Heathrow Terminal 2 has found a novel way to engage passengers in transit: a giant one-of-a-kind ‘scent globe’.
Most people snap pictures to document travel, but studies show our olfactory memory is also very powerful, and helps us identify with people and places.
The airport has therefore invited passengers to enjoy a new interactive fixture which features fragrances from a selection of five pungent destinations:
South Africa: the adventure of safari with notes of tribal incense, wild grass and musky animalics through the scent of Hyraceum - a petrified excrement from the Cape Hyrax
Brazil: the scents of its rich rainforest fauna with a palette of coffee, tobacco and jasmine
Japan: cool, oceanic tones with a mix of seaweed and shell extracts, green tea and Ambergris (found in the digestive system of whales) capturing the essence of small coastal villages so synonymous with the great Pacific Island
China: mystical temple incense mixed with the subtle, yet exotic, Osmanthus Fragrans flower to ‘create an orient explosion’
Thailand: an appetising mix of lemongrass, ginger and coconut
The airport sees over 11 million people a year on over 50,476 flights travel to and from these countries, taking in 69 destinations between them. The five countries chosen are not only popular with British travellers but also offer the most exciting smells, explained a statement from the airport.
“We strive to offer a unique experience that delights our passengers,” said Normand Boivin, COO at Heathrow. “These specially created scents will give passengers travelling through Terminal 2 an exclusive preview of destinations that only Heathrow connects to."
To capture the aromas of each location, Heathrow worked with Design in Scent to produce bespoke smells from key ingredients associated with eacg country. The diverse fragrances aim to deliver an aromatic experience that immediately transports passengers to far-flung destinations.
The new terminal has now full capacity, with all 26 airlines present and operational – half a million passengers have already flown out of T2 in the past five months, boarding 21,000 flights. However, the airport could lose its standing as Europe’s largest aviation hub within the next decade.
The Airports Commission will soon launch its major report on how the UK can maintain its status as an international hub. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye has already warned that Britain could lose its crown as home to the biggest airport for international traffic in Europe to Holland, within the next ten years.