Thermal comfort conditions in airport terminals: Indoor or transition spaces?

This paper reports on the investigation of the thermal comfort conditions in three airport terminals in

the UK. In the course of seasonal field surveys, the indoor environmental conditions were monitored in

different terminal areas and questionnaire-guided interviews were conducted with 3087 terminal users.

The paper focuses on the thermal perception, preference and comfort requirements of passengers and

terminal staff. The two groups presented different satisfaction levels with the indoor environment and

significant differences in their thermal requirements, while both preferring a thermal environment

different to the one experienced. The thermal conflict emerges throughout the terminal spaces. The

neutral and preferred temperatures for passengers were lower than for employees and considerably

lower than the mean indoor temperature. Passengers demonstrated higher tolerance of the thermal

conditions and consistently a wider range of comfort temperatures, whereas the limited adaptive capacity

for staff allowed for a narrower comfort zone.