Airports certainly are interesting places. It's funny to think that you're using an unused idea proposed by your major influence. I bet Hergé would be glad to see it used! That's kind of how it seems to work anyway, if not slightly less directly.

Though maybe I'm biased because I know that's how scientific research usually works, in a general way (one study will lead to a thousand more by forming new questions from slightly changed ideas–and no one can pursue or answer every quesion). So, I mean maybe Hergé was hoping that someone would take up his good idea which he for whatever reason didn't pursue, in light of another. I'm sure he wouldn't have thrown it out there if he didn't want someone to use it!