What is a smart airport and where do eSIMs fit in?

With the average age of commercial airports coming in at 50 years old, old terminals are being rebuilt to make way for smart airports that enhance operational efficiency, improve the passenger experience and ensure sustainable development for a more connected future. So what is a smart airport and where do eSIMs fit in?

Also known as “intelligent airports”, smart airports leverage a range of interconnected systems and data-driven technologies that all come together to streamline operations, improve safety and deliver a seamless experience for passengers.

So as well as being better designed, more spacious, accessible, functional, efficient and aesthetically pleasing buildings, smart airports offer the opportunity to include things like:

• More automation and robotics for baggage handling, security checks, cleaning and maintenance tasks
• More environmentally sustainable technologies for optimising waste reduction, energy efficiency and so on
• Sensors and connected devices collecting real-time data to optimise airport operations
• Advanced software analytics for processing large volumes of data for predictive decision making and resource utilisation
• Biometrics and facial recognition technology for security and passenger processing
• Enhanced connectivity throughout the airport and its many zones, to support the integration of smart technologies and overlay services

Smart airports are a springboard for airport operators to enlarge their service offering beyond offering parking and retail opportunities as passengers await their onward travel.

Why? Because of a need to meet the demands of a new breed of customer. Within a decade, Gen Z customers will outnumber millennials and account for around 1.2 billion air passengers a year. These younger travellers live digitally immersed lives and want a walk-through experience where everything is easy and seamless, through every touchpoint in the airport. Smart airports (and the services they can enable) are an important part of a necessary evolution. 

Getting an app onto the passenger’s phone requires some justification, which airports seldom manage to generate at present. But a tipping point could soon come in the form of a wayfinding capability offered for free.

Passengers at larger airports can struggle to find their way around, especially older generations, compromising passenger flow. In fact the number of aged travellers is growing as fast as Gen Z, rising from 25% in 2021 to 37% in 2023. The majority of airports are already looking to cut walking distances to a maximum of 1,500 metres and adopt technologies that simplify the wayfinding process.

Studies have shown how the use of 5G and AI in the shape of a smartphone app can dramatically improve the way people navigate airports. Taking account of different kinds of passengers (such as those with mobility issues or other special requirements) and providing them with a personalised experience has been demonstrated by Delta Airlines in a pilot project at Detroit Metro Airport. Here biometrics and automation took centre stage, with wayfinding systems that recognise and interact with every single passenger individually; welcoming them by name, telling them which gate to head for, and how long the walk will be, along with other important departure information.

There have been projects exploring the use of wearables to help people navigate airports too, but anyone carrying a mobile phone already has a wayfinding solution at their fingertips!

By offering a new suite of revenue-generating digital services, airports can bank returns on their infrastructure investments. Not only that, but we envisage eSIM mobile data services that generate rich data insights that can be used to grow existing revenue streams too, and provide a more valuable and complete passenger experience that inspires loyalty and preference for future journeys.

The reality is that, today, airports know very little about where departing passengers are headed on their journeys – which is astonishing given that’s the reason for being at the airport in the first place. This situation ends when airports sell affordable eSIM mobile data plans tailored to their destination – a product that’s at least as relevant in a pre-departure scenario as offering retail opportunities to buy books, bags, clothes and personal tech.

Not only do such services give airports a revenue opportunity, it shows them where individual passengers are headed and even – by integrating data insights with flight information – when they might be leaving and returning. That creates an invaluable upsell opportunity for pre-booking duty free purchases, something most airports are actively prioritising through onsite advertising and promotion.

eSIM Go is at the forefront of this movement driving connected traveller innovation for partners including Wizz Air, Icelandair and Sydney Airport. Head to our case studies page for details, or drop us a line to find out how eSIM is such an important part of the evolution of airports.