Improving Airport Passenger Experience with Resilient Ops: Airports@Work Revisted
- Abagael Rudock
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
Industry leaders came together in Houston at the end of March for Airports@Work. There, airport stakeholders and partners explored the latest strategies for improving passenger experience. Across discussions of resilient operations, smarter communication, AI-enhanced solutions, and future-proof strategies, one theme stood out: the future of airport operations is adaptive, data-driven, and designed to proactively meet passenger needs during regular and irregular operations.
In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the most important topics, trends, and challenges from the event—and highlight some of the solutions available to address them.
Resilient, Adaptive Airport Environments are More Efficient
Airports are navigating an increasingly complex landscape of potential disruptions, from severe weather and cybersecurity threats to shifting regulations and unexpected operational challenges—all while travel, including international travel, is booming. The key to managing these disruptions lies in smart, resilient systems: tools that adapt in real time to minimize downtime and prevent cascading failures.
As leaders from SEA, SFO, and DFW discussed during the panel Shaking it Off: Airport Resiliency Case Studies, resilient systems do more than recover from disruptions. The panelists explained how ensuring resiliency means that disruptions and changes can be learning opportunities, and well-managed disruptions don't have to result in cascading impacts or catastrophic failures.
Smart systems like Synect’s Passenger360®, an airport-wide visual communication platform and content management system (CMS), play a critical role in creating resilient airport environments.
During disruptive events, our smart, efficient workflows become critical time-saving tools. Passenger360 is designed to let airports seamlessly update dynamic displays with real-time emergency messaging, ensuring passengers receive essential information without delay. By operating mostly autonomously and streamlining manual operations and intervention to smart use cases, our solution frees airport teams to focus on high-priority tasks, leading to smoother operations, a better passenger experience, and focus when every second counts.
During regular operations, Passenger360 enhances passenger experiences by helping airports easily adapt to every situation. The system connects with existing airport systems, such as flight schedules, to automatically update displays based on smart automations and custom rules. Coupled with smart functionality like emergency messaging, multilingual wayfinding, and more, the Passenger360 CMS is helping airports build flexible, resilient, adaptable systems that create positive passenger experiences.
Smarter Communication Enhances Safety and Security
Effective communication is essential for operational readiness, cybersecurity, and passenger safety, as leaders from SEA and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority stressed in their panel, Irregular Operations – Upping our Game. Clear messaging reduces confusion, increases efficiency, and strengthens security, and airports want better tools to enhance their communication with passengers.
ReadySeeGo® has demonstrated how proactive communication enhances security checkpoints at LAS and JFKIAT. With eye-catching motion and content designed to help passengers prepare for screening. As Austin Gould, President of Gould Strategic Solutions and former TSA Assistant Administrator for Requirements and Capabilities Analysis. said during our work together at LAS:
“You can go through any checkpoint and see signs all over the place, and not a lot of passengers always read them. This is much more eye-catching, and it's dynamic; you can change it on the spot.”
And this topic is coming up at most airport industry events. During Synect’s standing room only panel at FTE, Austin expanded upon the capabilities of RSG:
“It can explain the queue, the divest requirements, the TDC procedures, the recomposure issues ... Do not underestimate the security benefits of effective communications. A calm, sterile checkpoint is the way to go.”
Dynamic content helps passengers prepare for security screening before they reach the checkpoint by delivering divestment instructions and real-time updates with estimated wait times. When passengers understand what’s expected of them, they move through the process faster—reducing congestion, improving security efficiency, and creating a better passenger experience.
With the REAL ID deadline quickly approaching, airports are preparing to guide passengers through new rules and processes—and guess what? ReadySeeGo has been reminding passengers of Real-ID requirements for years!
Data & Technology Are Driving Airport Passenger Experience Improvements
AI, predictive analytics, and real-time data are redefining how airports manage passenger flows and create personalized interactions. Airports are integrating smart, innovative solutions—such as advanced CRMs, CMSs, and new AI tools—to provide seamless, data-driven experiences that proactively address passengers’ needs, as leaders from Richmond, Houston, and St. Paul airports discussed during Innovating Airport Services: Integrating CRM into the Future of Passenger Engagement.
Innovative tools, like Synect’s AI solution, will take these integrations even further. Our system helps passengers:
Ask questions in their preferred language
Receive instant, relevant recommendations
Get real-time support through AI-enhanced interactions
Connect with airport representatives for more help
Real-time and predictive analytics are a key component in helping airports proactively meet passengers’ needs. With Synect’s Evenflow Crowd Radar, Lidar-based tracking shows real-time crowd density. Smart automations can update airport maps to reflect where crowds are least dense and gently prompt passengers to choose less-crowded routes. By analyzing foot traffic patterns and deploying targeted messaging on dynamic displays, airports can re-route crowds to reduce crowds and stop congestion before it starts.
Systems and Infrastructure Must Align to Meet Passenger Needs and Enhance Experiences
New technologies offer exciting possibilities, but they must integrate seamlessly with existing and planned infrastructure to be truly effective. Strong, clear content strategy that prioritizes the passenger experience, paired with smart solutions that are part of a flexible, future-proof infrastructure, is key for airports to maintain seamless operations as the environment changes.
With passenger volumes predicted to keep rising, airports must prioritize future-proof strategies to maintain operational efficiency. Physical infrastructure updates must accommodate larger crowds than ever, and digital transformations must scale with passenger volume.
Preparing to build better passenger experiences? Connect with Synect to explore smart solutions that deliver the right message at the right time—every time.
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