The world’s airports are turning to mobile apps, social media and intelligent technologies, including geolocation services to make passenger experience much better. Several airports also plan to invest in social media, according to a new survey.
Improving passenger experience is the number one driver of IT investment by a majority (59 per cent) of the world’s airports, according to the Sita Airport IT trends survey.
Passengers are set to see several changes, the survey has noted, given the rapid increase in mobile and social media apps delivering a more personalised customer experience.
Keeping passengers informed about their flight status and wait times is the top reason for airports providing mobile apps, with 88 per cent of those surveyed saying they plan to invest in them by the end of 2015. During this period, 78 per cent of airports also plan to invest in social media with two-thirds of these currently focused on evaluations or trials.
Speaking about the survey, Francesco Violante, CEO, Sita, said, “Operators are investing in an intelligent airport to improve passenger experience in an operationally efficient manner. With airports planning to invest in business intelligence, and using it to better collaborate with partners, it is clear that there is a strong desire to work together with stakeholders, including airlines and ground handlers, to create a better journey.''
The 9th annual Sita survey, was conducted in partnership with the Airports Council International and Airline Business.