Passengers will walk through an air bridge which has floor to ceiling images of Antarctica and Antarctic penguins, complete with sounds of penguin and seal calls. The air bridge aims to give passengers a unique sensory experience as they arrive into Christchurch. Gareth Owen, general manager of marketing and business development of CIAL, explained that being New Zealand’s tourism gateway; Christchurch Airport will have several air bridges, each themed for a tourist attraction or iconic scenery that can be reached from Christchurch. The themes will include Antarctica, the Fiordland rain forest, lakes and native bush. He adds that all the air bridges will have floor to ceiling images, sound, and occasionally smells, to give people a true sensation of actually being in each location.
Owen said that they began with the Antarctic air bridge, because of the strategic relationship with Antarctica, being a key travel point to that destination. The Antarctic air bridge is a combined venture of Antarctica New Zealand and Christchurch International Airport.
