Airport Experience® News - Customer Service Issue 2025

Top Left and Top Right: WHILL manufactures autonomous chairs that transport travelers throughout the airport terminals. The chairs can be found at Miami International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, among others.

Right: The talk-to text system at Minneapolis-St. Paul International converts live airline agent communications into real-time captions.

Environmental Design and Infrastructure

Beyond deploying new technology, airports are designing physical spaces to integrate accessibility features rather than treat them as afterthoughts or checkboxes. SEA’s approach to architecture focuses on universal design principles in all facility planning. “We’re looking forward – what should we be providing? How can we improve the experience, or just make it more seamless for passengers,” says Candace Field, airport facilities and infrastructure accessibility program manager. “You don’t want it to feel like, oh, this was just stuck in because, by law, they have to do this.” Part of that, too, is branding and communication, Rodriguez notes. Recent initiatives sought to rebrand their outreach to ensure passengers were aware of all amenities. SEA’s recent infrastructure upgrades include zero-grade curbs on the arrivals drive, wheelchair loading zones every 100 feet on departures drives, and new ramps with shallower slopes based on community feedback. The airport’s South Concourse remodel, planned for the next eight to 10 years, will feature an amenities level with multiple sensory rooms and other accessibility features, officials say. Community input is proving crucial in shaping the

and AI technology. The app uses camera based positioning to determine a user’s location within a building, providing turn by-turn directions. “Feedback has been positive in general and overwhelmingly positive from users with hearing and/or vision impairments,” says Nikolas Persson, executive vice president of business development for PVD. Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) launched a comprehensive communication package in August 2024, implementing the Aira app for blind and low-vision assistance, hearing loops, and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program. The Sunflower Program enables individuals to discreetly indicate they have a non-visible disability and may need additional assistance by wearing a lanyard, pin, or wristband. YHZ has distributed approximately 2,900 sunflower

lanyards and 1,200 pins by request, with more than 230 airports worldwide participating in the program. “We continue to highlight and promote the programs, so that airport employees are confident in helping travelers have a positive and seamless experience,” says Tiffany Chase, director of marketing, communications and customer experience for Halifax International Airport Authority. ”People may think an airport is just a place where airplanes take off and land, but they are so much more,” Chase says. “They’re backdrops for some of life’s most meaningful moments.” SEA and MSP have also implemented the Aira platform. Burke reports about 500 minutes of monthly usage and a 6 percent increase in calls since unveiling additional sign language services.

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AX NEWS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025