Otis Offers Eco-friendly Elevators and Escalators for Airports

Just as elevators and escalators across residential and commercial applications are designed for their specific use, those installed in airports are designed and adapted for use in public spaces considering the heavy traffic peaks and other traffic patterns throughout the day. Both escalators and elevators, whether for moving people or freight, are designed to be robust and durable for these special requirements.

Airport elevators and escalators are also designed differently, depend- ing on their usage. Passengers prefer glass walls and shafts as they provide a panoramic view of the airport, including retail and food options.

To help accommodate all airports passengers, Otis offers elevator buttons with Braille, voice-announcing systems and folded seats in the car, among other options.

Elevator systems can also be designed for restricted entry by equipping the systems with technology to control access, providing an additional layer of security. For instance, when authorized airport personnel insert a valid card into the elevator card reader, they will be allowed access to a defined number of floors. This ensures that only authorized are able to visit a particular floor, thus increasing building security.


Freight elevators for airports are different from passenger elevators because they carry heavier loads, have wider doors, are taller and avoid glass materials.

Eco-friendly elevators

Most infrastructure projects, including airports, aim for environmental sustainability and Otis offers just that in this flagship product, Gen2.

The Gen2 range is designed to increase the elevator's efficiency, safety and reliability with key components that include a coated steel belt, as well as optional. ReGen drive, permanent magnet machine and PULSE system.

Gen2 elevators with ReGen drives are upto 75% more energy efficient than traditional elevators with conventional drives. This helps achieve substantial energy savings and can help support green building certification.

Space-saving elevators

The Gen2 range also has machine-room less (MRL) elevators. These elevators replace large elevators rooms by locating a compact hoisting machine on the top of the elevator shaft. Compared to systems with machine rooms, the compact gearless machine consumes less electricity and saves on other building costs because it does not take up an entire room for parts and equipment.

Managing elevators effectively

In order to help effectively manage all the elevators in airport, Otis offers the Web-based MS Panorama system that enables building staff to monitor, control, and report on a full range of operation-critical functions for an elevator and escalator from any computer with internet connection. The EMS Panorama system offers comprehensive, real-time data that shows building managers the full picture, enabling them to respond quickly to passengers' needs and make informed decisions about equipment operations.