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At the same time, the floor’s simple maintenance regimen ensures the floors always look clean, while its durable surface stands up to the more than 15 million travelers, along with rolling luggage and carts, that pass through the airport each year. Says the Calgary Airport Authority, “nora flooring best suits our needs, based on the durability and ease of maintaining the flooring.”
More than 10 years ago, plans to expand YYC Calgary International Airport began to take shape. According to the Calgary Airport Authority, “Our goal was to create an environment that provides a sense of comfort for our travelers. Clear wayfinding is top priority; travelers need to know where they are and where they need to go.”
The Calgary Airport Authority also stressed the importance of cleanliness and the impact it has on the customer experience. It can be a challenge to keep floors looking clean in a facility that welcomed 15.7 million passengers last year. Along with the heavy foot traffic that accompanies these numbers, airport floors need to withstand wear that results from rolling luggage and carts, food and beverage spills and the impact of tracked in snow, mud and ice melt products.
In choosing a floor covering for the airport, administrators relied on their experience with various types of flooring. Says the airport authority, “Carpet has high maintenance costs, is difficult to clean and comes with high cleaning costs. And, if not cleaned regularly, carpeting deteriorates and can take on a poor appearance.”
The authority goes on to describe the maintenance costs associated with linoleum and the poor results that airports have experienced with wood flooring. In the end, YYC chose premium rubber flooring from nora systems, Inc., including more than 400,000 square feet of norament® grano and noraplan® sentica, to cover portions of the international terminal and Connections Corridor, which is the route for the airport’s new shuttle system.
“nora® rubber flooring provides comfort and give underfoot for the traveler—a less fatiguing option as opposed to harder flooring, such as granite or porcelain tile—and best suits the areas we selected for this flooring perfectly,” says the airport authority. “It also has a certain warmth to it that conveys comfort.”
Interior designers tapped into their creativity, blending various patterns and colors to create a variety of floor patterns. As the airport authority notes, “The patterns help create visual interest in some of the longer reaching corridors, adding warmth to these areas to help enhance the traveler experience.”
Durability and ease of maintenance were also important, allowing nora premium rubber products to maintain their appearance and provide a pleasant experience for the traveler. Flooring in the airport also supports the facility’s wayfinding program. As travelers leave the retail/amenities and departures section of the airport and enter the concourses, the flooring changes from granite to nora flooring, signaling to travelers they are on their way.
YYC Calgary International Airport opened last Oct. 31. The $2 billion project doubled the size of the existing airport and includes 24 new aircraft gates and a new shuttle system—YYC LINK—to speed travelers through the entire complex. The airport also features two first-of-its-kind systems in North America—a new tote baggage system and a central wait area, where passengers eat, relax and shop, just five minutes from their departure gates.
