Word on the Runway: What will define the next era of airports?
Airports are evolving quickly. From biometrics and AI-driven planning tools to real-time passenger updates and digital wayfinding, technology is reshaping how people move through the terminal. At the same time, much of the underlying infrastructure was designed for a different era of travel.
In the latest installment of Connico’s Word on the Runway series, we asked industry peers:
What will define the next era of airports, and what should the industry be preparing for now?
Michael Feeney, Estimating Director at Connico: Capital planning and passenger demand
The next era of airports comes down to one question: Is flying still worth it?
Passengers are comparing air travel to ride-share apps that show up in minutes, remote work that cuts out the trip entirely, and delivery services that bring the store to their door. Airports and airlines have to take that seriously. Convenience is no longer a selling point – it is the baseline expectation. That means looking at the full trip, not just what happens inside the terminal. How does the passenger get there? How fast do they get through security and onto the plane? Does the time investment still make sense?
From a cost estimating and capital planning perspective, those questions matter a lot. Not every upgrade delivers the same value per dollar, and airport owners are being asked to commit serious capital against a demand picture that keeps changing. Getting the sequencing right by putting money toward the friction points that most affect whether someone chooses to fly is where the industry has real room to improve. The decisions being made now will either make airports the obvious choice or give people one more reason to stay home.
Blake Aredas, Business Development Manager at Birdi Systems: Smart airports and passenger experience
Smart airports in practice are optimizing the full passenger journey from curb to gate. Focus begins with the core touchpoints of travel: drop-off, check-in, and baggage handling. Each step requires efficiency and reduced friction to support a smoother overall experience. Movement through TSA checkpoints, whether PreCheck or standard lanes, is also part of that system-wide effort to streamline passenger flow.
Digital wayfinding plays a growing role in supporting that experience. Mobile-based navigation tools help passengers move through unfamiliar airports, while accessibility-focused solutions support travelers with visual impairments or other navigation challenges. In some cases, augmented reality-style pathways provide additional guidance through complex terminal environments.
The experience continues through the gate and concession environment, where real-time alerts around gate changes and travel updates help reduce missed connections and improve passenger readiness. The overall goal is a connected airport experience that supports clarity, confidence, and ease of movement from arrival through departure.
David Wolfe Bender, Business Development Associate and Client Operations Analyst at Chrysalis Global Aviation: Technology integration and operational readiness
Across airports worldwide, a growing proliferation of technology is underway, including AI, big data platforms, and other advanced digital systems. While adoption continues to accelerate, these technologies often overlap and must interface with one another in complex airport environments.
That overlap introduces integration challenges that extend beyond individual system performance. Operational readiness, activation, and transition (ORAT) plays a critical role in addressing that complexity by ensuring systems function not only within their own environments, but also as part of a larger interconnected ecosystem.
This requires airports to move beyond traditional commissioning and testing approaches. While systems may be validated independently, additional layers of testing are needed to evaluate performance as integrated systems and within live operational environments.
As a result, increased emphasis is being placed on end-to-end testing, simulation exercises, and live environment trials to validate system performance at scale. This shift reflects the growing complexity of airport technology ecosystems and the need for more holistic approaches to activation and readiness.
TJ Schulz, President of Airport Consultants Council: AI and the workforce
A workforce challenge is currently underway across the aviation industry, and that challenge is expected to continue and evolve over time.
The immediate issue is a shortage of available professionals to meet current demand, combined with a limited pipeline of emerging talent entering airport development fields from colleges and universities. That gap is creating pressure across multiple areas of airport planning, design, and delivery. At the same time, AI is beginning to reshape how work is performed across the industry. AI is expected to automate a wide range of activities and significantly influence how airports operate, including procurement and contracting processes.
A convergence is emerging between workforce constraints and expanding AI capabilities. While still evolving, that intersection is expected to become a defining factor in how airports address capacity challenges and reshape their operating models moving forward.
What this means for airport leaders
The next era of airports will be shaped by rising passenger convenience expectations, growing technology integration challenges, and a workforce squeeze that's colliding with tech’s expanding role. Airports will have to rethink not just individual upgrades, but how capital projects get funded, sequenced, tested, and delivered. It’s time for our industry to get ready for these changes!
As airports prepare for what comes next, the path forward will require creative solutions. Connico helps airport owners and project teams connect passenger expectations, operational needs and capital priorities through cost estimating, program management, scheduling/phasing, construction administration, project management and constructability planning across commercial aviation, federal government, energy and beyond.
Have a question for our Word on the Runway series or want to connect with our team? Get in touch.
