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I want to know about - Airports

There is no doubt that the surroundings of an airport are intimidating, not only to the seasoned traveller but especially to anyone who has a fear of flying.

A useful way of reducing the stress of being at an airport is to make a visit before you need to use it so that you can familiarise yourself with the procedures and locations of all the facilities that you will need on the day you travel.  Just knowing where the check in desks are will save both time and nervous energy.  Finding out where the security and boarding gates are will give you less to worry about on the day.

High Lites

Highlites

There are two distinct parts of an airport.  One the commercial side and the other the operational side.

Many worried travellers think that the hectic, disorganised and inefficiency of everything from parking to check in on the commercial side is reflected in the operational side of the airport.  The two sides could not be more different.  The commercial and check-in side works on a moment-by-moment reaction to customer needs. 

Trying to organise up to 400 people for a flight when they have come from different places with baggage to weigh and check in arriving at different times is extremely difficult.  Just knowing that the ground staff and facilities are under pressure will lower your expectations of having a stress free passage to the aircraft and help you to deal with your anxieties.

The operational side, that is to say the bit that deals with aircraft arriving and departing works very very efficiently.  The procedures needed to allow aircraft to park, taxi, take off and land whilst maintaining the highest levels of safety are a marvel of organisational efficiency.

Bad weather does not affect the operational side as much as one might imagine.  Aircraft are equipped, for the most part, with automatic landing facilities and assistance to taxi on the taxiways is available at every major airport.

However there are other aspects to airports that are of concern to people with a fear of flying, much of which is covered in the CD set.  Nervous flyers often worry that aircraft may land while another plane is on the runway, they worry that two planes might try to take off at the same time or that the runways may be too short, that birds might be in the flight path and so on.  There is no reason for you to be anxious about these things.


The fact is that if you can think of a problem, then it's certain to have been thought about by the people responsible for the airport and will have been dealt with.

Airport operations are another reason why you should have confidence in the airline industry.

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Airport baggage systems
Airport baggage systems

Luggage carts collectin bags 24hrs a day
Luggage carts collectin bags 24hrs a day

Airports working safely 365 days a year
Airports working safely 365 days a year