The Changing Role of Airports Reading Answers

Jan 24, 2023

The Changing Role of Airports Reading Answers is an IELTS academic reading topic. The Changing Role of Airports Reading Answers has been taken from IELTS Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS Test 1. In this IELTS topic: The Changing Role of Airports Reading Answers, candidates need to answer 13 questions. IELTS reading sample questions and answers on the topic contain three types of questions: Identifying Information, No more than two words, Complete the summary. IELTS reading practice papers are considered the most helpful preparation source for test-takers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Changing Role of Airports Reading Answers

Question - Airports continue to diversify their role in an effort to generate income. Are business meeting facilities the next step? Nigel Halpern, Anne Graham and Rob Davidson investigate.

In recent times developing commercial revenues has become more challenging for airports due to a combination of factors, such as increased competition from Internet shopping, restrictions on certain sales, such as tobacco, and new security procedures that have had an impact on the dwell time of passengers. Moreover, the global economic downturn has caused a reduction in passenger numbers while those that are traveling generally have less money to spend. This has meant that the share subsequently declined slightly. Meanwhile, the pressures to control the level of aeronautical revenues are as strong as ever due to the poor financial health of many airlines and the rapid rise of the low-cost carrier sector.
Some of the more obvious solutions to growing commercial revenues, such as extending the merchandising space or expanding the variety of shopping opportunities, have already been tried to their limit at many airports. A more radical solution is to find new sources of commercial revenue within the terminal, and this has been explored by many airports over the last decade or so. As a result, many terminals are now much more than just shopping malls and offer an array of entertainment, leisure, and beauty and wellness facilities. At this stage of facilities provision, the airport also has the possibility of taking on the role of the final destination rather than merely a facilitator of access.
At the same time, airports have been developing and expanding the range of services that they provide specifically for business traveller in the terminal. This includes offering business centres that supply support services, meeting or conference rooms and other space for special events. Within this context, Jarach (2001) discusses how dedicated meetings facilities located within the terminal and managed directly by the airport operator may be regarded as an expansion of the concept of airline lounges or as a way to reconvert abandoned or underused areas of terminal and managed directly by the airport hotels and other facilities offered in the surrounding area of the airport that had the potential to take on this role and become active as a business space (McNeill, 2009).
When an airport location can be promoted as a business venue, this may increase the overall appeal of the airport and help it become more competitive in both attracting and retaining airlines and their passengers. In particular, the presence of meeting facilities could become one of the determining factors taken into consideration when business people are choosing airlines and where they change their planes. This enhanced attractiveness itself may help to improve the airport operator’s financial position and future prospects, but clearly, this will be dependent on the competitive advantage that the airport is able to achieve in comparison with other venues.
In 2011, an online airport survey was conducted and some of the areas investigated included the provision and use of meeting facilities at airports and the perceived role and importance of these facilities in generating income and raising passenger numbers. In total, there were responses from staff at 154 airports and 68% of these answered “yes” to the question: Does your airport own and have meetings facilities available for hire? The existence of meeting facilities, therefore, seems high at airports. In addition, 28% of respondents that did not have meeting facilities stated that they were likely to invest in them during the next five years. The survey also asked to what extent respondents agreed or disagreed with a number of statements about the meeting facilities at their airport. 49% of respondents agreed that they would invest more in the immediate future. These are fairly high proportions considering the recent economic climate.
The survey also asked airports with meeting facilities to estimate what proportion of users are from the local area. i.e. within a 90-minute drive from the airport, or from abroad. Their findings show that meeting facilities provided by the majority of respondents tend to serve local versus non-local or foreign needs. 63% of respondents estimated that over 60% of users are from the local area. Only 3% estimated that over 80% of users are from abroad. It is therefore not surprising that the facilities are of limited importance when it comes to increasing use of fights at the airports: 16% of respondents estimated that none of the users of their meeting facilities uses fights when traveling to or from them, while 56% estimated that 20% or fewer of the users of their facilities use fights.
The survey asked respondents with meeting facilities to estimate how much revenue their airport earned from its meeting facilities during the last financial year. The average revenue per airport was just $12,959. Meeting facilities are effectively a non-aeronautical source of airport revenue. Only 1% of respondents generated more than 20% non-aeronautical revenue from their meetings facilities; none generated more than 40%. Given the focus on local demand, it is not surprising that less than a third of respondents agreed that their meeting facilities support business and tourism development in their home region or country.
The findings of this study suggest that few airports provide meeting facilities as a serious commercial venture. It may be that, as owners of large property, space is available for meeting facilities at airports and could play an important role in serving the needs of the airport, its partners, and stakeholders such as the government and the local community. Thus, while the local orientation means that competition with other airports is likely to be minimal, competition with local providers of meeting facilities is likely to be much greater.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-5

The text has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 1 - 5 on your answer sheet.
N.B. You may use any letter more than once.

(Guide: To answer the ‘identify information’ IELTS reading question type, you need to read the passage thoroughly, scan for information, and search for the necessary details.

Tip: The answers are scattered throughout the passage. Use paraphrasing to relate the given information and answer options. All paragraphs may not be used to find answers. )

Question 1: evidence that a significant number of airports provide meeting facilities.

Answer: E

Supporting Sentence: In total, there were responses from staff at 154 airports and 68% of these answered “yes” to the question: Does your airport own and have meetings facilities available for hire?
Keyword: meeting facilities, 68% of these answered “yes”

Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 2^nd sentence
Explanation: As per the survey and the results, it is evident that most of the airports are providing meeting facilities on the terminal. The author confirms this in passage E. This acts as the evidence for the answer.

Question 2: a statement regarding the fact that no further developments are possible in some areas of airport trade.

Answer: B

Supporting Sentence: Some of the more obvious solutions to growing commercial revenues, such as extending the merchandising space or expanding the variety of shopping opportunities, have already been tried to their limit at many airports

Keywords: growing commercial revenues, extending the merchandising space, have already been tried to their limit at many airports.
Keyword Location: Paragraph B; 1^st sentence
Explanation: The author mentions that several airports have reached their maximum limit of exploring the possibilities for facilities at terminals. They tried their limit which means it is not possible anymore. Supporting it, the time period confirms the answer B.

Question 3: reference to the low level of income that meeting facilities produce for airports.

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: Only 1% of respondents generated more than 20% non-aeronautical revenue from their meetings facilities; none generated more than 40%.

Keywords: non-aeronautical revenue

Keyword Location: Paragraph G; 4^th sentence
Explanation: As per the author, the meeting facilities provided at the terminal were not able to generate enough revenue. The passage also talks about the statistics which is mentioned in paragraph G. Meeting facilities revenue is termed here by non-aeronautical revenue. This makes G the correct answer.

Question 4: mention of the impact of budget airlines on airport income.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Moreover, the global economic downturn has caused a reduction in passenger numbers while those that are traveling generally have less money to spend.

Keywords: economic downturn, reduction in passenger

Keyword Location: Paragraph A, 3^rd sentence
Explanation: The passage at the beginning states that the impacts on airport income are adversely affected. This happened due to low commercial revenue generation and increased competition among airlines. The low financial budget of several airlines is also a factor considered in the estimation of airport income. Hence, A is the correct answer.

Question 5: examples of airport premises that might be used for business purposes.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Within this context, Jarach (2001) discusses how dedicated meetings facilities located within the terminal and managed directly by the airport operator may be regarded as an expansion of the concept of airline lounges or as a way to reconvert abandoned or underused areas of terminal and managed directly by the airport hotels and other facilities offered in the surrounding area of the airport that had the potential to take on this role and become active as a business space (McNeill, 2009).

Keywords: Jarach (2001), dedicated meetings

Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 3^rd sentence
Explanation: The author provides evidence of certain airports offering several facilities and services. This is mentioned in paragraph C of the passage. Examples of the services that are utilized for business purposes at the airport are business centers, support services, and others given in the paragraph. Hence, C is the correct answer.

Questions 6 - 9

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 6 - 9 on your answer sheet.

(Guide: To answer this type of IELTS reading question, you need to go through the passage and find the necessary keywords. You can use maximum two words to fill up the gaps.

Tip: Focus on proper nouns, numbers, capital letters, or special characters inside the passage. Scanning the passage for keywords is the best technique to find correct answers. )

Question 6: The length of time passengers spend shopping at airports have been affected by updates ...............…

Answer 6: Security Procedure
Supporting Sentence: In recent times developing commercial revenues has become more challenging for airports due to a combination of factors, such as increased competition from Internet shopping, restrictions on certain sales, such as tobacco, and new security procedures that have had an impact on the dwell time of passengers.

Keywords: new security procedures, impact on the dwell time of passengers.

Keyword Location: Paragraph A; 1^st sentence
Explanation: As per the passage, the times spent by the passengers are noted by dwell time which is linked to the impacts caused by the security procedure. If there is delay in security procedure, the time to board the flight will be less. hence, they will not be allowed to shop.

Question 7: Airports with a wide range of recreational facilities can become a .................. for people rather than a means to travel.

Answer: Final destination

Supporting Sentence: At this stage of facilities provision, the airport also has the possibility of taking on the role of the final destination rather than merely a facilitator of access.
Keyword Location: Paragraph B; Last 3 lines
Keywords: At this stage of facilities provision, final destination
Explanation: The author mentions that airports have opened up leisure activity places. Due to this, airports can be final destinations for passengers as the line suggests that the terminal facilities may play a significant role in it. Hence, Final Destination is the correct answer.

Question 8: Both passengers and .................. may feel encouraged to use and develop a sense of loyalty towards airports that market their business services.

Answer: airlines

Supporting Sentence: In particular, the presence of meeting facilities could become one of the determining factors taken into consideration when business people are choosing airlines and where they change their planes.
Keyword Location: Paragraph D; 2^nd sentence
Keywords: business venue, the appeal of the airport, attracting and retaining airlines.
Explanation: Due to the terminal facilities and services being provided to travelers, more airlines will be attracted to the terminal with a sense of growth and loyalty. This will help passengers and airlines also.

Question 9: Airports that supply meeting facilities may need to develop a .................. over other venues.

Answer: Competitive advantage
Supporting Sentence: but clearly, this will be dependent on the competitive advantage that the airport is able to achieve in comparison with other venues.

Keywords: competitive advantage, comparison with other venues

Keyword Location: Paragraph D; last sentence
Explanation: More people will be attracted if the airports increase the facilities. This will also increase passengers traveling for business purposes. Also, the competition among the operator's financial position and relevant future considerations are accounted for with discrete revenues. Hence, competitive advantage is the correct answer.

Questions 10 - 13

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

Survey Findings

Despite financial constraints due to the (10).................., a significant percentage of airports provide and wish to further support business meeting facilities. Also, just under 30% of the airports surveyed plan to provide these facilities within (11) .................. however, the main users of the facilities are (12) .................. and as many as 16% of respondents to the survey stated that their users did not take any (13) .................. at the airport.

(Guide: In summary completion IELTS Reading question type you need to fill up the blanks with appropriate words. This requires you to scan the passage for specific information, understanding the main and supporting ideas, and choosing appropriate words.

Tip: The answers are usually found in order. You will need to choose the words keeping the paragraph grammatically correct. Locate the necessary information and check how many words can be used to fill up the gap.

Question 10:

Answer 10: Economic downturn/climate
Supporting Sentence: These are fairly high proportions considering the recent economic climate.

Keywords: economic climate.

Keyword Location: Paragraph E; last line
Explanation: The author in the whole passage talks about developments and growth. This all happened even after the fall of the economy. Based on the survey outcomes and economic uncertainty, airports are likely to invest in terminal facilities. Hence, the economic climate is the correct answer.

Question 11:

Answer: Five years

Supporting Sentence: In addition, 28% of respondents that did not have meeting facilities stated that they were likely to invest in them during the next five years.

Keywords: 28% of respondents, invest, five years.

Keyword Location: Paragraph E; 5^th sentence
Explanation: The passage talks about a survey conducted that resulted in the stats of individuals who are ready to invest in providing services. The supporting sentence clearly shows that the answer is 5 years.

Question 12:

Answer: Local (people)
Supporting Sentence: 63% of respondents estimated that over 60% of users are from the local area.

Keywords: 63% of respondents, 60% of users, local area.

Keyword Location: Paragraph F; 3^rd sentence
Explanation: The survey findings show that the terminal services developed tend to serve the locals more than other passengers. the author gives statistics of over 60 percentage. Hence, local is the correct answer.

Question 13:

Answer 13: Flights
Supporting Sentence: 16% of respondents estimated that none of the users of their meeting facilities uses fights when traveling to or from them, while 56% estimated that 20% or fewer of the users of their facilities use fights.

Keywords: 16% of respondents, uses fights when traveling

Keyword Location: Paragraph F; last sentence
Explanation: As per the survey, the respondents do not prefer to take flights while they are availing of the terminal meeting facilities as per the stats of the survey conducted. This makes flights the correct answer.

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