Exclusive experience for East Jutland air travellers
Aarhus Airport has been extensively refurbished, the aim being to give all air travellers a VIP experience. The airport has therefore been fitted out with designer furniture and elegant black acoustic ceilings.
Aarhus Airport is the fourth-largest airport in Denmark, with almost half a million passengers arriving or departing each year. The goal is to increase this number to 1.5 million passengers over the next five years. As a natural part of this growth strategy, the airport has undergone extensive refurbishment that will help to put the airport on the world map.
“In addition to acquiring a lot of new routes, we’ve looked at what we can do to encourage passengers to choose Aarhus as their point of departure or destination. Here, food and decor are two significant add-on parameters,” says Merete Olesen, Airport Station Manager at Aarhus Airport.
All-round VIP experience
Most of the focus has been directed at the first floor of the airport building, where there is now a new café and lounge area as well as a new restaurant.
“When our passengers arrive at the airport, they need to continue their journey feeling fed and refreshed and being left with a good overall impression. Because it’s here, of course, that an enjoyable trip starts or ends. Denmark and Aarhus enjoy a strong reputation within both design and food, which is why we have gone for the best products and materials,” says Merete Olesen, and explains:
“The goal is that all passengers feel like VIP guests. They need to feel that they are being given special treatment, that there is an air of exclusivity about the airport, and that it lives up to their expectations.”
The company HAY is behind the interior design, furniture and decoration, while the Aarhus restaurant and catering company MIB is responsible for the food and refreshments.
Black ceilings radiate exclusivity
To support the exclusive look, the airport’s existing acoustic ceiling from Troldtekt has been painted black. In addition to the fact that black ceilings complete the overall look of the interior design, repainting them was also in keeping with the airport’s focus on recycling and sustainability. Troldtekt is a natural material made from Danish wood and cement, and the ceiling panels have a lifespan of at least 75 years – also when painted during their product lives.
“Painting the ceilings black has transformed the whole feel of the airport, which now comes across as exclusive and elegant. We have, among other things, been inspired by the hotel industry, and it’s impressive what an impact changing the colour of the ceiling has had,” says Merete Olesen.
In the redesigned lounge area, new acoustic panels have also been installed, so the ceiling matches the rest of the airport interior.
Now that the refurbishment work is finished, the desire is for the airport to connect East Jutland with the rest of Europe and maybe New York. Therefore, a large-scale conversion of the car park is in the pipeline, and new accommodation options are also being considered.
