How some people will live in the airport for months or years at a time

After studying the history of the airport for over 20 years, I came across a story about an individual who succeeded in living in the terminal for weeks, months, and sometimes years.

Interestingly, however, not all who find themselves living at the airport do so on their own initiative.

Blend in with the crowd

“Airport city“or”Airport urbanism, ”I often see the phrase that an airport is like a“ mini city ”.I can see how this idea germinates: after all, the airport Land of worship, Police, hotels, fine dining, shopping, public transport.

But if the airport is a city, it’s a pretty weird airport in that the people who run the “city” prefer that no one actually lives there.

Nevertheless, it is possible to live in the airport because it provides many of the basic equipment needed to survive: food, water, bathrooms and shelters. Also, although airports are not always open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, airport terminals often open early in the morning and are open until midnight.

Many of the facilities are so large that facilities that decide to stay, such as O’Hare’s men, can find ways to avoid detection for quite some time.

One way for potential airport residents to avoid detection is to simply blend in with the crowd.Prior to the pandemic, US airports processed 1.5 to 2.5 million passengers On any day..

When a pandemic occurred, the number dropped dramatically, falling below 100,000 in the early weeks of the spring 2020 crisis. In particular, a man who lived in O’Hare for over three months arrived as a passenger in mid-October 2020.Numbers Was experiencing a rebound.. He was discovered and arrested only in late January 2021. Holiday travel peak Between Resurrection of coronavirus..

The story continues

Live in limbo

Not everyone sleeping in the terminal wants to be there.

If you travel enough by plane, you may eventually fall into the category of unwilling short-term airport residents.

Some people book flights that require them to stay overnight at the airport, while others are stuck at the airport due to transfer failures, flight cancellations, or bad weather. In these situations, you rarely stay at the airport for more than a day or two.

Then there are those who unknowingly find themselves in a long, indefinite stay.Probably the most famous non-voluntary long-term airport resident Mehran Karimi Nasseri, The story is said to have influenced the movie.Terminal, Starring Tom Hanks.

Iranian refugee Nasseri was on his way to England via Belgium and France when he lost his refugee status documents in 1988. Without his paperwork, he couldn’t fly to England. He was also not allowed to leave Paris Airport and enter France. He quickly became an international hot potato when his case fluctuated between British, French and Belgian officials. At some point, French authorities offered to allow him to live in France, but Nasseri declined the offer because he wanted to go to his original destination, England. And he stayed at Charles de Gaulle Airport for nearly 18 years. He left only in 2006, When his poor health required hospitalization..

Other long-term airport residents include Edward Snowden, an NSA leaker. More than a month at a Russian airport in 2013 Before receiving asylum. and, The story of Sanjay Shah.. Shah traveled to the United Kingdom in May 2004 with a British foreign citizen passport. However, the Immigration Bureau refused to enter the country when it became clear that he was going to move to the United Kingdom, instead of staying there for only a few months as his type of passport allowed. .. Returned to Kenya, Shah was afraid to leave the airport because he had already abandoned Kenyan citizenship. When British authorities gave him full citizenship, he was finally able to leave after a year or so of airport residence.

Recently, the coronavirus pandemic has created new long-term, involuntary airport residents. For example, on March 20, 2020, Estonian Roman Trofimov arrived at Manila International Airport by plane from Bangkok. By the time he arrived, Filipino authorities had suspended the issuance of entry visas to limit the spread of COVID-19. Trofimov spent more than 100 days at Manila Airport up to the staff of the Estonian Embassy. Finally I was able to secure a seat for my return flight..

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Homeless find shelter

Most non-voluntary airport residents are anxious to leave their temporary housing, but others have voluntarily attempted to make the airport their long-term residence. Major airports in both the United States and Europe have long served as homeless shelters, primarily informally.

Although the homeless and homeless have a long history in the United States, many analysts consider the 1980s to be an important turning point in their history. There are many factors, including reduced federal budgets, deinstitutionalization of people with mental illness, and gentrification. The number of homeless people has skyrocketed.. It was in that decade that we could find the earliest stories about homeless life at US airports.

For example, in 1986, Chicago Tribune wrote about Fred DillsnerA 44-year-old former accountant who lived in O’Hare, Chicago for a year. According to the article, homeless people first began appearing at the airport in 1984 after the Chicago Transit Authority train link was completed, which provided easy and cheap access. The newspaper reported that the airport is home to 30 to 50 people, but officials expect that number will reach 200 when winter weather begins.

This problem continues until the 21st century. A 2018 news article reports an increase in the number of homeless people at several large airports in the United States over the past few years. Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport And Baltimore / Washington International Airport Thurgood Marshall Airport..

Coronavirus pandemic added additional public health concerns For this group of airport residents..

In most cases, airport authorities sought to provide assistance to these voluntary residents. For example, at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities have deployed crisis intervention teams to work. Connect the homeless to homes and other services..But it’s also clear that most airport staff prefer the solution. Where the airport no longer functions as a homeless shelter..

This article will be republished from conversation, A non-profit news site aimed at sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Jan Bednarek, University of Dayton..

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Janet Bednarek does not work, consult, own shares, or receive funds for any company or organization that would benefit from this article.