IF you are notoriously always running late for your flight, you might run into trouble if you are leaving from a “silent” airport.
The first silent airport in the world dates back to 2015, which was Helsinki Airport in Finland.
While the words silent and airport may not seem like they go together, it actually comes down to overhead announcements.
Rather than loud calls for boarding calls and boarding gates, these airports have done away with them entirely.
Mainly are citing that they can reduce stress levels at an airport.
Airports Council International (ACI) Angela Gittens previously told CNN Travel it is to “create a calm, relaxed ambiance”.
She added: “Passengers can wind down while they wait for their flight to board in the common airside lounges, commercial, and food and beverage areas.”
Not only that, but many airlines are introducing live updates when it comes to their flights, either via apps or text messages.
This means any last minute changes are send straight to the passenger.
However, silent airports could still cause problems for passengers perhaps not paying attention.
For example, if you are running late, a silent airport will not call passengers over the tannoy unlike other airports.
Or if there is a last minute boarding gate change, you might just have to be keeping an eye on it.
I fell victim to this myself when returning from Amsterdam Schipol Airport in the Netherlands.
Having checked what gate I would be flying from, I headed straight there and sat down with my headphones on, waiting to board.
Yet I didn’t realise the gate had changed until I saw a group of people from the corner of my eye all get up and start running.
It was only when I saw the women leaving the boarding gate desk that I asked and she told me the gate had moved to one on the other side of the airport.
So while they can be “less stressful” – keep an eye on your flights.
In the UK, Bristol was the first airport to become silent back in 2015.
One passenger ended up missing his flight after he didn’t realise they wouldn’t do a boarding or final call, despite being through security with more than enough time.
London City is also a silent airport.
- Here are some other silent airports:
- Barcelona El Prat Airport, Spain
- Eindhoven Airport, Germany
- Helsinki Airport, Finland
- Venice Marco Polo Airport, Italy
Here is a hidden quiet area in London Stansted Airport if you want to get away from the crowds.
And here are the “boomer” airport habits that Gen Z hate.
