Airports are changing. While operational efficiency remains fundamental, the quality of the time passengers spend inside the terminal has become an increasingly important part of the overall travel experience. Waiting areas are evolving into places where passengers can work, relax, connect, recharge or simply enjoy a moment before continuing their journey.
This evolution is also changing the role of furniture. Seating is no longer simply a functional necessity: it contributes to comfort and wellbeing, helps create a distinctive sense of place and must simultaneously meet demanding requirements for durability, maintenance and sustainability.
Air Tech Italy brought together two of its members with extensive experience in this field: Marco Gaspari (on the left), Business Developer and responsible for the Airport Business Unit at Poltrona Frau, and Marco Colombo (on the right), Public Seating at Tecno. We asked them how passenger expectations are changing, what airports are looking for today and how Italian design and manufacturing expertise can contribute to creating the airport environments of tomorrow.
Can you introduce yourself, your role and your company?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
I am responsible for the Airport Business Unit at Poltrona Frau, one of Italy’s most recognised luxury furniture brands. I work closely with airports, architects and consultants to develop premium seating environments for terminals and lounges.
Our ambition is to bring the values of Italian craftsmanship, comfort and timeless design into aviation, creating passenger spaces that feel welcoming while meeting the durability and maintenance requirements of busy airports.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
I work on the development of furniture and public seating solutions for transportation and public environments. My role brings together architects, consultants, airport operators and project teams to create solutions where design must coexist with demanding operational requirements.
Tecno is an Italian furniture manufacturer founded in 1953. We have decades of experience designing workplaces and public environments, but airports are among the most fascinating projects because they combine architecture, passenger experience and extreme operational performance.
Waiting is where passengers spend much of their time at the airport. How has the waiting experience changed?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
Airports have evolved from purely functional transit spaces into hospitality environments. Waiting has become part of the journey itself, and passengers now expect the same comfort they experience in premium hotels, offices or retail spaces.
Comfortable seating, quality materials, privacy and thoughtful design contribute directly to passengers’ wellbeing and to their overall perception of the airport experience.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
The biggest shift is that waiting is no longer simply a question of providing enough seats. Airports have realised that passengers use waiting time in very different ways. Business travellers work, families need flexible spaces, young travellers recharge devices, while others simply want privacy or a quiet moment.
Instead of rows of identical seating, terminals increasingly offer a variety of environments adapted to different passenger profiles and different types of airports—from major international hubs to regional leisure gateways.
What do airports focus on today when creating pleasant waiting areas?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
Passenger expectations have risen significantly. People notice materials, lighting, acoustics, personal space and connectivity. Airports therefore look for seating that combines operational efficiency with comfort and a distinctive identity.
Premium design is no longer reserved for airline lounges. Many airports want to elevate comfort throughout the entire passenger journey.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
Airports still need to get the basics right: passenger flow, security, information, maintenance and cleaning. Once those foundations are in place, furniture becomes one of the strongest elements shaping the character of a terminal.
We increasingly see airports creating dedicated spaces for working, socialising, relaxing or spending time with family instead of relying on a single seating solution throughout the terminal.
There is also a growing focus on identity. For many travellers, the airport is their first and last encounter with a destination. Furniture and interior design can therefore help create a genuine sense of place, reflecting the culture and character of the city or region the airport represents.
Sustainability has become a key decision criterion. How has this changed your approach?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
This philosophy fits naturally with Poltrona Frau’s heritage. We design products to last for decades, using responsibly sourced materials and manufacturing processes that support durability and circularity.
Sustainability is no longer only about reducing emissions. It is about extending product life, facilitating maintenance and minimising the overall environmental footprint throughout the product’s lifetime.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
Sustainability has become much more concrete. Airports increasingly evaluate the complete lifecycle of a product rather than simply asking whether it contains sustainable materials.
In high-traffic environments, longevity is one of the most important forms of sustainability. Products that can be maintained, repaired and upgraded instead of replaced deliver real environmental value. Sustainability therefore needs to be considered from the beginning of the design process rather than added afterwards.
Airports are becoming intermodal mobility hubs. What does that mean for furniture design?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
Intermodality requires much more versatile seating landscapes. Some passengers remain only a few minutes before changing transport mode, while others spend hours between connections.
Designing flexible, intuitive and accessible environments ensures passengers enjoy a consistent experience across the entire mobility ecosystem.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
Passengers increasingly experience their journey as one continuous mobility chain: home, train, airport, aircraft and beyond. Waiting therefore happens at different moments and for different durations.
Furniture needs to support both short transitions and longer stays while allowing passengers to work, eat, meet or relax without creating unnecessary barriers between these activities.
What major trends will shape airport waiting areas in the coming years?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
Wellness will become a defining trend. Natural materials, better acoustics, softer atmospheres and human-centred design all help reduce the stress associated with travel.
At the same time, integrated charging, connected seating and sustainability will increasingly become standard expectations rather than premium features.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
Airports are becoming warmer, less institutional and much closer to hospitality environments. We also see increasing integration between architecture, furniture, technology and services from the earliest design stages.
Inclusive design, connectivity and flexibility will continue to grow in importance as terminals accommodate increasingly diverse passenger needs.
Italian design has a strong reputation worldwide. What makes Italian companies particularly relevant for airports?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
Italian companies have a unique combination of craftsmanship, premium materials and industrial know-how. For airports, this means solutions that are aesthetically distinctive, operationally reliable and built to last.
We believe terminals deserve the same level of quality and attention to detail that passengers expect in the world’s finest hospitality environments.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
Every airport has its own identity, culture and operational reality. Italian design combines creativity with the ability to develop bespoke solutions rather than simply selecting products from a catalogue.
The challenge is to create furniture that reflects the identity of a place while remaining robust enough for one of the world’s most demanding public environments.
Looking ahead, how do you see the future of airport passenger environments?
Marco Gaspari – Poltrona Frau
The future airport will not be defined by efficiency alone. It will be judged by its ability to create memorable, comfortable and emotionally engaging experiences while remaining environmentally responsible.
Marco Colombo – Tecno
Airports are moving from being waiting spaces to becoming living spaces. The best projects will be those that naturally support the way people travel today—working, connecting, recharging, relaxing and interacting with their surroundings.
Many thanks gentlemen for your time and the very interesting inputs.
Want to get in touch with our members? Check out https://airtechitaly.com/member/poltronefrau/ and https://airtechitaly.com/member/tecno-spa/.
Poltrona Frau will be exhibiting at the upcoming Passenger Terminal Expo in Singapore, more on the event here.