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No Pass During Construction: Why Airports Must Rethink Customer Experience in the Era of Capital Programs

Airport construction changes the passenger journey while terminals remain open. Learn how to coordinate temporary routes, accessible alternatives, timely updates and on-site help.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 6 min read

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Airports cannot pause the passenger journey while they rebuild. Construction changes routes, signs, parking and access even as terminals stay open, so passenger experience must be planned and operated alongside the capital program—not treated as a finishing touch after the work.

The practical question for airport leaders is: how do we keep the journey understandable while the terminal changes? The answer is a coordinated system of timely information, legible temporary routes, accessible alternatives, operational coordination and visible human help. None of it eliminates disruption, and the available examples do not prove that any one measure produces a particular satisfaction gain.

How do I get around the airport during construction?

For passengers, the route may differ from the one they remember: a usual entrance, corridor, elevator, parking area or service may be affected. Denver International Airport’s construction guidance tells travelers to check airport information before leaving, follow posted signs because the terminal may look different, and ask an ambassador, customer-service agent or airport employee for help. Its short instruction is apt: “When in doubt, ask for help.”

For operators, the lesson is to make that advice actionable at the point of decision. A website can prepare people, but it cannot substitute for clear directions where a route actually changes. A passenger should not have to infer whether to continue, turn back or find an alternate accessible path.

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Give passengers useful information before arrival

Maintain a current construction page or notice that identifies affected areas, expected dates, route changes, parking and ground-transport effects, and when the information was last updated. State what remains open as well as what is changing. If schedules or access conditions are subject to change, say so plainly and provide a reliable place to check again.

Make the route understandable on site

Temporary signs need to guide people through the actual sequence of choices, not merely announce that construction is underway. Check that directions remain visible at intersections, that names for places and routes are consistent, and that signs do not compete with other messages or disappear into the work environment. Where travelers must choose between paths, test the decision point in person rather than relying on a map alone.

Put help where choices become difficult

Place identifiable staff or ambassadors near changed entrances, detours and other points where people may be unsure what to do. Ensure they have current route information and know how to direct travelers to accessible alternatives. A help desk elsewhere in the terminal is less useful if a passenger cannot find it from the disruption.

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What changes should I expect at the airport during construction?

Construction can affect more than the work zone. Passengers may encounter changed walking routes, temporary entrances, altered parking or ground-transport access, different signs, and changes to nearby services. The exact effects depend on the airport and project phase; passengers should check the airport’s current notice rather than assume a familiar route or facility is unchanged.

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Examples published by airports show how different parts of the operating journey can be affected:

Airport or authority Published information Passenger or operational relevance
Denver International Airport Traveler guidance says to check airport information before travel, follow posted signs and ask an ambassador, customer-service agent or employee for help. The page does not state a publication date in the supplied material. Preparation, on-site wayfinding and human assistance are treated as connected parts of getting around construction.
Philadelphia International Airport In a September 15, 2026 release, the airport described Transform PHL as a nearly $2 billion modernization and said it was continuing to operate through a complex, multi-year transformation. It listed remodeled restrooms, seating with integrated charging, upgraded exits and signage, accessibility enhancements and automatic exit portals among completed passenger-facing items. Visible improvements can arrive while construction and operational effects continue; completion of individual items does not mean the broader program is over.
Chicago Department of Aviation Its construction page lists procedures for tenants and concessionaires, a public-address system, and forms for contractor and facilities coordination. The tenant procedure version is dated May 22, 2026, and the concessionaire procedure version June 25, 2025. Work affecting occupied areas and customer-facing services needs coordination beyond the construction contractor.
John Wayne Airport The airport describes a 2026–2029 capital program covering baggage systems, elevators, escalators, lighting, signage, parking, security and other work. It warns that cell-phone waiting-area parking is limited during construction. The program’s budget and planned costs were approved May 19, 2026. Operational notices should identify specific constraints, including parking impacts, rather than describe the program only in broad terms.

Airport scopes, schedules and access conditions can change. The examples above describe what those airports published at the stated dates or on the cited pages; they are not a guarantee of current conditions at any facility.

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How should airport leaders plan the passenger journey around a capital program?

Treat each construction phase as an operating condition with its own passenger journey. Before work begins, map the route from arrival through the affected terminal area and identify where a person must make a decision, cross a work boundary, change levels or find a service. Repeat the review as phases shift; a route that worked last month may no longer be available.

  1. Define the impact. For each work package and phase, record which entrances, paths, elevators, escalators, services, parking areas and transport connections may change, and who could be affected.
  2. Choose and verify the alternate path. Confirm that the route is continuous and readable in real conditions, including at intersections and level changes. Identify accessible alternatives rather than assuming a detour works for everyone.
  3. Coordinate the operating parties. Align construction teams with airport facilities and operations, tenants and concessionaires. Chicago’s published procedures and coordination tools illustrate the institutional layer needed when work touches occupied areas and customer-facing services.
  4. Prepare information and assistance. Set the public update cadence, publish the affected area and dates, brief staff on the route, and position help where decisions are required.
  5. Review after each change. Walk the route, verify that signs and public information match actual conditions, and correct gaps when a phase changes or feedback reveals confusion.

What makes temporary wayfinding work?

Wayfinding is more than a collection of signs. The Transportation Research Board’s ACRP Report 10 (2009) describes it in terms of orientation, journey information and simple directions. It discusses clear naming, sightlines, lighting, recognizable cues and visibility amid competing messages as relevant design considerations. That report is foundational planning guidance, not a current measurement of passenger preferences or a universal sign standard.

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Apply those ideas to the temporary journey: use consistent names for destinations, make signs visible before a turn or route choice, and ensure the next direction is findable after the first one. Avoid ambiguous intersections and routes that depend on passengers noticing a single notice in a crowded field of messages. Consult current FAA guidance and applicable local requirements for project-specific signing and design decisions.

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How should accessibility and construction coordination be handled?

Accessibility belongs in the construction plan from the start. When an entrance, elevator, route or service is affected, identify the accessible alternative, how passengers reach it, and what assistance is available. Do not assume that a detour suitable for some travelers is a usable substitute for everyone.

The FAA’s circular index includes guidance on terminal planning, signing and graphics, and access to airports by individuals with disabilities. The index confirms that relevant guidance exists; detailed compliance and design decisions require review of the current underlying circulars, applicable law and local conditions.

Coordination must also include the people who operate and occupy the terminal. Contractors, facilities teams, airport operations, tenants and concessionaires need a shared view of phasing, access, service impacts and passenger communications. Chicago Department of Aviation’s published procedures and coordination forms are one example of a formal process for these parties; each airport needs arrangements suited to its own governance and work.

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How can an airport tell whether the construction journey is understandable?

Use a small set of operational checks tied to the journey, not an unsupported promise of a satisfaction increase. The following dimensions are evidence-informed ways to review performance; they are not a validated universal scorecard.

  • Route clarity: Can a traveler follow the temporary route through each decision point without conflicting directions?
  • Accessible continuity: Is there a usable, clearly explained alternative when a route, elevator, entrance or service is affected?
  • Communication timeliness: Does the public notice match current site conditions, identify when it was updated and explain material changes?
  • Service availability: Are affected services and constraints—such as parking or changed access—clearly identified, with alternatives where available?
  • Staff help: Can travelers find someone who knows the current route at the places where uncertainty is most likely?

Review these checks with frontline staff and traveler feedback, then verify issues on the ground. The available airport examples and planning guidance support this operating framework, but they do not provide a controlled comparison of communication strategies, a current multi-airport satisfaction dataset or causal proof that a particular tactic raises satisfaction.

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