Globalisations utopia? On airport atmospherics

The article argues that the highly managed atmosphere of airport terminals is particularly characteristic of the 'global' era. Acknowledging that the thesis of airports as 'non-places' has been a useful provocation, the article contends that airports are in fact distinct spaces with particular kinds of atmosphere (of emotions, affects, passionate intensities). Moreover, these atmospheres are moving out into many other places that appear to be more and more similar to airports. Mapping connections between the transformation of airport terminals and globalization, the paper draws upon research based on ethnographic observation and interviews conducted at European airports to situate airport atmospherics in terms of extensive sequencing, information, consumer culture and ever-increasing technological intervention.