L004: When Does Airport Seating Actually Need Replacing?
When an airport is refurbished or modernised, existing seating can easily become part of the replacement conversation. After years of intensive use, changing finishes and evolving passenger expectations, starting again can appear to be the obvious solution. But age alone tells us surprisingly little about the value left in a seating system.
At Zoeftig, we believe airport seating should be assessed as an asset. If the fundamental structure remains sound, there may be significant opportunities to retain it while refinishing surfaces, renewing upholstery, replacing individual components or upgrading elements of the system.
In some cases, the biggest change may be visual. New colours, fabrics and finishes can completely transform how existing seating fits within a redesigned terminal. In others, the requirement may be functional. Passenger expectations have changed considerably over the lifetime of many seating installations, particularly around access to power and the ways people use waiting spaces. Where the original system allows it, upgrading individual elements may offer a better answer than removing everything and starting again.
But, of course, retaining existing seating isn’t always the right decision either.
Condition, component availability, changing layouts, accessibility, maintenance requirements, future plans for the space and the practicalities of upgrading all need to be considered. Sometimes replacement genuinely provides the best long-term outcome. The most important factor is that replacement should be a conclusion, not a starting point.
For airport operators, looking carefully at what can be retained, refinished or upgraded can uncover value that isn’t obvious from the installation date alone.
Because the question shouldn’t simply be “How old is our seating?”
It should be:
“How much useful life does it still have?”