Lean-driven Passenger Experience Design

The paper explores project operation phase through the implementation of Lean Design principles in Airport Terminal Space Programming, highlighting a research gap in the field of Design Science and Lean Design Management. In the contemporary agenda of airport design, good spatial design is fundamental to properly and efficiently manage boarding and disembarking of aircraft. It contributes to the travel experience and is a valuable index for social sustainability of the terminal itself which is evidenced by higher satisfaction levels in the passenger experience. By contrast, current airport design practices do not cope properly with the requirements of spatial design and of the subsequent operation phase. In the Lean mind-set airport terminal operation can be considered a temporary production system, its focus being the processing of the passenger and conveying a high quality travel experience, exploiting flexibility management and project structuring. The terminal becomes a "flight factory", whose layout is crucial for process efficiency and user satisfaction, which are the main metrics for quality service evaluation.