Private airport terminals – to VIP or not to VIP?

Several weeks ago CAPA - Centre for Aviation published an initial report on private terminals at airports, focusing on the 'aether' terminal at Manchester Airport in the UK, which is scheduled to reopen in Nov-2024, rebranded from its original name 'PremiAir'.

That report suggested that aether, mainly because of its relatively low pricing, could become a model for such future terminals at sub-primary or regional airports, where they can be justified.

It turns out that there are at least 30, and possibly 50, such terminals in existence already. Most of them are in Europe, but there is a smattering too in Asia, the Middle East and the US, where a unique individual or corporate membership model is the norm.

This follow-up report examines 10 examples, again mainly in Europe, and at the different models in use. Many of them call themselves 'VIP Terminal', or similar, while their product offers are more in keeping with what a business traveller or 'commercially important' passenger might seek.

The wide range of pricing is also revealed.

The report concludes with a philosophical question about the ethics involved in approving the construction of such terminals in cases where primary terminals are not up to expectations, while acknowledging that demand will probably ensure that their number will continue to grow.