Both major Arizona airports in Phoenix and Tucson are looking to add more power outlets for travelers to charge their electronic devices.
Power outlets are a “highly requested customer service amenity” at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to Heather Lissner, spokeswoman for the airport.
The most recent charging station and seating additions were installed in 2012, Lissner said. Terminal 3 is currently undergoing a modernization program that will add more outlets and seating areas, before and after security checkpoints, to be completed by 2020, Lissner said. The project is in the first component stage, she said, so more exact information about the number of charging stations they plan to add is unknown.
The program is divided into three components: terminal processor, north concourse and south concourse. A rendering of the final product is available here.
Tucson International Airport last remodeled its concourses about eight years ago with counter-height tables with power outlets, said Karen Thomas, airport spokeswoman.
“People ended up sitting on the floor,” Thomas said. “(Outlets and seating were) another customer service amenity we knew we needed to provide.”
Zachary Bramble, a car-rental employee at the Tucson airport, said he sits in the same place on the floor almost every day in the arrivals concourse. “Outlets are abundant but in random places. Oddly enough, there’s not one by the coffee shop,” he said.
The next renovation, currently in the design stage, is expected to be completed within two years and will add more charging stations and seating. It will also provide two new business centers for travelers, Thomas said.
The two new business centers will have more tables, chair and outlets. It will be a quieter space than the terminals, according to Thomas. “The areas will be open air with glass dividers to save on noise,” she said.
A children’s play area will also be added in each concourse.
Some airlines provide their own power outlets at their permanent gates. Dan Landson, a representative of Southwest Airlines, said Southwest has power outlets installed throughout their gate space at Phoenix Sky Harbor.
Brianna Jackson, a representative with American Airlines, said the airline is in the process of adding new charging stations to their gates at their hubs and larger markets, including Phoenix.
Currently, travelers can find two different kinds of charging stations at either airport: charging kiosks that have provided electrical cords for use for a fee, or free outlets provided throughout the terminals.
“The addition of two types of charging stations makes it even easier for travelers to get plugged in, which is important for both business and leisure travelers alike,” Lissner said.
Megan Mohler is a reporter for Arizona Sonora News, a service from the School of Journalism with the University of Arizona. Contact her at meganmohler@email.arizona.edu.
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