the front of the terminal
• Redesign airline counters with self-service options adaptable for self-tagging of luggage
• Undertake major restroom improvements
• Replace rental car counters with more user-friendly features
• Install additional lighting in baggage claim areas
• Replace interior graphic signage and incorporate international graphic symbols

The final report included photographs of each area of our airport identified for improvements as well as sample pictures of other airports around the world. We formed an in-house committee, and our "Airport Modernization Program" was born!

Implementation of the ideas outlined in the study began immediately. Because our own staff can undertake most of the recommendations, we were able to keep the program budget at $7 million.

It is not possible, in such a short article, to do justice to the report and attest to our consultant's level of expertise. The $64 million question most people would ask is, "How much would a similar study cost us?" Naturally, that will vary based on the size and activity of the airport and the scope of work involved. For us, one thing is certain: We consider it a very small price to pay for exceptional results.