There is increased pressure to cut down on the emissions and footprint left by both airplane and airport.

"We have to find solutions that can make the airport process people faster and find better and more efficient ways to get planes on and off the ground," says Kent Turner, senior principal at HOK's New York City office.

Turner recently concluded six years work on Boston's Logan Airport, the first U.S. airport to receive LEED certification for conforming to sustainable design principles.

"I don't know if it will take a great leap of technology but it's hard to imagine that the classic jet burning tons of fuel will be happening years down the road," he says.

Source: "Airport Design Takes Off," BusinessWeek Online, January 23, 2007, by Helen Walters. Read the story.