Author: MollyBabitz

By Cory Mathews, Sales Director Americas, Aviation Week

For years, the aviation industry has worked to answer a seemingly simple question: Where are passengers actually coming from?

While the question may sound straightforward, the answer is far more complex. Understanding passenger origins influences everything from air service development and airline recruitment to infrastructure planning and tourism strategy.

To better understand passenger behavior and market demand, airports and consultants have traditionally relied on settlement data, credit card transactions, mobile device information, and cookie tracking. While these data sources provide useful insight, they also come with significant limitations.

Corporate card and settlement data can look impressive—millions of transactions, polished dashboards, and charts that make for compelling presentations. The challenge is that billing locations are often nowhere near the actual traveler.

For example, I live on Vancouver Island. If my corporate card is registered to a company office in Sarasota, Florida, and I take the ferry from Victoria to Tsawwassen, some traditional datasets can suddenly conclude that Sarasota is generating passenger demand to and from Vancouver Island. Congratulations—Florida is now apparently helping drive Canadian ferry traffic.

Then came mobile data, arguably the biggest trend in post-COVID aviation analytics. For a while, it felt like the industry had found the silver bullet. Airports, airlines, and consultants were leaning heavily into mobile datasets to explain passenger behavior and forecast demand.

While this provides valuable insight, it also has weaknesses—especially since a device is not necessarily a passenger. Other limitations include strict privacy regulations in parts of Europe, limited representation in rural markets, small sample sizes in certain regions, and inconsistent visibility across international borders. Looking at some mobile datasets, you could almost believe the Canada-U.S. border had turned into The Wall from Game of Thrones. Except, of course, passengers absolutely cross.

After evaluating a wide range of data sources, one approach consistently stood out: search data modeling. Why? Because search behavior offers something many traditional datasets struggle to provide—global scale, strong geographic visibility, and privacy-compliant insight into traveler intent. When people search online for flights, airport parking, hotels, rental cars, or destinations, they generate valuable geographic signals about where demand originates and how travelers plan their journeys.

A good example can be seen through analysis of Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Using Aviation Week’s Catchment Analyzer platform, the visualization tool highlights passenger activity extending across Southern Ontario and into Western New York, demonstrating how major hub airports often draw traffic from well beyond their immediate metropolitan areas.

The dashboard reveals where passengers are located, which competing airports they use, how far travelers are willing to drive, and which international markets are generating demand. In the YYZ example, strong international demand can be seen for destinations including London, Hong Kong, Manila, Paris, Seoul, Rome, and Istanbul.

Because the information is presented visually and interactively, complex travel patterns become significantly easier to identify, understand, and communicate. This allows airports and stakeholders to move beyond static spreadsheets toward more actionable, data-driven decision-making.

For airports, this matters more than ever.

The industry continues to face operational and strategic pressures ranging from workforce constraints and infrastructure demands to changing passenger expectations and evolving airline networks. At the same time, competition for air service development opportunities continues to intensify.

The future of catchment analysis is not about choosing one dataset over another. The strongest methodologies combine multiple perspectives to build the clearest picture possible.

As airports continue adapting to changing traveler behavior, data sources that better capture real passenger intent will become increasingly important to long-term planning, network development, and understanding the true reach of an airport’s catchment area.

With over two decades of experience in aviation, travel, and data intelligence,

Cory Mathews is passionate about helping aviation and aerospace stakeholders transform data into actionable insight — and results. He joined Aviation Week, the industry’s most trusted source of data, insight, and intelligence, in 2019. As part of Informa, Aviation Week benefits from access to deep expertise and resources across a global network of industry

specialists, enabling comprehensive solutions for clients. Cory has also held senior commercial roles at Cirium, strengthening his expertise in aviation analytics, fleet intelligence, and market forecasting. He brings strong experience in commercial aerospace, aircraft leasing, MRO, OEM strategy, and defense. cory.mathews@aviationweek.com

By Clement Zhang, Founder & Managing Director, FlightBI

Airport catchment analysis has evolved dramatically over the past decade. What was once driven primarily by passenger surveys and limited ticketing samples is now increasingly powered by digital datasets capable of estimating airport choice behavior at the ZIP-code level.

Today, the most common data sources used in airport catchment studies include:

• Mobile location (cell phone) data
• Flight search data

As airports compete more aggressively for passengers and airline service, data quality has become increasingly important. Poor-quality datasets can distort leakage estimates, misrepresent airport market share, and lead to flawed strategic decisions.

Why Mobile Location Data Has Become the Preferred Source

Among modern catchment datasets, mobile location data has emerged as the strongest primary source for airport catchment analysis.

Unlike search datasets, mobile location data measures actual movement behavior. By analyzing anonymized device movement patterns between residential areas and airports, analysts can estimate:

• Passenger origins by ZIP code
• Airport leakage to competing airports
• Cross-border airport usage
• Airport switching behavior

This is especially valuable for air service development because airport choice is heavily influenced by drive time, nonstop availability, fares, and airline preference.

Flight search data has major limitations for catchment analysis. Searches may indicate travel intent, but they do not necessarily translate into ticket purchases or airport usage. Travelers may compare multiple airports, search repeatedly without booking, or search on behalf of others. As a result, search data often reflects shopping activity rather than true passenger flows.

Mobile Data Alone Is Not Enough

Despite its strengths, mobile location data has one major weakness: mobile data panels are not stable over time.

The size and composition of mobile panels can change suddenly due to:

• Privacy policy updates
• User permission changes
• SDK removals
• App partnership changes
• Data provider methodology updates

These changes can create artificial traffic fluctuations unrelated to actual passenger demand. Without calibration, airports risk making decisions based on panel instability rather than true market behavior.

Why Aviation Data Is Required for Calibration

The most reliable airport catchment methodologies combine mobile location data with aviation passenger datasets.

Aviation data provides:

• Stable passenger benchmarks
• Market validation
• Historical consistency
• Carrier-level normalization

This hybrid approach preserves the geographic precision of mobile data while correcting for panel fluctuations and sampling distortion.

The Limitations of MIDT Data

MIDT data, sourced from Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), has historically been widely used for airline planning. However, it has important limitations for airport catchment studies.

Many low-cost carriers (LCCs), such as Allegiant and Avelo, do not participate in GDS systems. MIDT also excludes much of the growing direct airline booking market because it primarily reflects agency bookings. In addition, MIDT represents reservations rather than actual flown passengers, meaning no-shows and itinerary changes can overstate demand.

For airports with substantial low-cost carrier traffic, these limitations can significantly distort catchment analysis.

DDS datasets provide broader ticketing coverage in some markets, but many LCCs still do not participate because they prefer not to share proprietary sales data with competitors.

Why DOT Data Is the Strongest Calibration Source

For U.S. airport catchment analysis, DOT Origin and Destination data remains the strongest aviation calibration source, especially following the transition from DB1B to DB1C.

DB1C increases the ticket sample size from 10% to 40% and moves reporting from quarterly to monthly.

Most importantly, DOT data includes all major U.S. low-cost carriers. This is critical because LCCs play a major role in airport leakage behavior, with passengers often willing to drive farther for lower fares and nonstop service.

The strongest modern airport catchment methodology therefore combines:

• Mobile location data for geographic precision
• DOT aviation data for passenger calibration and market validation

As airports continue investing in data-driven decision-making, the industry is increasingly recognizing that data quality matters just as much as analytical sophistication.

Dr. Clement Zhang, C.M., has more than 25 years of experience developing IT solutions and delivering consulting services for the travel and transportation industry. He is the founder of FlightBI, previously served as Director of Business Intelligence at Cirium, VP of Product Development at Diio, and Vice President at MergeGlobal. Dr. Zhang holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. from Xi’an Jiaotong University

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.

By Jim Marousek, President & CEO, AirTera

Over the past year, one message has become clear in conversations with airports, secure facilities, and aircraft operators: These entities must stop asking for software solutions that simply check a box.

That standard is too low for the environments we serve.

Organizations often begin with a narrow objective such as improving enrollment and badging, meeting a Safety Management System (SMS) requirement, or mitigating insider risk. These are valid starting points, but they should never define the full scope of a solution. Implementation of any software should be an opportunity to solve broader challenges, improve efficiency, and prepare for future demands, not just satisfy current requirements.

This has been one of the most important lessons in the Identity Management System (IDMS) space: What industry asks for is often far smaller than what it actually needs.
For example, a modern IDMS is not just a badging system. In airports and secure facilities, identity sits at the center of security, access, compliance, workforce mobility, and operational continuity, all of which need to be built within the system. Limiting an IDMS role to enrollment and credential issuance only captures just a fraction of its potential.

Another example is Aviation Worker Screening (AWS), which is often approached as a standalone initiative to mitigate insider risk while requiring dedicated infrastructure and costly hardware. Implementing AWS within a modern IDMS, combined with secure mobile technology, offers a more flexible alternative. Badge holders can be verified at access points using mobile capabilities, reducing cost, accelerating deployment, and increasing operational agility without compromising security.
That is what meaningful innovation looks like. It solves multiple problems with the right platform, not by adding additional layers of complexity.
The same thinking applies to SMS. Too often, it is treated purely as a compliance exercise. Requirements are met, boxes are checked, and the opportunity for deeper value is lost.

However, a strong SMS implementation should function as a comprehensive feedback and improvement tool. Instead of limiting reporting to safety incidents, it should capture insights across security, customer service, facilities, and employee experience. Users should not need to navigate multiple systems, depending on how an organization is structured internally.

They experience a single environment, and reporting should reflect that.
When reporting is unified, organizations gain clearer visibility. Issues that appear isolated within one department often reveal broader patterns when viewed collectively. A facility’s concern may indicate a safety risk. A customer service issue may point to an operational gap. A security concern may emerge as part of a larger trend. Siloed systems obscure these connections; integrated systems bring them to light.

The same opportunity exists in enrollment and credentialing. Manual data entry, document review, and avoidable errors are still widely accepted, but they should not be. With biometrics, automated data capture, and document verification, the goal should shift from reducing errors to eliminating them wherever possible.
Technology should not simply make existing processes faster; it should remove friction, improve data integrity, and fundamentally redesign workflows. In secure environments, that is not just an efficiency gain. It is a security improvement and likely regulatory requirement.

What we consistently hear from the market is a desire for more than just products. Airports and operators are looking for partners: Teams that understand the environment, anticipate emerging needs, and solve problems beyond the initial scope. They want systems that unify operations, simplify complexity, and strengthen overall performance.

Meeting requirements may satisfy today’s needs. Solving the underlying problems—and anticipating what comes next—is what drives real progress.

As President and CEO of AirTera, Jiri Marousek is delivering on his vision of crossing the safety and security boundaries with a next-generation platform to enhance safety, streamline compliance, and fortify security across the aviation ecosystem. Under his leadership, AirTera is redefining industry standards by delivering integrated, real-time solutions that empower aviation operators, ground operations, service providers, and airports, while supporting regulatory agencies and stakeholders.

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.

Non-aeronautical revenue remains 9% below pre-pandemic levels. Strategic commercial partnerships can help close the gap.

By Tim Harms, CEO, Enliven, LLC

ACI World’s latest Airport Economics Report put a number on what many airport leaders already feel: non-aeronautical revenue is still roughly 9% below pre-pandemic levels. Passenger traffic has bounced back. In many markets, it has exceeded 2019 numbers. But the revenue that airports generate per passenger has not kept up.

That 9% gap is not going to close on its own. And the usual playbook may not be enough.

The Recovery Has a Revenue Problem

The headline numbers look encouraging. Passengers are back. But look closer and
the picture gets more complicated.

Business travel, historically a high-spend segment, remains uneven. Dwell times are harder to predict. Rideshare adoption continues to eat into parking revenue, which for many airports is the single largest non-aeronautical line item. Concessions operators are managing higher labor costs and tighter supply chains. Advertising dollars, while returning, are spread across more channels than ever.

Each of these categories is facing structural pressure, not a temporary dip. That distinction matters, because it means airports cannot simply wait for a full recovery. They need to create new value.

Innovation Helps, but It Won’t Get You to 9%

Many airports are making smart moves: digitally enabled retail, dynamic parking pricing, expanded premium lounges and concierge services. These are worthwhile investments. But individually, they tend to produce incremental gains.
To close a gap this size, airports need to think beyond optimizing existing revenue streams and look at where entirely new revenue can be created.

The Case for Airport-Wide Commercial Partnerships

Here is what many airports can miss.

Airports serve millions of passengers every year. They are, in effect, massive consumer ecosystems. Stadiums figured this out years ago, as did universities, hospital systems, and theme parks. In nearly every one of these environments, you will find an exclusive commercial partnership with a major brand like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper, where the brand invests significant capital in exchange for visibility and consumer access across the property.

Airports are the only large-scale consumer environments that has not yet tapped into this model at the property level. That represents a significant, and largely unrecognized, source of new non-aeronautical revenue.

When structured well, these partnerships deliver more than a check. They bring investment into underutilized spaces. They fund amenities like 24-hour vending with custom buildouts. They replace fragmented marketing with coordinated, terminal-wide campaigns that actually improve the passenger experience. And they improve pricing for concessions operators.

The results speak for themselves. Airports with active commercial partnerships have seen year-over-year improvements in beverage sales per passenger ranging from 5% to over 30%, driven by coordinated activation between the airport, beverage company, and concessions tenants. More sales for the tenants means more rent for the airport. That is incremental non-aeronautical revenue on top of the partnership payments themselves.

These partnerships also generate recurring revenue directly to the airport, year over year, simply for the opportunity to be part of your passenger journey.

What a Best-in-Class Process Looks Like

Airports that capture the most value from these partnerships tend to share a few traits. They run a competitive, data-driven process that brings multiple beverage partners to the table. They align contract terms with long-term passenger growth. And they treat the partnership as a core part of their commercial strategy, not a side deal managed in isolation.

The 9% gap that ACI identified is real, and it is not going away without deliberate action. But for airports willing to rethink how they approach commercial revenue, the opportunity is substantial. The partnerships that other industries have used to generate millions in incremental revenue are available to airports too. The question is whether your airport is positioned to capture them.
• • •

Tim Harms – Chief Executive Officer, Enliven
Tim Harms is the CEO of Enliven, LLC, the nation’s leading beverage deal negotiation consultancy. Learn more at enlivenllc.com.

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.

By Margarida Barbosa, Consultant, Airports Council International – North America

This April, Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) is celebrating our airport professionals who have taken the time to continue their aviation education. The U.S. Airport Professional (USAP) Program is an e-Learning training curriculum for airport industry professionals accredited by Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA). After completing the Program individuals will be awarded the U.S. Airport Professional (USAP) designation.

The U.S. Airport Professional (USAP) Program covers a full range of current airport management topics such as leadership development, business strategy, commercial management, finance, operations, safety, security, and air service.

Airport Professionals from around the United States have taken the program to help them grow and advance in their career. If you are interested in learning more about the USAP program, please visit https://airportscouncil.org/usap/.

Check out the experience of ACI-NA’s Margarida Barbosa with the USAP program!

How has the USAP program helped you in your day-to-day work?
The USAP program gave me a much clearer understanding of how the U.S. airport system operates, especially in areas that differ from European frameworks such as funding models, regulatory structures, and governance. Having that context has made it easier to interpret U.S. aviation terminology, policies, and stakeholder dynamics in my daily work. It’s also helped me communicate more confidently with U.S.-based colleagues and partners.

What advice would you give someone who is interested in the USAP certification?
I would encourage them to go for it, especially if they work with U.S. airports or global aviation stakeholders. The program is very accessible, and it strikes a good balance between practical knowledge and broader industry context. My advice would be to set a realistic study pace, make use of the supplementary materials, and approach it with curiosity. There’s a lot of valuable insight even if you already have aviation experience.

What challenges did you have in getting certified?
Coming from a European airport background, some aspects, like funding mechanisms (AIP, PFCs), the FAA’s regulatory role, and the structure of airport ownership, were quite different from what I was used to. It took a bit of extra time to connect those dots, but once I understood the underlying framework, everything came together smoothly.

As someone who studied aviation, how did this supplement your education?
Studying aviation gave me a strong foundation, but the USAP program added a layer of specialization that I didn’t have before. It provided real-world context on how U.S. airports make decisions, secure funding, maintain compliance, and work with federal agencies. In many ways, it filled in the practical and policy-oriented side of the industry that academic programs often only touch on briefly. It also broadened my global understanding of how differently aviation systems can be structured.

How long did it take you to get certified?
I started in July and finished my certification in December. I did not rush the course, and its flexibility allowed me to work at my own pace to be sure that it fit within my own schedule.

What is something fun that you learned during the certification process that you did not already know?
One fun discovery was how unique some aspects of airport funding and governance are, particularly the Passenger Facility Charge system and the way local authorities operate airports. It was interesting to see how these structures influence airport development and passenger experience in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. It gave me a new appreciation for how diverse global airport management approaches can be.

Margarida is a final-year BSc Aviation Management student at Coventry University with hands-on industry experience gained during a placement year at ACI–North America in Washington, D.C.

Since returning from her placement, Margarida has been focused on research exploring non‑aeronautical revenue diversification and financial resilience at U.S. airports following periods of shock, alongside working remotely as a consultant for ACI‑NA.

By Alain Tremblay, VP of Sales and Marketing, TADERA

Airports have always been complex ecosystems — and the pace of change is only accelerating. Passenger volumes are rebounding, cargo demand is surging, and regulatory expectations show no signs of slowing. The pressure to do more with less has never been greater. Yet some of the most consequential inefficiencies in airport operations remain hiding in plain sight — not on the airfield, but in the back office.

Revenue management at most airports is still a fragmented exercise. Lease agreements, aeronautical billing, tenant invoicing, utility charges, and compliance reporting are often tracked across disconnected systems and spreadsheets, each managed by a different team on a different timeline. The result is more than an operational inconvenience. Invoices go out late. Payments from tenants are slow to arrive and slower to reconcile. Lease terms expire without being flagged. GASB compliance becomes a scramble rather than a routine. And somewhere in that fragmentation, revenue that the airport has rightfully earned simply doesn’t get captured.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that airports already have the underlying data. The issue isn’t a shortage of information — it’s that the information isn’t connected in a way that lets people act on it quickly and confidently.

“We’ve spent decades watching airports invest heavily in the passenger experience. The next frontier is investing with the same urgency in the operational infrastructure that funds it.”

The same problem shows up on the security side of the house, just with a different face.

Consider something as routine as a contractor badge renewal. That single transaction touches at least four departments — finance, contracts, security, and compliance. Yet at most airports, each of those updates is managed in separate systems, at different times, by different teams. A badge may be renewed while associated payment reconciliation follows on a different timeline. Contract terms and access permissions are reviewed through established security protocols, but often without a unified, real-time view across departments. The result isn’t a lack of oversight, but a lack of integration — making it harder to see the full picture efficiently and proactively.

More and more, the airport leaders I speak with are recognizing that these aren’t separate problems. They’re the same problem — disconnected data, manual processes, and systems that were never designed to talk to each other — showing up in different departments.

When those systems are connected, the impact is immediate. Finance teams stop chasing payment confirmations. Security teams stop working from outdated company records. Expired agreements surface before they become compliance issues. The administrative burden that was quietly consuming your best people starts to shrink.

We’ve seen this play out firsthand. After implementing an integrated credentialing platform, one regional airport reduced badge processing time by nearly 70% — not because they hired more staff, but because they eliminated the friction built into their old process.¹

The airports that will lead the next decade aren’t necessarily the largest or best-funded. They’re the ones making deliberate decisions right now about their data infrastructure — choosing platforms built specifically for aviation, not adapted from other industries, and demanding that their systems actually talk to each other.

Connected intelligence isn’t a futuristic concept. For some airports, it’s already a reality.

If you’re attending ACI Airports@Work in Chicago, we would love to continue this conversation in person. Visit us at Booth #109 to see how TADERA’s purpose-built airport technology is reshaping the way airports manage revenue, agreements, and security — all in one connected platform.

Can’t make it to the conference? Visit tadera.com or contact our team to schedule a personalized demo.

Source: ¹ Based on results reported by a TADERA ASC client following platform implementation.

Alain Tremblay is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TADERA, a leading provider of purpose-built SaaS solutions for airport operations. With deep expertise in airport revenue management, security credentialing, and enterprise technology, Alain works with airports across North America to modernize their operational infrastructure. TADERA’s AirportIQ suite (ABRM and ASC) serves airports of all sizes, from regional facilities to major commercial hubs.

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.

By Ilya Burkin,  Global Marketing Director, ADB SAFEGATE

As passenger volumes rebound and fleet mix becomes more complex, the airport apron has emerged as one of the most operationally complex environments on the airside. Aircraft, ground service equipment (GSE), fueling operations, catering trucks, and ramp personnel must operate in tight choreography—often within minutes. Operational efficiency and sustainability are now central priorities for airports navigating growth and environmental commitments.

The concept of the Intelligent Apron responds directly to these pressures.

The Apron as a Data Environment

Traditionally, apron operations have relied on radio communication, visual signals, and procedural discipline. While effective, these methods are inherently reactive. An Intelligent Apron model integrates surface movement data, stand allocation systems, A-CDM inputs, IoT sensors, and advanced airfield lighting into a shared operational layer.

This creates three structural shifts:

1. Real-time situational awareness across stands and taxi lanes
2. Predictive stand and turnaround management
3. Reduced conflict risk between aircraft and GSE movements

The Federal Aviation Administration and global safety authorities have consistently highlighted runway and surface movement risk as priority areas for mitigation. Digital coordination on the apron directly supports those objectives.

Lighting as an Active Operational Tool

A frequently overlooked component of Intelligent Apron design is lighting. Apron floodlighting and inset guidance lights have historically been static infrastructure—either on or off, with fixed intensity.

Adaptive Airfield Lighting (ADAL) introduces a more dynamic approach.

On the apron, adaptive lighting can:

• Guide aircraft precisely to allocated stands
• Highlight restricted or active safety zones
• Reduce unnecessary energy consumption during low-traffic periods

When integrated with stand management systems, lighting transitions from passive compliance infrastructure to an active layer of operational communication. This supports both safety and environmental performance objectives—two pillars consistently emphasized in ACI policy frameworks.

Sustainability and Energy Optimization

Airports across North America are aligning with net-zero roadmaps, many guided by programs such as Airport Carbon Accreditation. Intelligent Apron strategies contribute in two measurable ways:

• Reduced taxi time through improved gate visibility and stand readiness
• Optimized energy use via smart power management of lighting and apron systems

Energy consumption on the airside is often diffuse and under-measured. Granular monitoring of lighting circuits and apron assets enables airports to identify inefficiencies, adjust load profiles, and report performance improvements with greater precision.

Moving from Infrastructure to Ecosystem

The Intelligent Apron is not a single technology deployment. It is an ecosystem model—integrating digital platforms, connected lighting, operational analytics, and human-machine interfaces into one coordinated environment.

As airports modernize aging infrastructure and prepare for advanced aircraft types, the apron becomes a strategic lever for capacity, safety, and sustainability. The shift is subtle but significant: from isolated assets to integrated performance.

For airports planning capital programs or digital transformation initiatives, the question is no longer whether to modernize apron operations—but how to design them as intelligent systems from the outset. We will discuss and showcase these technologies during Airside Innovation Summit 2026. We invite you to register and watch live on 6^th May 2026.

Ilya Burkin is Global Marketing Director at ADB SAFEGATE, where he leads strategic initiatives focused on Airside 4.0 and intelligent airside operations. With extensive experience in aviation technology and digital transformation, he works with airports worldwide to explore integrated solutions that enhance safety, operational resilience, and environmental performance across the airside ecosystem.

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.

 By Nicholas Ortyl – Chief Engineer, Critical Infrastructure & Aviation, Leidos

Airports operate within one of the most complex and tightly regulated environments in the world. Balancing security, passenger experience, operational efficiency, and compliance is a constant challenge, particularly as passenger volumes rebound and new threat vectors emerge. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms are rapidly becoming an essential tool to help airports strengthen their security posture while improving passenger flow and resilience.

Security screening today spans multiple layers: passenger screening, cabin baggage screening, checked baggage screening, employee access control, and cargo inspection, among others. Each layer generates vast amounts of data. AI-based threat detection algorithms are suited to analyze these large, multi-attribute screening datasets in real time, supporting security efforts with more consistent and informed decision-making.

AI does not replace human expertise, it augments it. Humans remain central to the adjudication process. AI serves as a decision-support tool, helping personnel manage high data volumes, prioritize alarms, and maintain vigilance over long operational periods. This is designed to help streamline security screening, especially in high-throughput environments.

While many earlier detection systems relied on predefined image signatures or feature-based matching, modern AI systems use deep learning techniques to identify patterns and relationships within data. This approach helps detect threats regardless of shape, orientation, concealment method, or configuration. AI algorithms can improve detection performance while helping to lower false alarm rates, an important factor in maintaining checkpoint efficiency and passenger satisfaction.

People screening is also advancing. Millimeter wave systems powered by deep learning algorithms can detect both metallic and non-metallic threats concealed under clothing. Modern AI approaches focus on identifying underlying characteristics of threat items rather than relying solely on image comparison to known templates. This approach can help improve screening methodologies, regardless of gender and body type.

Computed tomography (CT) technology at checkpoints is a strong example of how AI is transforming screening operations. CT scanners generate high-resolution 3D images that provide significantly more information than legacy 2D X-ray systems. When paired with advanced algorithms, these systems can support improved detection of explosives and other prohibited items while supporting streamlined passenger processes, such as allowing electronics and approved liquids to remain in carry-on bags where regulations permit. This combination can enhance both security effectiveness and checkpoint flow.

For checked baggage, CT-based explosive detection systems (EDS) continue to evolve with adaptable algorithm libraries that can be updated as threat intelligence changes. The ability to refine detection models, subject to regulatory approval, means airports can respond more dynamically to emerging risks without requiring entirely new hardware platforms.

Beyond passenger checkpoints, AI-enhanced trace detection systems are being developed to help identify minute quantities of illicit substances, including emerging synthetic drugs. These capabilities are particularly relevant in cargo environments and customs operations, where rapid, accurate detection supports both security and law enforcement objectives.

The value of AI can increase significantly when systems are integrated rather than siloed. Open architecture platforms that connect screening technologies across the checkpoint and enterprise environment can enable cross-system analytics, allowing airports to identify operational trends, anticipate congestion, and align security resources with real-time risk indicators.

As global aviation continues to evolve, AI-based algorithms are moving from innovation to necessity.  Realizing the full benefits of AI requires disciplined governance and lifecycle management. Effective implementation requires high-quality training data, validation processes, regulatory oversight, and structured model update procedures. Emerging MLOps (machine learning operations) practices can enable continuous performance monitoring, controlled algorithm updates, and transparent validation, critical factors in regulated aviation environments.

Nicholas Ortyl is Chief Engineer for Commercial Infrastructure at Leidos, leading development of advanced security and detection technologies for airports and critical infrastructure. With more than 20 years of experience across aerospace, autonomous systems, and government security programs, he focuses on integrating artificial intelligence, advanced imaging, and data-driven solutions to enhance aviation security effectiveness, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.

By Johannes Sittig, CEO, Sittig Technologies

For decades, airport announcements have remained largely unchanged: repetitive, generic, and often disconnected from the actual needs of passengers and operations. In many terminals, announcements are either delivered manually by staff with varying levels of quality or, at best, played from pre-recorded prompt voice files triggered manually by airlines or ground handlers. This fragmented approach is not only inefficient but also fails to deliver the clarity, timeliness, and personalization today’s passengers expect.

The aviation industry is entering a new era of passenger-centric terminal operations. At the center of this transformation is a powerful concept: data-driven, automated announcements that are intelligent, multilingual, and operationally integrated.

The Current State: Manual Triggers and Limited Automation

Today, many airports use a patchwork of announcement methods. Gate agents may read messages live or select from a limited set of prompt voice recordings that are neither dynamic nor scalable. These messages are often not aligned with real-time conditions like boarding status, queue lengths, or terminal congestion. The result? Overlapping audio, irrelevant messages, language barriers, and unnecessary noise pollution.

From an operational perspective, this outdated approach leads to increased personnel workload, inconsistent messaging, and a lack of actionable data. It limits an airport’s ability to respond quickly to disruptions, optimize passenger flow, or offer a consistent brand voice.

The Shift: Automated Announcements Powered by Data

Modern airports are rethinking their announcement strategies with AI-powered Text-to-Speech (TTS) and data-driven automation. Solutions like PAXGuide by Sittig Technologies are leading this shift by offering a platform that transforms the way airports communicate.

Here’s what is now possible:

• Dynamic, AI-generated announcements in over 149 languages and dialects, created on-demand without the need for pre-recordings.
• Smart translation tools that allow new announcements to be created instantly for any language and updated in real time.
• Deep system integration with AODB, FIDS, Passenger Flow Management Systems (e.g., Xovis), camera systems, and workforce management platforms.
• Business-rule automation to ensure the right message is played at the right time and location — for example, redirecting passengers from crowded security checkpoints or issuing targeted final calls only in relevant gate areas.
• Multimodal communication, where the same announcement data is pushed to FIDS screens, mobile apps, airline platforms, and even AI sign language avatars or AI-generated message summaries for accessibility.
• Centralized management and analytics, allowing airports to track, replay, and audit all announcements, identify overuse, and continuously improve passenger flow and information delivery.

The Result: Enhanced Passenger Experience and Operational Efficiency

This next generation of announcement platforms significantly improves both the passenger journey and airport operations. Targeted, relevant messaging helps reduce stress, minimizes missed flights, and supports quiet airport initiatives. On the operational side, automation frees staff from repetitive tasks and allows for better real-time coordination and faster response to disruptions.

Moreover, announcements are no longer just audio. They become a core data stream that can trigger or inform other digital processes across the terminal. This holistic approach represents a true digital transformation in airport communication.

Seamless Integration with AtlasIED Public Address Systems

A critical success factor in achieving this vision is seamless integration with the airport’s PA infrastructure. Sittig’s PAXGuide is fully compatible with AtlasIED systems, enabling smooth deployment without major hardware changes.

The integration ensures that AI-generated, data-driven announcements are played clearly and reliably through AtlasIED’s advanced audio systems, providing consistent quality and coverage throughout the terminal. This partnership empowers airports to modernize their communication strategy with minimal disruption.

Conclusion: From Reactive to Proactive Airport Communication

The future of airport announcements is here. With PAXGuide from Sittig and the Globalcomm platform from AtlasIED, airports can evolve from static, manual messaging to a dynamic, data-driven communication platform. It’s a future where announcements are timely, contextual, multilingual, and integrated into the broader airport IT ecosystem.

The result? Smoother operations. Better-informed passengers. A quieter, more personalized terminal environment. And ultimately, an airport that speaks the language of modern travel.

Learn more about how PAXGuide integrates with AtlasIED to deliver the next generation of automated airport announcements. 

At Sittig, we improve the passenger experience and process efficiency through automated announcements worldwide. Our unified audio management platform is tailored to the needs of airports, airlines, train stations and industrial facilities.

DISCLAIMER

This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.