Towards an Airport Communication Wellness Framework (ACWF): Reframing Professional Communication in Human-Centred Airport Operations

Airports are communication-intensive workplaces in which operational safety, service continuity and human wellbeing depend on how information is produced, exchanged and understood. Nevertheless, airport communication is commonly evaluated via accuracy, efficiency, service quality or technology adoption, while its consequences for psychological safety, dignity, cognitive ease and relational trust remain fragmented across disciplines. This concept paper discussed on how professional and workplace communication, organisational well-being and human-centred airport research can be synthesised into an Airport Communication Wellness Framework (ACWF). Through an integrative, problem driven review, this paper proposes six interdependent dimensions: informational clarity and predictability; relational respect and empathy; dialogic voice and psychological safety; inclusive and intercultural accessibility; digital-human balance and trust; and coordinative and operational reliability. ACWF reframes communication as both an operational resource and a condition of wellness, providing a research agenda for safer, more inclusive and human-centred airport operations. The six dimensions are grounded in established bodies of literature on airport information and wayfinding, strategic and internal communication, psychological safety and dialogic communication, human-centred design and accessibility, digital communication, and aviation safety communication.

airport communication wellness; professional communication; workplace communication; human-centred airports; digital communication

1. Abdel-Gayed, A. H., Hassan, T. H., Abdou, A. H., Abdelmoaty, M. A., Saleh, M. I., & Salem, A. E. (2023). Travelers’ Subjective Well-Being as an Environmental Practice: Do Airport Buildings’ Eco-Design, Brand Engagement, and Brand Experience Matter? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020938 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Abdul Rahman, Nor Aida, Firdaus, Muhammad Iqbal, Simarmata, Juliater, & Octaviani, Reni Dian. (2025). Healthy Aging in the Skies: How Women Leaders Shape the Travel Experience for Older Passengers. Journal of Macromarketing, 45(4), 667–685. https://doi.org/10.1177/02761467251321463 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Cerdan Chiscano, M., & Darcy, S. (2024). Segmentation of passengers on the autism spectrum in their use, preferences and acceptance of digital technology at airports in Spain. Journal of Enabling Technologies, 18(4), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.1108/JET-09-2023-0031 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chatzi, A. V., & Kourousis, K. I. (2024). Identifying the contribution of communication and trust in aviation maintenance occurrences: A content analysis methodology. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 27(March), 101220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2024.101220 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Choi, S., Moon, C., Lee, K., Su, X., Hwang, J., & Kim, I. (2024). Exploring Smart Airports’ Information Service Technology for Sustainability: Integration of the Delphi and Kano Approaches. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(20), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208958 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Dos Santos, I., Da Silva, S. L., Camarotto, J. A., & Vidotti, H. G. M. (2024). Accessibility for passengers with hidden disabilities in air transport: A literature review. Journal of the Air Transport Research Society, 3(June), 100033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jatrs.2024.100033 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Edmondson, Amy. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Hu, S., Nadeem, M. A., Luo, J., & Yi, X. (2024). The effects of psychological safety and employee voice behavior on flight attendants’ mindful safety practices adoption. Frontiers in Public Health, 12(September). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1398815 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. International Organization for Standardization. (2019). Ergonomics of human-system interaction - Part 210: Human-centred design for interactive systems (Issue March). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Kontogiannis, C. T. (2024). Improving the passenger experience by providing targeted information to passengers. In Journal of Airport Management (Vol. 18, Issue 3, pp. 237–245). https://doi.org/10.69554/ufju7717 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Lee, Y. (2022). How dialogic internal communication fosters employees’ safety behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Relations Review, 48(1), 102156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102156 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Men, Linjuan Rita. (2014). Strategic Internal Communication: Transformational Leadership, Communication Channels, and Employee Satisfaction. Management Communication Quarterly, 28(2), 264–284. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318914524536 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Miller, K. I., ELLIS, B. H., ZOOK, E. G., & LYLES, J. S. (1990). An Integrated Model of Communication, Stress, and Burnout in the Workplace. Communication Research, 17(3), 300–326. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365090017003002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Nordin, M. N. (2023). Technology application in aviation, tourism and hospitality: recent developments and emerging issues. In Information Technology & Tourism (Vol. 26, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-024-00290-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Qin, Yufan Sunny, & Men, Linjuan Rita. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Internal Communication on Employee Psychological Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Employee Organizational Trust. International Journal of Business Communication, 60(4), 1197–1219. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884221081838 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Tkalac Verčič, A., Verčič, D., Čož, S., & Špoljarić, A. (2024). A systematic review of digital internal communication. Public Relations Review, 50(1), 102400. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102400 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Tkalac Verčič, A., Verčič, D., & Sriramesh, K. (2025). The internal communication paradox: Balancing digital convenience with face-to-face satisfaction. Public Relations Review. Public Relations Review, 38(2), 223–230. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.12.019 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Wang, L., & Wang, X. (2025). Design mechanisms of airport visual guidance systems on passenger wayfinding performance: evidence from causal machine learning and a moderated mediation approach. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 00(00), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2025.2589544 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Wattanacharoensil, W., Schuckert, M., Graham, A., & Dean, A. (2017). An analysis of the airport experience from an air traveler perspective. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 32, 124–135. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2017.06.003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Welch, M., & Jackson, P. R. (2007). Rethinking internal communication: a stakeholder approach. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 12(2), 177–198. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563280710744847 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study