Some airports are tiny. But the largest airports are, well, LARGE. In fact, to get from the entrance to the furthest gate at the airport with the longest walk in the country, you’d have to traverse over two miles. (the 2nd longest walk is “only” 1.62 miles. Here’s a list of the longest and shortest walks in U.S. airports.)
Why Some Airports Are Fixing the Long Walk Problem
SLC knew that the walk for their passengers was REALLY long, so they just recently fixed their problem (and employed a dash of good humor in the process). But while SLC did something to help their passengers walk less, several airports seem to be doing something to make them walk more.
See, many airports historically have moving sidewalks to help with those long walks. You may not be able to sit on them (wouldn’t that be nice???), but at least you can stop actively walking while the moving sidewalk slowly gets you from here to there (here’s why they move so slowly). They’re still pretty popular with people who want to take a break but still get to where they’re going.
Or with smart caregivers who want to tire their kids out. 😉
The problem? Several airports – some of them quite large – are actively REMOVING their moving walkways. Some that have removed them in recent years include airports in:
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Dallas
- Las Vegas
- Northwest Arkansas
- Orlando
The Decline of Moving Sidewalks: Why Are They Being Removed?
But if moving sidewalks are still popular, why are airports removing them?
Repair costs
Anything with that many moving parts is going to break. And fixing a broken moving sidewalk is expensive.
Complaints from storefronts
Depending on which airport you’re in, you’re bypassing a good-sized handful of stores as you’re on that moving walkway. How many people are on the moving walkway, go right past the Brookstone shop, forget that they wanted to buy an LED light therapy silicone face mask, and just keep on going, never backtracking to go to Brookstone? Store managers are NOT happy with moving sidewalks.
The Need for More Space
I remember when Orlando International Airport removed the moving sidewalks between Terminal A and Terminal B (if you’ve visited – it was the one that went past the food court). They usually worked, so that wasn’t why they got rid of them. Nope, it was just that the number of passengers was growing and they needed more space for people to sit. So they tore out the moving walkways and added more chairs. (a spokesperson from Northwest Arkansas National Airport Regional Airport Authority told NBC that needing space for seats, and the fact that the walkways were always broken down anyway, was their reasoning for removing them earlier this year.
Are Moving Sidewalks a Thing of the Past?
Don’t despair yet; not all airports are removing their moving sidewalks. JFK’s moving walkways that bring you to the AirTrain are still chugging along. And airports in Tampa, Denver and Norfolk are adding or upgrading theirs.
Oh, and do you know who else will introduce moving walkways to their airport? Orlando. Except it won’t be between Terminals A and B. it’s going to be at Terminal C, which is super long. This Central FL resident was happy to hear about that!
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
