Airports Are Getting Hungry

I recently sat in a restaurant in a terminal building, staring at the board, waiting for my gate to be announced. At this point, I wasn’t hungry and was very satisfied with my chilled beer, thinking about the hot weather that awaits – then my flight was called. I rushed to it, only then having to wait another 45 minutes to be allowed onto the plane. During this time, boredom helped me develop a huge appetite, eventually causing me to buy some overpriced plane food, which frankly, doesn’t taste great.

Following this, I was happily surprised to find that Dubai International Airport has formed a solution. The airport has made a partnership with the food delivery service Deliveroo, launching its first F&B service ‘DeliverooDXB’. This service enables you to wait at your gate and order food from the restaurants within the terminal, eliminating the dreaming, overspending and rushing I encountered.

Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President of Dubai Airports’ Commercial and Communications Group, said: “DeliverooDXB is a truly ground-breaking service that brings an extra level of convenience to our customers. Our mission to completely reinvent the airport experience is rooted in implementing innovative concepts, as demonstrated by this partnership with the world’s best food delivery brand.

“Now passengers can receive delicious food from our food & beverage outlets while they wait to board, all made possible by the expertise of Deliveroo and our world-beating Wow-Fi service.”

Anis Harb, Deliveroo General Manager, GCC, added: “With our riders now delivering to the gate, there is no reason to miss breakfast, lunch or dinner even when passengers may only have minutes to spare before boarding.”

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has just trialled  ‘Personal security pass pilot’ which means you can book a time slot for when you wish to go through security avoiding the long queues – so perhaps in the future, you can book a time slot to go through security and once you get through, your personal Deliveroo driver will be waiting with your food order. For more information on Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s latest developments, visit their website here: https://www.airport-ams.com/

The developments in airport technology are resulting in a much-improved airport experience for passengers. Not only that, it gives all retail and F&B tenants another route to gain additional sales! With queues decreasing, the variety of tenants available increasing and the technological developments advancing giving consumers numerous ways to interact, engage and purchase – the future is looking exciting for the airport management sector!