Why I love airports

There is a growing resistance to using the word “journey” to describe the challenges of life. Rarely a literal description of going from A to B. It is a metaphor for overcoming adversity, learning to smile again after mental or physical illness, becoming a better person. Even walking through Croydon High Street to buy a sausage roll from Greggs can be a voyage of life-discovery for a TedX Talk.

For me, my favourite journeys, are the ones that start and finish at airports. Being in a departure lounge looking out the window as planes take off and land is therapeutic. I always arrive early, even if I am travelling with my family, to deal with the digital stress of e-gates, checking in luggage and praying my trousers don’t fall down when I take off my belt at security.

I remember being with my mum when we said goodbye to my sister as she set off on her backpacking adventures. I experienced the highs and lows of travelling with a disabled passenger as I was given priority access to help my double-amputee dad navigate the challenges of air travel. Pushing him down the long walkways was so much fun and my kids sat on his lap to give their feet a rest. You can witness what it is like for a disabled person to travel, but you will never know what it is like unless you are in their position, waiting for a wheelchair, for help, for the world to understand.

Time to relax

I swear the milk at Keflavík Airport in Iceland is the best milk I have ever tasted. The best thing about the holiday was free when everything else was incredibly expensive.

One of my favourite films Heat (1995), was the last film to be allowed access to airports for filming before the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America. Going on holiday is when I buy film magazines, watch the films and TV shows I missed at the cinema or on streaming services I don’t have.

My fascination with airports inspired the opening scene of my unproduced film script Driving. A getaway driver of a multimillion heist returns to London after ten years away, turning Heathrow into a kill zone as cops and robbers fight to capture him to find out where the money is.

People watching

I can dream when I am sitting there eating my airport pastry, drinking enough to stay hydrated but not too much to use the toilet when the plane is taking off. There is the fun of standing under departure boards, listening to people playing the “been there, been there” game before their boasting becomes unbearable, especially if they have been to more places than you have.

A great place for people watching, making you realise there are a thousand reasons to travel, mostly for fun, but not always. Apart from running races it is the only time I enjoy being around crowds. I remember lying in the back of the family car with my brother and sister as kids, driving through Dartford tunnel with its magnificent lights getting you ready for speeding up the runway and flying through the night.

Marathon history

After the Porto Marathon in 2018 where I had to wait ages in the cold for my bag, I left my hotel early the next day to spend seven hours relaxing at Porto Airport. I loved sitting outside reading my book, sipping my drink and being at peace with the world. After the Barcelona Marathon I could barely walk but was still annoyed I missed the airport garden and the nearby Jardí Botànic de Barcelona.

Airports are a great place to read about history. During World War II, Portugal, though neutral, played a crucial role as a gateway to the United States for refugees and other individuals. Lisbon served as a central point for escape routes, allowing people to reach the US and other destinations outside of Europe. If you like TV series set on planes, check out Into the Night and Red Eye.

I prefer Die Hard 2 to Die Hard because it is set in an airport. When I visited New York in February 2001 on a university trip for our journalism course, the head lecturer wanted to throttle me after I spent most of the day trying to replace my lost ticket only to find it tucked safely away in my passport. I could go home and not live at the airport.

My mission to run overseas marathons gave me the opportunity to travel solo, being entirely responsible for finding my way around foreign destinations such as Valencia, Gran Canaria and Madrid. I like to live life on the edge!

Airports are a microcosm of society

Seriously, if you have a phobia of flying or getting lost overseas, remember that life is for living and overcoming your fears. Although I did have a coffee table book on the world’s worst air disasters which reminded me of how cruel the world can be.

Waiting for your baggage on the conveyor belt is like waiting to reunite with a long lost relative. Will you recognise it? Can you grab it in time before it goes round again? While I want people to have jobs, can robots get unload planes and give us our bags faster? I am starting to think that is true.

I have not been to any of the top 10 airports of 2025. Shame, I would love a book deal to write about my airport experiences. Ideally, starting at Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica. That is a journey I want to go on.