Easy, Tiger

How does an airport that defines itself on its gentle, small-town charm cope with the most significant disruption in a century? By going all-out to tackle it head on, of course. Adam Thorn speaks to Avalon’s Justin Giddings about surviving COVID-19 and reinventing itself to prepare for aviation’s post-pandemic future

Avalon Airport prides itself on simplicity. 

As Justin Giddings, the business’ boundlessly cheery chief executive explains, the whole ethos is about being able to breeze through without the hassle you’ll endure from dodging thousands of passengers at its larger rival. And so, it’s the simple things they put the most effort into. The security guards are trained to double up as customer service reps, there’s no bussing between buildings, and the terminals are on a single-level, making them mobility friendly. “You can’t possibly miss your flight,” he promises. “We’re after that home-grown sort of feel. We don’t want it to be a metropolis of massive shops.”