By Hassan El-Banna,

Business Development Manager, META

FORWARD-thinking airports are focused on delivering a passenger journey that is uninterrupted from end-to-end, starting when passengers leave their homes and finishing when they board the aircraft. Reducing stress as well as improving flow-through and predictability are key. A smooth journey requires a resilient infrastructure, smart planning, and an investment in technology. Dubai Airports recently announced its plans to eliminate physical airport check in desks and detect travelers’ vitals by scanning their thermal print. Dubai welcomes an average of 7.5 million travelers every month. However, the city broke this record three times by welcoming over 8.3 million in one month.

Like any business, the success of an airport depends on the customer’s experience. By relying on powerful analytics such as queue detection and delays, heat mapping, directional analysis, and people counting, airport staff make timely, informed decisions to improve the passenger experience. For example, essential elements for a safe, easy-to-navigate, and profitable airport include understanding how people flow from the parking areas, check-in, duty-free and retail shops, in-airport cafes and dining areas. Combining and processing correlative data gives insight that would help airport managers understand airport traffic. Accordingly, they can design a seamless, hassle-free traveler experience resulting in increased brand attachment, venue and airline loyalty, and positive business growth.

Additionally, air travel is much more than just transporting a passenger from one place to another. Airports are now thought of as 'small cities', and must provide a safe and efficient experience, from parking, check-in, and exposure to world-class shopping and dining. The challenge for airports is to offer this amazing journey while delivering an environment that's safe and secure, with operations that run like clockwork. In conclusion, airports need the tools to get a clearer understanding of their business and give passengers a seamless experience-from drop-off to takeoff.