Sustainable airport management: A research on the perception of energy production from human movement

Developing technology throughout the history of civil aviation, changing demands and needs of passengers, expectations of stakeholders, increasing awareness about sustainability have changed the structure and opportunities of airports. Increasing awareness about sustainability has led human beings to non-conventional energy sources. The use of non-conventional energy sources, which are listed as solar energy, wind, biomass and water power energy, is gradually increasing at airports. Human energy, which is among the non-conventional energy sources, which is concentrated in airport terminals, has been examined under the titles of electricity generation by muscle power and electricity generation by piezoelectric principle. The main purpose of the research is to determine the methods of conversion of kinetic energy arising from passenger mobility in airports to electrical energy, to create environments in which passengers participate in energy production in terminal areas, to evaluate the perspectives of aviation professionals on post-modern energy production in the context of passenger mobility, and to create the first step of awareness on the subject. In line with this purpose, the data, which are the basis of the research, were obtained through interviews with people who are professionals in the field of aviation through the vignettes prepared. In the light of the literature and global current practices, two separate vignettes have been created to both raise awareness about sustainability and strengthen the image of the airport operator about the methods of generating electricity by pedaling the bicycle and applying pressure to the ground in children's playgrounds. The data obtained in line with the interviews made using these vignettes were evaluated with an inductive approach and content analysis. As a result of the research, postmodern electricity generation methods were handled with the help of the observation and experience of the professionals, the themes of muscle power and piezoelectric principle application evaluation were reached and it was revealed that the advantages of these themes came to the fore.