After eight years operating, Blaise Diagne Airport is facing various challenges. The passenger experience at peak hours is not optimal. The extension project that was supposed to happen at the three million passenger mark is delayed and the market is shifting. The presentation will discuss how to accommodate the increasing number of passengers without sacrificing the overall experience, how to balance crowded peak hours and almost empty periods. The airport needed to increase capacity without major construction projects. The situation led to a €20m strategic investment plan including retrofitting the terminal, using outdoor areas and reimagining the passenger journey.

• Increasing airport capacity without major expansion work means looking for flexibility, creativity, technology and multipurpose outdoor areas
• The terminal retrofitting is teamwork, providing a common goal to all airport stakeholders and improving operations coordination
• The project became an opportunity to address evolving passenger needs, correcting original design constraints related to accessibility and sustainability
• Through a consultation process and focus groups, the airport managed to include airlines, passengers and government agencies in the project study