Games help time fly for young held-up passengers

Young passengers unlucky enough to be delayed can see time fly at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

They can let their imagination take flights of fancy with the help of an interactive LED game screen which was installed in the departure lounge at Terminal 2 this summer.

"They can play by moving their bodies, hands or legs," said Zhan Chengge, head of service management.

Children play an interactive LED game in the departure lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport's Terminal 2. [Photo by Lu Haitao / for China Daily]

The game zone was opened on June 1, International Children's Day.

At first, two games were available to play on the LED screen, one of them soccer. Fruit Ninja and Horsey Run Run were then added.

July is a traditional busy month. Average daily fights increased 6.3 percent to 1,060 from June, and were up 1.2 percent year-on-year, according to the operator, the Shanghai Airport Authority.

Apart from the LED game area, the airport is also considering a 4-D movie area at departures.

Summer usually has more delays due to holiday traffic and more extreme weather.

Improved recreational facilities might help assuage anger, said Li Lei, an industrial analyst with Minzu Securities.

Although few flight delays are caused by airport management, he said, passengers sometimes take their anger out on airport staff.

But Huang Jinxiang, an industrial analyst with Haitong Securities, said the game zone will have a limited effect on delayed passengers' moods.

"Most of the passengers just want to reach their destination as soon as possible, so they prefer punctuality over playthings," Huang said.