In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results. With our vocation for innovation and the solid capacity to adapt that we have demonstrated since the very beginning, the current situation has allowed us to consolidate the strengths that set us apart, design new services that respond to emerging needs, and offer the best from our primary asset, the team that makes up Ineco. In short, we are moving forward, growing together.

The role and talent of Spanish engineering has meant that, for the first time in the more than 50 years of our history, we are now operating on all five continents. We have made our entry into Australia as part of the technical team that is promoting the modernisation of Sydney’s commuter network, drawing on Ineco’s extensive experience in the railway sector. In addition to this project, which is a symbolic milestone for all of us, Ineco was also awarded contracts with Rail Baltica and the works for Vilnius airport, both in Europe, the sustainability study for Dammam airport and the integral management of the plan for the Kuwait international airport expansion, in Asia, and the project recently signed in Costa Rica, on the American continent.

In Spain, we continue to focus our work on continuing to grow together with our clients and shareholders, contributing to the maintenance of essential services that seek to guarantee sustainable development, such as the services provided in Spain for Aena related to its carbon footprint and the fight against climate change,the work for ENAIRE, which for the first time successfully tested remote operation of SACTA, and the works and installations for Adif that will enable it to improve the quality of the service and advance in the efforts to bring high-speed rail to Extremadura.

In extraordinary times like these, properly harnessing our potential is also yielding extraordinary results

Ineco’s commitment to developing its talent has enabled it to continue to grow its position as a ground-breaking transport engineering and consultancy firm in the design of innovative and cutting-edge projects. One clear example of this is the international Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award given by Esri, a world leader in software for Geographic Information Systems, which recognises Ineco’s ground-breaking work in Spain using the BIM methodology in a GIS environment when designing a new stretch of highway. Accordingly, this edition includes an article on linear infrastructure projects in several countries where we are applying the BIM methodology. We also cover the Innova Award awarded to Ineco for the EOS project, a software product with unique features previously unavailable on the market.

Lastly, within the framework of our Agenda 2030 Plan, we highlight the importance of Ineco’s compliance programme, an example of our firm commitment to ethics that forms part of our Atenea Strategic Plan, guaranteeing respect for the law and trust amongst our stakeholders. Compliance is a culture that enables us to continue growing together to continuously improve our company, avoiding risks and producing legal security.

Airport shops and restaurants play an important role in providing passengers with everything to meet their basic needs. A varied and large offering, with properly designed and attractive spaces, will make the overall passenger experience more pleasant, which will increase passenger spending and consequently, the airport will see an increase in revenue. Careful planning is required to achieve these objectives.

In 2020, Ineco completed a commercial plan for Vilnius International Airport, demonstrating the company’s extensive experience in the development of commercial spaces in airports, the result of almost two decades of collaboration with the airport manager Aena, and other projects carried out at the Luanda and El Salvador international airports, among others.

The work was developed in three phases, starting with the analysis of the characteristics of the airport such as its passenger profile and an analysis of the existing commercial offering and an initial proposal for commercial sizing. In the next stage, different proposals for the distribution of spaces and the recommended commercial mix were drawn up. All of this ensures compliance with IATA technical recommendations, especially with respect to spaces in boarding lounges. Lastly, the general guidelines for functional interior design and the homogeneous and attractive façade design were presented, along with the general technical requirements for supplies and services. At this stage, a detailed business plan was presented for each of the commercial premises, including calculations of the necessary investments, operating costs, expected revenues and returns, as well as a proposal for fees and concession periods.

Portrait of an airport

Vilnius International Airport, managed by the state-owned Lithuanian Airports, is the country’s busiest airport. In 2019, it surpassed 5 million passengers and has experienced significant growth in recent years. The terminal is the product of three distinct architectural stages (1954, 1987 and 2007). According to the analysis performed, the three buildings are well integrated architecturally, with a bright interior space and high ceilings. The biggest problem detected was congestion, which is why a third expansion will be carried out in an annexed area, called T4, where the check-in and security processes will be carried out in the future, leaving the entire area of the existing terminal for boarding.

The existing commercial area totals about
3,600 m², which is equivalent to about 724 m² per million passengers. The airside/groundside distribution is 79%-21%, which is considered adequate and within the reference values. This is because passengers spend more time airside. Architectural constraints determine where the passenger flow, which has been studied in detail, will move since this defines the layout of available offerings. In this initial stage, Ineco’s consulting team also analysed the airport’s operational and socio-demographic profile, the concessionaires and the passengers, 40% of whom travel for leisure, which means that, unlike business passengers, they arrive at the airport earlier and spend more time there. Another factor analysed in phase one of the plan was the sizing of the commercial area of Vilnius airport, calculating the square metres of commercial space per million passengers.

Ineco designed the most suitable layout and commercial mix for the enlargement and remodeling of Vilnius airport

Location is (almost) everything

In the second stage of development of the commercial plan, Ineco’s team prepared a design of the distribution of the different spaces or layout, with several alternatives, and a proposal of the most suitable and balanced set of business lines for Vilnius airport, known as the commercial mix. This was done based on the walk-through duty-free  stores in Dubai, Sydney, Madrid or Barcelona, among others, and the latest trends in retail and F&B (Food & Beverage) areas at reference airports in European cities such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt or London, and other nearby cities with similar culture such as Copenhagen, Riga or Tallinn. The commercial offering of the city of Vilnius was also studied, where the sale of one of the most typical national products of Lithuania –amber– stands out.

The walk-through store concept has spread to airports around the world and is considered the most commercially effective design. Nowadays, at the Vilnius airport, there is already a quite new and modern duty free walk-through shop, although an inevitable flow split occurs there, which, together with the small size, limits its potential. The proposal is therefore to improve the location and size of the shopping area, increasing it to around 1,500 m². The existing retail offering in Vilnius is minimal, so the proposal is to improve it in terms of variety to enhance the shopping experience. In addition, updating to follow some of the latest trends is also recommended, such as speciality retail shops that encourage shopping by offering a distinctive product: the Ferrari shops in Italian airports, the tulip store at Schiphol or the gold jewellery store in Dubai, for example.

As far as F&B areas are concerned, increasing the passenger’s ‘perception of choice’ is also recommended, since the larger the perceived variety, the greater their satisfaction and therefore the more they will end up spending. Recent restaurant trends that have been studied at major European airports include food trucks, ‘local flavours’ (branches of popular local restaurants), ‘farmer’s markets’ for local and seasonal products, to-go gourmet meals for in-the-air consumption (grab&go), celebrity chef restaurants, high-tech restaurants equipped with tablets for business passengers, pop-up restaurants and sports bars. There is also a trend towards food-courts, common areas shared between several nearby F&B points, which enhances the perception of variety, especially in terminals with limited space as is the case in Vilnius.

Commercial design of the main floor, with the proposed distribution of retail, F&B and duty free areas, strategically located in the path of the passenger flow.

The location and the most suitable sizing for each business line have been studied in detail, while always seeking the maximum possible visibility and also clustering the shops around a commercial plaza in order to generate a critical mass that will improve sales performance. The ‘anchor’ effect or attraction generated by F&B areas and some non-commercial services such as toilets, seating areas, children’s playground, currency exchange, etc., which, regardless of their location, attract passengers by covering basic needs, was taken into account in the layout. Synergies between the different establishments were also considered: for example, jewellery shops are good ‘neighbours’ to perfume shops or upmarket restaurants, but not to toilets, while cafes are a good commercial fit next to establishments such as press  or bookshops, as well as next to seating areas.

Another key to efficient commercial design is to maximise the time spent in the commercial area while reducing passenger stress: this is at its highest level just before boarding. Installing flight information screens with boarding notices in this area helps to reassure passengers, which improves their willingness to shop. In addition to this, it has been suggested that the boarding gates be announced at the required time, and not too early, in order to make it easier to remain in the commercial areas.

Architectural design of interiors and façades

In the third and final stage of the commercial plan, the interior designs of the commercial premises and a joint vision of the façades of the establishments were developed. Ineco’s architectural team developed a façade design with up to eight types of sections, with the aim of homogenising the space and creating a welcoming ambience that will attract customers, in an architecturally integrated space. For instance, the undulating design of the stores avoids the feeling of an ‘endless corridor’, while in the other areas an open design invites customers who have little time to visit. For interiors, the use of floors that are suitable for intensive airport use, a bright display and clearly visible prices are recommended. In terms of materials, robust materials with high-quality finishes are recommended, and they should follow the same design trends applied in the new expansion, where the use of wood predominates.

Lighting is particularly important, since it helps to highlight the products, guide the customer through the store and create atmosphere. Ceilings are also very important as they serve to conceal conduits and wiring and together with lighting, are essential for creating visual effects. Flooring must be durable and at the same level as the terminal. The plan included design proposals for all of the stores included in the commercial mix.

The three main recommendations for the façades were to maintain the architectural merit of the space, to offer interesting and contemporary designs and to use the exterior as a showcase, taking special care with the front signage. Lastly, the plan includes general recommendations for the technical design in terms of the water and electricity supply, air conditioning, smoke extraction systems, fire protection systems and data connection.

A commercial mix ‘tailor-made’ for Vilnius

Mock-up of the future duty free walk-through, which is currently located in the check-in area. The open space concept, the lighting and the use of wood are the main features of the design, creating a cosy and attractive atmosphere.

In the commercial mix proposed for Vilnius airport, the main recommendations include, among others, the incorporation of ‘accessories & fashion’ and ‘electronic, sports and toys & games’ categories in the duty free shop (or as an independent shop in some cases), as well as souvenirs and a delicatessen in the commercial plaza, all of which have high potential demand. The opening of an amber costume jewellery shop, just like those in the most emblematic streets of the city, is also recommended.

The implementation of ‘bar/pub’ and ‘coffee shop’ concepts, which are in high potential demand  among passengers, is also proposed. The creation of a fast food point in the commercial plaza was also suggested, with an ‘anchor’, which could be an international burger brand, as well as other points that broaden the existing offerings, such as a Japanese restaurant or a bakery.

Vilnius Airport, the largest in Lithuania, is immersed in a process of expansion that will enable it to handle the significant increase in traffic experienced in recent years and improve the quality of service to passengers. To this end, the state enterprise Lithuanian Airports, which plans to expand the existing terminal, has commissioned Ineco to carry out a study to improve its commercial areas, which, after the renovation, will occupy the airport’s current departures area.

The work includes identification of the commercial needs of passengers and reorientation of traffic flows within the terminal. The Spanish public engineering firm, which has extensive experience in planning and designing commercial areas, will carry out the design of the commercial areas and premises in accordance with technical and economic requirements, in addition to proposing recommendations for the future awarding of concessions.

Ineco has carried out similar work in El Salvador and Spain, where it has collaborated with Aena for more than 12 years on the commercial redesign of airports in operation or on new infrastructures.