Airport environmental contributors in relation to emotional and behavioral responses of travelers with anxiety
With many changes in the airport industry, this research aims to uncover the relationship between specific design features within an airport, and a traveler’s overall anxiety or satisfaction in the space. The atmosphere of an airport has been known to promote anxiety, increased tension, and negative emotional response. The traditional airport design was based on passenger flow, with a single goal of improving transportation efficiency however, an enjoyable traveler experience goes beyond efficiency. Through user-centered design, the airport can provide social spaces that promote health, wellness, and social participation. Design features including material, scent and a connection to nature will help to improve the overall enjoyment of travelers. Air travelers are very time-sensitive, therefore, providing a successful wayfinding system throughout terminals and gates will aid in alleviating anxiety in travelers. In addition, maintaining physical comfort is extremely important and can be improved through amenities that promote health and wellness, while reducing the stress of travel such as choice of seating areas, quiet spaces or even physical exercise opportunities.