Nine weird and wonderful airport amenities

Aberdeen International airport recently became the first UK airport to employ a team of therapy dogs to work their animal magic on nervous passengers. And whether it’s indoor waterfalls or microbreweries, airport amenities have never been more diverse. Here are nine unexpected (but very cool) things to look out for on your next layover....

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Not a dog person? How about a tutu-wearing pig? Lilou is a member of San Francisco airport’s Wag Brigade – an army of trained therapy animals tasked with sniffing out and reassuring stressed travellers. Lilou, who became the world’s first airport therapy pig in 2016, isn’t just partial to a tutu: her wardrobe includes a pilot’s hat and a rather fetching vest adorned with the words “pet me!” If you insist.....

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This isn’t your average vegetable garden – it’s the world’s first airport-based aeroponic (soil-free) garden. Plants are grown in 1,100 nooks on the sides of 26 towers, and are fed via a nutrient-rich mist. Produce – including Swiss chard, purple basil, peppers, edible flowers and beans – is used by the airport’s restaurants, and dedicated viewing areas allow travellers to learn more about the garden.

Another perk of long layovers at this particular airport? The art collection. Thanks to a collaboration with Chicago’s Public Art Program, the terminals have a huge collection of sculptures, murals and light installations, such as Michael Hayden’s The Sky’s the Limit, which consists of 466 neon tubes. Find it airside in Terminal 1.

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You’ll find 20,000 marine plants and animals inside the aquarium at this airport’s international terminal. Some of the weirdest species to look out for include wolf eels, China rockfish, armoured sea cucumbers and giant green anemones, and there’s also a dedicated jellyfish aquarium on the terminal’s third floor. Equally impressive is the hub’s collection of art, which includes several pieces by British Columbia’s First Nations artists.

The 40-metre-Rain Vortex waterfall is the latest addition to Changi’s staggering list of amenities, which includes a cactus garden, butterfly garden, rooftop pool and (our favourite) a tube slide connecting the first floor of Terminal 3 with the basement level. The aforementioned Singaporean waterfall can be found inside the recently-unveiled Jewel complex, which is connected to terminals 1, 2 and 3. Highlights of Jewel include 280 retail and food outlets, the world’s first standalone Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts restaurant, a cinema and a four-storey rainforest.

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A growing number of airports now have huge art collections, and Nashville International airport has one of the best. There are regular exhibitions, and many of the permanent exhibits are designed by local artists. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, photography and mixed media pieces, and current highlights include Jack Hastings’ aluminium mobiles (suspended from the roof of the main terminal) and Sherri Warner Hunter’s mosaic-adorned seating areas, which you’ll find in the airport’s ground transportation hub. This arts scheme covers music too, and there are over 700 live performances every year.

Let’s face it: no matter how good the airport, long layovers can quickly become mind-numbingly boring – unless you’re at Hong Kong International airport, which has its very own 350-person Imax cinema. Head to this hi-tech terminal 2 cinema to watch the latest blockbusters brought to life with an arsenal of special effects including water jets, bubbles, fog or various scents. If a long-haul flight has left you craving some exercise, ditch Hollywood for hole-in-ones at Terminal 2’s golf simulator, where you can tackle a (virtual) nine-hole or 18-hole course.

Kuala Lumpur’s huge international airport sits on a plot of land that was once a chunk of rainforest, and a section of it – complete with waterfall and boardwalk – can now be found inside the imaginatively named Main Terminal. Other amenities which make long layovers feel like a breeze at this Malaysian masterpiece? The shops – the transport hub describes itself as a “shopping mall with an airport attached”, and with good reason. There are hundreds of outlets ranging from Billabong, Bvlgari and Rolex, to Godiva, Mont Blanc and Hamleys.

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Tallinn airport might not have cinemas or record-breaking waterfalls, but it lays claim to one of the quirkiest amenities – an honesty library stocked with books in various languages, including Estonian, English and Russian. Travellers are invited to help themselves to books and return them when they’re next passing through, and they can donate reading material, too. The library is one of the cosiest spots we’ve come across at an airport – an armchair and plant-filled haven tucked away from the busiest areas.

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You’ll find Europe’s largest covered beer garden at Munich International airport, and it’s got everything a beer garden should have – a maypole, chestnut trees and traditional German grub (we recommend the beer goulash). There’s space for 600 people, although don’t panic if you can’t find a seat; another hotspot for beer fans is the Airbrau bar – Europe’s only airport brewery – where you can even sign up for guided tours led by Airbrau’s brewmaster.